Isaac Barham of Bellevue sang his way into the hearts of the judges at the West Coast Region finals of the Karaoke World Championships USA 2009 competition last weekend. He took first place, moving on to the next round of the competition in Ohio. The winner of the national competition then moves onto the world finals in Heinola, Finland.

The Karaoke World Championships (KWC) is an annual event and is considered the largest and most prestigious international Karaoke competition in the world.

Barham entered the competition on a whim when he spotted the poster announcing the contest while eating at a local restaurant with some friends.

“I’ve done a little bit of karaoke, but just with friends for fun,” he said. “When I read about the competition, I thought, ‘Why not? What do I have to lose?'”

Barham grew up on the smooth sounds of Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra, and first learned to strum the guitar when he was 15. He later developed his distinct tone and vocals, what he refers to as the essence of music.

“The biggest thing on my heart has always been the vocals and the lyrics,” he explained. “I view the vocals as a translation of emotion and the lyrical delivery system of poetry. The way emotion can be expressed through the voice is the ultimate instrument.”

During the first round, Barham sang Cheek to Cheek by Frank Sinatra and turned it up a notch with Let’s Dance by David Bowie.

“One of the judges said the Bowie song was the clincher. I really nailed it with that one,” Barham said.

Both the Seattle finals and West Coast finals of the competition were held at Hula Hula’s in downtown Seattle. The winners from the first two rounds, one male and one female, now move on to the national portion of the competition in Ohio. The competition is judged by a panel of professionals, from vocal coaches to theater performers.

“People ask me all the time if I get nervous on stage, but I feel very comfortable up there performing. Singing is what I love to do and it translates through my music,” he said.

To hear the sounds of Isaac Barham, visit www.myspace.com/isaactunes