What, What?

One of this year's contributions to all things spooky, this song focuses on the unknown. Notably, the audible unknown. That squeak. That moan. That strange clicking. What, what could it be??

The tune itself is pretty easy. So easy that while there is an optional second part, it's really only a response and feels quite natural to include. No need for an isolated rehearsal track either. It's very clear in context.

As you might expect, you will hear a few cliché elements on the recording – a pipe organ, a theremin, a minor key, an archtop guitar. Okay, maybe that last one isn't so cliché in an eerie tune. Unless it's swing. Which this is! You don't have to make a thing of that unless you want. Just singing along with the recording will offer a solid demonstration.

The real fun in this piece comes during the 16 bar break in the middle of the tune (bar 18) where selected soloists get to make their own sounds while the bass walks and the band simmers. Something unique and unrecognizable is suggested, similar to the kids on the recording. But you may find that classics like moans or howls are more comfortable for your soloists. However, we suggest you audition the sounds, especially prior to a performance, lest you have anything, um, rude occur. (Think bodily noises.) See the note at the bottom of page 35 for more helpful thoughts. Note also that there are two small sections during the coda where you could add more sounds. We decided not to, but you certainly can.

If you are someone who prefers to use our full version recordings for your kids to have a bit of reinforcement while singing, fear not! We have created a full performance version with no solo sound effects (sfx) that you can easily download from our web site.