Dr.Suzanne Wright (right) posing with her fellow judges Kendra Klassen-Hunt (Left) and Joey Oberhoffner at the 2023 Karaoke World Competition provincial weekend in Calgary. (Photo by Jenna Willox)
By: Jenna Willox
Dr. Suzanne Wright, to say the least, is an incredible and cherished part of the karaoke community in Calgary. Dr. Suzanne has a master's in jazz musicianship and a doctorate in advanced vocal production and uses these immense skills to give back to the karaoke community.
Mainly, Wright has become a crucial part of Karaoke Worlds Competition (KWC), which qualifies here in Calgary. Despite being visually impaired, Wright has adjusted and is still giving back to the competitors by offering her expertise with vocals and performance. This expertise gives these competitors a chance to truly advance their skills and elevate the skills they already have. This is part of why Wright donates so much of her time to these people.
“It’s great that people can get their 15 minutes of fame.” Said Wright when asked why she puts so much of her time into these competitions. According to Wright, before being asked to judge KWC for the first time in 2015, she had never done karaoke but for her it was singing and that was enough. “I wanted to give back to a community that has given so much to me.” continued Wright. “I’m addicted to the coaching aspect of it.” Which doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone, as anyone who knows Suzanne knows how much love she has for each competitor. She explained she hates making cuts during the competition, as she grows to love each one.
This year in specific was hard for Wright in terms of judging KWC and having to make those cuts. “The level of talent this year was astronomical...” Wright started “Our venue (city) finals were at a level that I don’t always see at our nationals.” she continued. This means that Calgary really stepped up their game this year and brought a level of talent judges haven’t seen before. Wright mentioned that because the turnout was so massive this year and the talent pool so large, she didn’t get a chance to foster the talent of those she feels could have easily progressed in the past, making this year for KWC a year like no other. “It gives me a sense of purpose as well” Wright mentioned.
Erin Marchetto Meyers, Karaoke World Championship host. (Photo by Jenna Willox)
Beyond competitions, Dr. Suzanne Wright spoke about singing and karaoke in general and the confidence it takes to get up there in front of people. “To be honest, the best time to get involved in karaoke for the first time is after a few drinks.” Wright admits.
And if you don’t have a friend to sing with at karaoke, you will surely find one within the community. Wright explains her experience with the welcoming karaoke community. “I have tended to stand on the outside and look in because I judge...” she starts “until I started to lose my sight, and everyone was so incredibly supportive, and I didn’t feel like I was a burden to anybody.” Wright explained her nature of being wildly independent, and not wanting to be the person who wasn’t able to do things. KISS Productions, KWC and the rest of the community were there to support her and accommodate her new impairments with her sights when it came to judging. “They set up screens for me so I could see better, people were still asking me questions and I was still getting the respect.” said Wright. “I genuinely feel they gave me back my freedom and my confidence and its given back more to me than I’ve given to it.”
Despite having her own vocal coaching business, Singing the Wright Way, Dr. Suzanne Wright believes she has given up more of her donated time and coached for free with the KWC competition and appreciates what this community has given her, just as she is cherished and loved deeply by the community. Susan Cook of Calgary’s leading karaoke company, KISS productions, had nothing but great things to say about Suzanne and her work. “What started out as a strictly professional relationship with Suzanne, quickly became a friendship. She gives unconditionally of her time and expertise to the karaoke community, especially those in competitions, and volunteers countless hours for judging and coaching. I am privileged to count Suzanne as one of my closest friends.”
