Dog Star is dedicated to John James Haynie, who was my trumpet professor at the University of North Texas.  

The title Dog Star comes from three different sources.  The melody is an inverted imagining of the song “How Much is that Doggy in the Window” with a newly composed B theme. It was also the name of my late brother Jerry Nelson’s company.   Finally it is also a modest shout-out to H.A. VanderCook and his Trumpet Stars solos.

Dog Star is a theme and variations and is a great introduction to this style of solo literature.  The theme in C Major is followed by an eighth note version which features varied articulations, intervals and leading tones.  The second variation is a beautiful legato melody in the relative minor.  Finally, the solo ends in F Major with a spirited variation that is meant to be an approachable introduction to double tonguing performance.  This could be single tongued, but the slower tempo would zap the energy of the finale a bit.

I hope that you enjoy performing and listening to Dog Star!

This MRNS Music Digital Download includes the solo and piano parts, an mp3 accompaniment file, and a SmartMusic accompaniment file.

This digital download purchase is meant for a single user.  Please purchase multiple copies if this is intended for multiple students.  Thank you!

This solo can also be found in the collection Six Progressive Festival Solos for Trumpet.