As mentioned in a previous post, my sixth grade chorus teacher, Mrs. B., steered clear of cheesy written-for-kids tunes that other instructors might have chosen for us. I'd forgotten until recently, however, that one of the hits we sang in her class was "Stray Cat Strut" by Stray Cats.
It's amusing to remember this. Stray cats typically need tough exteriors to survive, and kids at ages 11 and 12 only have so much of that. It's challenging to sound tough and jaded before you've held a job or driven a car.
Luckily, however, we weren't graded on authenticity. That was for the best, as I wouldn't have felt right carrying dead birds around in my mouth or hissing at people who'd done me no harm.
