Christmas Music Fun: Review of "Jingle Cats Meowy Christmas"
Cats Can Sing?
Well, apparently these cats can! This album is a fun, catchy number to entertain holiday guests, and your cats and perhaps your dogs.
Twenty traditional Carols, in a mix of sacred and secular, are featured, including (in no particular order):
- Up on the Housetop
- Angels We Have Heard on High
- God Rest You Merry Gentlemen
- Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies
- Ode To Joy
- Good King Wenceslas, and many other favorites of the season.
How Do They Make Cats Sing On Key?
The magic of singing cats and dogs is done through a complicated system of electronics known as "sampling." Real animals are recorded making their normal sounds, be it barks, growls, meows, purrs, or what have you.
Once a sufficient sized sample of any animal is obtained,it is run through computer software to match it up to the musical pitch that matches that animal's voice. Many animals may be recorded in order to get all the required pitch ranges.
Next, the samples are input into a synthesizer, which for most folks' purposes, amounts to a keyboard with MIDI * inputs and outputs. Built into the keyboard/synthesizer is the ability to bump up each pitch up or down an octave (8 notes), giving the full range of necessary tones to then simply play the songs as normal on the keyboard.
* MIDI: Musical Instrument Digital Interface
This Is Great Party Fun!
If you have cats, it is most entertaining to watch them perk up their ears and run for the stereo speakers, trying to figure out where all those cats are hiding.
Some cats may not like it, and go hide, but even the timid will eventually be overcome by their natural curiosity, once they realize nothing is coming to "get" them.
Dogs, too, may find it interesting, although I cannot vouch for that first-hand, as we don't have dogs. However, a few of the songs also have dogs barking the backup melody.
I assure you, this is a most entertaining album; probably more so for your pets. Most people may say, "Okay, that's enough!" long before the animals are finished with their investigations. Played at a low volume, though, it is pleasant enough background music, as the tones are true, and it may take folks a while, or a lull in the conversation to realize what they are hearing.
Do you think you would buy this CD?
© 2012 Liz Elias