Pets vs. Decorations

This song was inspired by all of the cute and funny online compilation videos of pets destroying and knocking over holiday decorations. The funniest ones are where the pets are trying to sneak around when no one is looking in order to fulfill their naughty missions.

Delightfully cunning (like your pets think they are) the song mixes espionage or spy music with holiday themes. You will even hear some jingle bells. Our session guitar player, Sandy, cleverly ended the song with the iconic "James Bond Chord."

Spy music often features French horn, so we wrote a neat little part. One thing horns are known for is playing "rips," which are similar to glissandos. When you play the song, have students listen carefully for these rips. You could then consider having them raise their hands whenever they hear one.

The song is only cute and funny if your audience can understand the words. To help enunciate, make sure your singers use their diaphragms to give a slight punch on the accented syllables. All audiences love facial expressions, so get your students into character, as they are the storytellers. Adding basic movements will also get the kids excited about singing the song. They could make a swiping motion as if a cat is pushing a knickknack off the mantle, or they could cover their eyes and point as the tree is falling over. Be creative, and have fun!