Scarin' Alive

We had so much fun writing and producing this piece! Imitating a well-known disco-era favorite, this song parodies the familiar background, melody and rhythm closely, but not exactly. (Gotta watch those copyright infringements, you know.) If you were around back in the days of disco, you will be instantly amused from the start of this tune.

Of course, our twist on it is that it is a seasonal piece, useful for a certain October holiday... or not. You could use it anytime you like. It does have a spooky theme, but who says spooky songs can only be sung in October??

Obviously, we feel that the recording is the way to go when performing this song. We have gone to great lengths to make it nifty, from the guitar and disco strings, to the toccata-esque pipe organ and eerie sound effects. (Our only regret is that we didn't have a real theremin, that ethereal sound from old sci-fi movies. We managed to find a similar sound on one of our many handy dandy synthesizers nonetheless.)

Except for the verses, the song repeats a lot, so learning the form and lyrics shouldn't be too tough. Be sure to audition your soloists for the various screams, moans, and so forth. We usually have a number of volunteers when we do this sort of thing. It might be good to alternate soloists, if possible, so everyone who wants a turn gets one.

There are only a couple of things to watch musically. One is the section at measure 41 where staggered breathing can be employed if needed. The ideal is to connect the whole line. The other is the ending at measure 51. Each of the four times should be quieter and quieter. The dynamics are marked accordingly, in case you would like to use this as a reinforcement of your study of dynamics. In contrast, the very last measure is fortissimo as the vocalists shout out, Boo! There is no music under this.