Instrumentation: Solo Clarinet in Bb

Duration: 6 minutes

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Program Notes:

What are you made of? What are your core “ingredients”? When you think about the phrase, “to have guts,” it means to have courage. It is really our core beliefs that we get our strength and our center. Your guts are what make you who you are, and the important people in your life help build you up: your parents, teachers, friends, family, etc. Having a strong foundation of values is important to build your character—core truths such as integrity, honor, kindness, and joy.

My Great Uncle Tom lived a long life, the kind of life we all hope to be blessed with. At 96, even on his deathbed, he had his Irish wit about him. His final words continue to ring in my ears, “Keep the faith,… in case you can find it.” GUTS is inspired by and dedicated to my Great Uncle Tom who meant a great deal to me, and I have written many hidden truths in this piece, including “Faith.” I hope you can find it.

GUTS was commissioned by Katherine Breeden to be premiered at the 2020 Clarinetfest in Reno, Nevada. Because of COVID-19, the premiere was postponed to 2021 Clarinetfest in Fort Worth, Texas. It is also dedicated to our clarinet teacher, mentor, and friend, Robert Spring, who continues to inspire us to have the guts to commission, write, and perform challenging new music that stretches our abilities, minds, and hearts.