Feign More Teeth

Feign More Teeth

May 14, 2020

From “Maytudes” – a french horn etude project in consultation with Gail Williams, with one etude created every day during the month of May, 2020.
This duet version for french horn and trombone was commissioned by Kathy Tait Thomas.

from composer, Jim Stephenson (from original Maytudes book):

You can thank or blame participant Maddy Tarantelli for this one! She wrote to me yesterday telling me that she was enjoying my titles, (along with the etudes – phew!), and then she shared her enjoyment of “spoonerisms” – where you switch the first letters in a phrase to make new words. In other words, my name would be “Stim Jephenson”.

That got me thinking about today’s etude, and the title. Yesterday’s was such a gloomy title, and etude, that I really wanted to lighten things up today. We don’t ALWAYS have to solve the world’s problems with a three-minute piece of music! So, even if I was still feeling gloomy today on this dark day filled with thunderstorms, why not write something light, something happy; something that might make you smile, or, in other words, something that might make you “feign more teeth”.

Which – in my crazy silly brain’s world – is a nice spoonerism for May fourteenth. 🙂

I hope you can have some fun with this one. I included the option for a drone on a low C (concert F), in case you want to set your tuner, or find a friend/family member to hold that note throughout the entire etude. It adds a nice folksy flavor to the whole thing.

The little phrases at m. 18, 22, 54, etc., are indeed meant to sound like you’re laughing a little. Just one word of warning: don’t feign more teeth WHILE you play!!

And thank you, Maddy, for the inspiration.