Some dogs can’t wait to get outdoors and fetch sticks. On the other hand there’s Kemper, a papillon-terrier that’s not bashful about jamming and showing off his vocal power.
The five lb. star is Don’s Piano Warehouse favourite mascot. In his six years as part of the staff, he’s spontaneously sung, howled and yipped in concert with whoever sits down to tickle the ivories.
“Lately we’ve called him our best salesman. He’s the first person at the door and he greets people when they come in. He knows when to walk away if there are young children, and he can’t stop singing. People love his singing,” said Steffanie Vaugeois, 26, describing the vibrato in his voice.
Vaugeois, a piano teacher, salesperson and Don’s daughter, brought the pooch home when he was a young pup barely two pounds, a white teddy look-alike barely half the size of her forearm.
Like most canines exposed to music, Kemper enjoys favourite pieces. Definitely not a metal junkie, he prefers classical pieces, the happy mellow sounds in the A and C major keys.
However, it’s the romantic Pachelbel Canon also known as The Wedding March that resonates most deeply with him. Johann Pachelbel was a 17th century German Baroque composer.
Whenever Vaugeois or her father play the short work, he lifts his head and points his nose to the ceiling as if to completely open his throat. He starts off with a prolonged howl before changing the pitch and ending with a few yips.
Kemper first revealed his talent one afternoon when Vaugeois and her mother were playing the piano and plucking a few chords on a guitar. Tired of just listening, he joined their back and forth jam.
Vaugeois credits her dad for bringing out Kemper’s musical instincts.
“Every night after supper he likes to play on his piano for a bit. It’s a grand piano and Kemper would follow him and sit under the piano. He feels the vibrations and just howls. There’s a song my dad plays – the Pachelbel Canon – but he has his own twist. He has a nice intro with a crescendo down the middle and Kemper waits for it and lets loose.”
This wet-nosed ball of fluff is always eager to perform. While most folks enjoy his vocal antics, and some have been moved to tears, there are a few occasions when his special talent is not appreciated.
“When I’m at home practicing scales, it’s not ideal for me because I’m trying to focus on teaching.”
Lying down, sitting on his haunches or simply standing, this independent canine is not afraid to display his singing voice.
“He’s just too funny,” Vaugeois laughs.
