Breakthrough: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$55.00 USD

Breakthrough: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Breakthrough: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-50858
Price: 55.00 USD
Availability: InStock

Clarinet Feature (Over the Break)

By Chris M. Bernotas

Grade: 1

Item: 00-50858

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Breakthrough, by Chris M. Bernotas, is a fun clarinet feature that will have your students climbing over the break with confidence! Artfully crafted both musically and pedagogically, this fantastic piece ensures a thrilling musical journey for every ensemble member. (2:30)

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Breakthrough: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: Sound Innovations for Concert Band

Publisher: Alfred Music

ISBN10: 1-4706-6821-1

ISBN13: 978-1-4706-6821-1

UPC: 038081587080

SKU: 00-50858

More about this title

About the Composer: Chris M. Bernotas

Chris M. Bernotas directs instrumental publications for Alfred Music, where he has spent over 25 years developing band and orchestra materials used in classrooms worldwide. His compositions balance musical integrity with pedagogical clarity, addressing the real challenges teachers face when building ensemble skills across mixed ability levels.

Beyond the page, Bernotas works as a guest conductor and clinician, leading honor bands and workshops that bring fresh perspectives to directors and their students. He has co-authored several influential resources including the Sound Innovations series, Sound Artistry, and Sound Performance. His dual life as both composer and educator ensures his music speaks directly to what young musicians need to grow.

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Why we love this

Breakthrough solves the real problem of clarinet break transitions at the earliest levels. Bernotas writes with such clear pedagogical intent that students gain confidence navigating the break through actual musical material, not exercises. The piece works equally well as a feature, a contest selection, or a morale booster mid-rehearsal.

What to expect

Light and encouraging, with the energy of students discovering they can handle more than they thought. The piece has a conversational quality that makes the technical work feel like music-making, not grinding through a problem.

Who it's for

Grade 1 concert bands looking for a confident clarinet feature that doesn't ask for advanced technique. Directors building clarinet sections through the break will find this especially valuable, whether for festival play or confidence-building early in the year.

How to get the most out of it

Isolate clarinet section passages separately during early rehearsals so soloists can absorb the break work without ensemble pressure, then integrate gradually.
Keep the tempo steady and conversational; rushing through the feature actually makes the break harder to navigate cleanly.
Balance ensemble support around the clarinet line so the feature voice sits naturally forward without requiring excessive dynamic pushing.

How to use it

Program this as a standalone feature during a winter or spring concert to showcase individual clarinet growth. It also works beautifully as a warm-up or interlude piece that gives your section soloists meaningful performance time without concert fatigue.