Guts - Clarinet Unaccompanied

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.

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.