The Entertainer: Interchangeable Woodwind Ensemble Score & Parts

This arrangement solves the real logistical challenge every director faces: maintaining a full ensemble sound when player availability shifts. David Marlatt's interchangeable parts design means you're never scrambling to transpose or rewrite on the fly. Beyond the flexibility, "The Entertainer" carries enough musical identity that your ensemble will sound polished and confident, which matters for building student morale and audience connection.

"The Entertainer" sparkles with the confidence and charm of turn-of-the-century American popular music. Syncopated rhythms bounce and swing while the melody dances across registers, creating a sense of movement and joy. The piece invites playfulness without sacrificing musical substance; students will feel the fun in the syncopation while also engaging with genuine harmonic interest.

This arrangement fits medium-level woodwind ensembles of any size or instrumentation mix. Whether you're running a school woodwind choir with fluctuating attendance or a community ensemble where players come and go, the interchangeable parts make it genuinely playable. It's equally valuable for directors programming contest or festival events where you need a recognizable, accessible title that still demands musical maturity.

• Maintain the ragtime swing feel by keeping the syncopated passages crisp and articulate; this piece loses its character if the rhythm flattens into straight eighth notes.
• Balance the melody across parts carefully, especially when you reassign parts to different instruments; a flute doubling the clarinet needs to sit slightly underneath so the line remains clear.
• Lock the rhythmic foundation with your lower woodwinds (bass clarinet, bassoon, baritone saxophone) before refining the upper voices; this is a syncopated piece that depends on steady harmonic support.
• Mark the key harmonic shifts where Joplin modulates; they're subtle but crucial to the piece's forward momentum, and they'll feel rushed if your ensemble hasn't identified them in rehearsal.

Program this at a concert where you want to bridge classical and popular repertoire, or use it as a contest selection where flexibility matters more than a fixed instrumentation list. It works exceptionally well as a finale or closer because the audience recognizes the melody immediately, giving your ensemble an easy win. You might also pair it with other American classics to create a programming theme that celebrates distinctly American musical voices.

• Reading and executing syncopated rhythms in ensemble context
• Maintaining clarity in woodwind doubling (when multiple instruments play the same line)
• Adapting to interchangeable part assignments and transpositions
• Balancing melody and harmony across changing instrumentation
• Performing in a swing style with proper rhythmic articulation