Those in search of a unique night out in Easthampton can now sing their hearts out at Chickadee Karaoke Rooms — a more than 900-square-foot venue for those who want to perform in the privacy of a sound-resistant room.

City resident James Crawford first rented the former Rhythm Section Music shop at 24 Cottage St. last summer. He said his love for both karaoke and Easthampton drove him to open the business and bring added life downtown.

After experiencing private vocal lounges while living in Hawaii for four years, Crawford, a former photographer, sought to address a local shortage of entertainment options. He explained that unlike bowling or arcades where people take individual turns, group singing creates a unified environment where “you’re all in it together when you’re all singing together.”

“I think we really need that right now, when younger folks are glued to their devices and it’s hard to find opportunities to have that kind of connection with your friends,” he said.

Working with the Florence-based architecture firm Meetinghouse Architecture, Inc., Crawford spent the year converting what he described as one large space into four individual sound-trapping karaoke rooms.

Crawford said the appeal of individualized rooms, as opposed to a bar with a stage, is that they provide a sense of privacy for those who might be nervous singing to — or listening to — a room full of strangers. He added that by renting a karaoke room, even for just a few hours, customers will have more time on the microphone than they would at a bar’s karaoke night.

Crawford noted that typical bar karaoke nights only offer a few chances to take the mic, forcing patrons to wait through performances from strangers whose musical tastes they might not share. In contrast, private rooms shift the focus back to the guest.

“This is an opportunity for you to sing, constantly, the songs that you want to sing. … It’s more about a connection with the group that you are visiting with,” he said. “There’s people who are very uncomfortable singing in front of a group.”

Although Crawford is still in the process of securing a state liquor license, he said he has secured one-day liquor licenses for Fridays and Saturdays for the next six weeks from the Easthampton Licensing Board.

Following its opening night on Thursday, June 25, Chickadee Karaoke is open from 5 p.m. until midnight on Thursdays; 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays; 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturdays; and from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Sundays.

Crawford explained that he decided to keep the business open during the day on Sundays with the hope of providing a place for families to gather and have fun.

“I’ve had kids come who’ve had blasts — absolute blasts — like more fun than any of the other adults,” he said. “Even before they can read, they’re listening to all the Disney songs they’ve memorized, most of it.”

All rooms, Crawford said, are equipped with an iPad-based karaoke kiosk, making for a more convenient song-selection process than choosing a song from a large, laminated menu.

Those interested in singing at Chickadee can rent a room for $15 per person for the first hour, and then $12 per person for each additional hour. Rooms can be reserved online at chickadeekaraoke.com.

“I really believe in this town,” Crawford said. “I could have opened this business elsewhere, but … I see the potential in it, and the growth in it, and I wanted to be part of it.”