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About the Composer
Paul John Rudoi
Graphite Publishing
If I Were a Dog (SSA)
Equal parts funny, touching, sad, and sweet. A surprising amount of depth in this gem.
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If I Were a Dog
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If I Were a Dog
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If I Were a Dog
SSA, piano
Equal parts funny, touching, sad, and sweet, Paul John Rudoi’s “If I Were a Dog” is the perfect short work for any age level. A full tutorial on what it means to be a dog, between enjoying a long walk, marking one’s territory, finding the right owner, and showing an unconditional love as only a dog could, the piece’s three and a half minutes cover a lot of ground without feeling hokey or overwrought. Whether with a chuckle or misty eyes, audiences and choirs alike will find a surprising amount of depth in this small gem.
Composer’s Notes
I own many different books of poetry–from local writers to the legends we know and love–which I reference to find the right texts for new commissions and projects. But Richard Shelton’s wonderfully vibrant “If I Were a Dog” came from one of my occasional encounters with The Writer’s Almanac, NPR’s indispensable resource for downright great poems. I wanted to set this beautifully crafted gem without feeling fake, and I hope I’ve done it some justice.
Above all, don’t take it too seriously or too lightly. Deliver the text clearly and phrase as you would speak it. Don’t go overboard with tempo shifts and let the piano bounce rather than tiptoe. No need to hit an audience over the head with a wink (e.g. measures 51-53) or something deeper (e.g. measures 67-70). In essence, let Shelton’s words do the work and revel in the joy of a pet’s unconditional love.
– Paul John Rudoi, 2018
Text
I would trot down this road sniffing
on one side and then the other
peeing a little here and there
wherever I felt the urge
having a good time what the hell*
saving some because it’s a long road
but since I’m not a dog
I walk straight down the road
trying to get home before dark
if I were a dog and I had a master
who beat me I would run away
and go hungry and sniff around
until I found a master who loved me
I could tell by his smell and I
would lick his face so he knew
or maybe it would be a woman
I would protect her we could go
everywhere together even down this
dark road and I wouldn’t run from side
to side sniffing I would always
be protecting her and I would stop
to pee only once in awhile
sometimes in the afternoon we could
go to the park and she would throw
a stick I would bring it back to her
each time I put the stick at her feet
I would say this is my heart
and she would say I will make it fly
but you must bring it back to me
I would always bring it back to her
and to no other if I were a dog
– “If I Were a Dog” by Richard Shelton, from The Last Person to Hear Your Voice. © University of Pitts- burgh Press, 2007. Reprinted with permission.
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