To listen while following along with the score, click here: T-Rex Toy, by Dr. Daniel Thrower, for Brass Quintet and Optional Child Vocalist - YouTube

This cute little piece was conceived of first as a poem with a melody, inspired by “In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Edvard Grieg (1843-1907). The lyrics tell an imaginative story of a child at play with a vivid imagination as he or she is being stalked by a vicious Tyrannosaurus Rex glaring hungrily from across the jungle of a messy room. The music begins eerily and subdued, as if to avoid sudden fast movements once the predator is spotted. Every verse changes key for intensity, grows in dynamics, and increases in speed. The instrumental complexity intensifies with each verse as well until the end when mom calls the child for snack time.