Metamorphosis: E-flat Alto Clarinet
By Gary Fagan
Grade: 2 (Medium Easy)
Item: 00-PC-0000370_AC1
$3.00
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Description
Metamorphosis by Gary Fagan is a high-energy piece that will bring down the house! With its rhythmic vitality, soaring legato lines and occasional meter changes, this dramatic work will surely impress your listeners. This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Metamorphosis: E-flat Alto Clarinet comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Young Symphonic
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
128
SKU:
00-PC-0000370_AC1
More about this title
About the Composer: Gary Fagan
Gary Fagan has shaped music education across Virginia and beyond through his 36-year tenure as a band director in Albemarle County and his ongoing work as a University Supervisor at James Madison University. His compositions and arrangements have reached audiences at prestigious venues including the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, the White House, and the inauguration of Governor Douglas Wilder, establishing him as a respected voice in the wind band repertoire.
Fagan holds degrees in Music Education from Bridgewater College and a master's degree from James Madison University. His contributions to the field have been recognized with the Central Virginia Outstanding Middle School Teacher award, the Outstanding Educator Award from the Virginia Governor's School for the Visual and Performing Arts, and recognition from the Piedmont Council of the Arts. Active as a clinician, adjudicator, and arranger, he serves as Assistant Director and percussionist with the Charlottesville Band and maintains involvement with the Music Educators National Conference, the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association, and the National Band Association.
Why we love this
Metamorphosis strikes the balance every director seeks at Grade 2: the band sounds sophisticated and energetic without requiring years of technical mastery. The rhythmic drive and occasional metric shifts give your ensemble something genuinely interesting to solve musically, while the soaring melodic writing ensures that even an easy piece feels substantial on a concert program.
What to expect
Metamorphosis pulses with kinetic energy while carving space for moments of lyrical beauty. The occasional shift in meter keeps both audience and ensemble engaged, preventing the predictability that can flatten an easy piece into something forgettable. Beneath the high-energy exterior lives genuine compositional craft.
Who it's for
Grade 2 concert bands preparing for festivals, contests, or concert programs who want a piece with genuine musical sophistication and audience appeal. This work suits both younger high school ensembles and experienced middle school bands capable of handling metric flexibility.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish the pulse early and maintain rhythmic clarity through the meter changes. The energy of this piece hinges on ensemble confidence with the shift in time signatures.
- Shape the legato lines with forward motion; these melodies deserve space to breathe but should never drag. Let the rhythmic vitality of the surrounding material inform your phrase direction.
- Balance the brass and woodwind in sections where both carry melodic material. At this level, doubling and careful dynamic layering will prevent muddiness while preserving the dramatic impact.
- Use the contest/festival context to your advantage. Build momentum through the piece with each rehearsal, treating each run-through as though the audience is watching.
How to use it
Program Metamorphosis as a centerpiece contest entry or as the high-energy opener for a full concert that features both technical and expressive demands. Its Grade 2 accessibility makes it an ideal selection for spring festivals, and its dramatic arc works particularly well when paired with a contrasting ballad or march.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and executing meter changes at performance tempo
- Balancing rhythmic precision with legato phrasing
- Ensemble blend in scored passages for mixed instrumental doublings
- Sustaining musical momentum across multiple sections
- Responding to nuanced dynamic and expressive markings in a high-energy context