The Entertainer: 2 Flutes & Keyboard Part(s)

Marlatt's arrangement transforms a solo piano masterpiece into a genuine dialogue between flutes and keyboard, giving young wind players authentic access to one of America's most important musical documents. The newly composed countermelodies maintain the era's harmonic language while creating engaging inner lines that reward careful listening and secure rhythmic coordination.

Buoyant and propulsive, with the infectious bounce of a ragtime strut filtered through a chamber music sensibility. The piano's rolling accompaniment creates forward momentum while the flutes carry the iconic melody with clarity and warmth, building an irresistible sense of musical storytelling and playful sophistication.

Intermediate flute ensembles seeking substantive yet accessible repertoire that connects students to American musical heritage. This works beautifully for duet competitions, chamber concerts, and educational contexts where you want to teach both technical skill and historical significance without overwhelming students with difficulty.

• Lock the syncopation between flutes and piano during unison passages; the famous ragtime syncopation will sound sloppy if the ensemble rushes or drags across the bar lines.
• Bring out the piano's bass line as a rhythmic anchor. This steady foundation becomes the flutes' reference point, especially in sections where syncopation tempts the ensemble to shift timings.
• Shape the counter melodies expressively when the piano adds newly composed lines beneath the flute melody. These inner voices should sing, not blend away into the texture.
• Taper the final repetitions of the familiar melodic hooks to avoid fatigue in the listener's ear; let the conclusion feel inevitable rather than prolonged.

Open a pops concert or educational demonstration with this arrangement to grab immediate audience attention; most listeners will recognize the tune instantly. It also serves as an ideal bridge between classical and jazz units, showing students how composed ragtime sits in that fertile space between traditions.

• Interpreting and executing ragtime syncopation patterns
• Balancing independent melodic lines against accompanimental figures
• Coordinating ensemble rhythm across different instrumental timbres
• Shaping lyrical counter melodies within a rhythmically driven context
• Sustaining intonation during rapid articulation and syncopated passages