Sound Innovations for Concert Band: Ensemble Development for Intermediate Concert Band: B-flat Bass Clarinet Book

Boonshaft and Bernotas have built a resource that respects the intermediate musician's need for both focused technical work and genuine musical substance. The inclusion of chorales by eight respected concert band composers (Barrett, Boysen, Ford, Galante, Sheldon, Stalter, Standridge, and Story) means your ensemble encounters real compositional voices while building fundamentals. Directors appreciate that exercises are intentionally flexible—some fully marked with dynamics and articulation, others left open for your interpretation based on what your band specifically needs.

Opening this book, bass clarinet players encounter serious compositional craftsmanship alongside exercises designed for their specific instrument. The work feels purposeful rather than mechanical—each chorale invites expression, and the variety of exercise types prevents the sensation of grinding through drills.

Intermediate concert band bass clarinetists who have progressed beyond foundational method materials and are ready to develop ensemble sensitivity and technical refinement. This book serves ensembles at the second and third year level, whether used independently or alongside performance music and contest repertoire.

• Prioritize the chorales as a regular warm-up or closing activity rather than saving them for special occasions. These pieces by established composers teach expressive control while reinforcing intonation and blend in a musical context.
• Use the flexibility of unmarked exercises to address specific ensemble challenges. If your bass clarinet section needs work on staccato articulation, pull an exercise from that category and add your own stylistic markings to match the repertoire you're rehearsing.
• Rotate through different keys systematically rather than working through the book sequentially. This approach keeps material fresh and builds confidence as students encounter the same technical challenge in multiple tonalities.

Integrate this as your primary rehearsal foundation material, drawing from it at least twice per week during warm-up or technique segments. The 412 exercises organized by key make it natural to select material that reinforces whatever concert repertoire your band is learning that season, creating continuity between daily fundamentals and performance music.

• Intonation and blend within a concert band ensemble
• Articulation clarity and consistency across multiple tonguing styles
• Sight-reading in intermediate keys with varied accidentals
• Dynamic control and expressive phrasing through marked and unmarked exercises
• Ensemble listening and balance awareness through chorale singing
• Technical facility in multiple keys at intermediate difficulty levels