Solid stance Luz.
I really agree with your position, that singing to a none original backing tack (karaoke style) seems out of context for the current open mic.
For me, the "video exception example" still seemed like a really good singer singing Karaoke though.
Any singer who can display obvious talent...I find it hard to believe that they do not know a musician friend who plays guitar (dime a dozen, even I play guitar lol) or can't find someone to accompany them.
If they can't that's fishy already.... Even if it's a none Steemit Musician then boom! Maybe that person would even join after participating once or twice.
Considering this is a community event, encouraging these talented singers (who are musicians too, just like drummers heh hehe) to play with other musicians or accompany themselves shouldn't be too much to ask of them...In fact, it can only benefit them in the end.
I'm pretty sure that most of us know that singing to a backing track and singing live, with other musicians/instrumentation are 2 very different things.
If anything, allowing an acapella performance that is of a high caliber would be far more impressive to me and more in the context of things than singing a along to the actual track of a cover song.... For example there was that acapella 4 part harmony entry from a few weeks back that seemed like it had a lot of musicianship.
I love karaoke btw lol... Just agree that Open Mic is not the stage for it.
Just my 2 cents ppl.
JB
There are exceptions
Oh I know, I read the post. Just piping in is all. I hope most of the participant who have been doing solo vocals or to tracks take this opportunity to either accompany themselves or, hook up with other musicians! That would be awesome for them!