Momentum: 3rd B-flat Trumpet
By Chris M. Bernotas
Grade: 4 (Medium Difficult)
Item: 00-PC-0016438_T3
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Description
This piece begins with a strong percussion statement and a joyous celebratory feel. The pulse is driving and the excitement is evident with syncopation, powerful brass, and impressive technical lines that all lead to many highs and lows before making way to a reflective section. The slower section features several soloists to create a change in mood. "Momentum" is always moving forward with many exciting challenges for all players and embodies a sense of pride, accomplishment, and celebration. (6:00)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Momentum: 3rd B-flat Trumpet 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:
Alfred Concert Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
284
SKU:
00-PC-0016438_T3
More about this title
About the Composer: Chris M. Bernotas
Chris M. Bernotas brings over 25 years of music education experience to his work as a composer and conductor. As Director of Instrumental Publications for Alfred Music, he shapes band and orchestra curricula used in schools worldwide, grounding his approach in deep classroom knowledge of what students need to grow as musicians and performers.
Bernotas's compositions balance musicality with accessibility, a philosophy born from years spent teaching ensemble and working one-on-one with students across all levels. He regularly conducts honor groups and clinician workshops, translating what he learns from those experiences into repertoire that challenges young musicians while respecting their developmental stage. His publications, including the Sound Innovations series and Sound Artistry, reflect his belief that educational music should inspire as much as it instructs.
Why we love this
Momentum delivers the energy and structural sophistication that Grade 4 bands crave without sacrificing the teachable moments every section of your ensemble needs. Bernotas writes with genuine understanding of where intermediate players sit musically—the syncopation and technical lines challenge them without feeling out of reach, while the reflective solo section gives you natural pacing for a concert program and solo spotlight opportunities that matter.
What to expect
Momentum grabs attention immediately with bold percussion and surges forward on waves of syncopated brass. The technical complexity and dynamic range create a sense of rising accomplishment, then pull back into quieter reflection where individual voices emerge, before building toward a triumphant closing that leaves the audience feeling the pride the music expresses.
Who it's for
Concert bands at Grade 4 level looking for a piece that combines celebratory brass writing with structural sophistication and genuine ensemble engagement across all sections. Directors seeking repertoire that energizes a concert program while providing meaningful musical challenges for developing musicians.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish the pulse in rehearsal before layering parts. The opening percussion statement and driving syncopation will anchor your ensemble's sense of forward momentum.
- Balance the brass power in the celebratory sections so technical lines in other voices stay audible. Many highs and lows means dynamics carry the architecture of the piece.
- Give soloists in the reflective section ample rehearsal time to shape their phrases independently. They carry the mood shift from excitement to introspection, and confidence matters.
- Mark the transitions between sections clearly so players understand when the mood changes direction. Clear gestures at these turning points help the ensemble follow the emotional arc.
How to use it
Open a concert with this piece to set an energetic, celebratory tone, or place it strategically in the second half as the emotional centerpiece of a varied program. The six-minute length and clear sectional structure make it substantial enough to stand as a concert highlight without dominating your rehearsal schedule, and the reflective midsection provides programming flexibility alongside lighter or more lyrical selections.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and performing syncopated rhythmic figures within driving pulse
- Balancing technical passage work with textural clarity across ensemble
- Executing dynamic contrast and shaping phrased sections that build and release tension
- Solo performance confidence in the reflective section
- Following large-scale musical structure across multiple contrasting sections