Light on the Ice for clarinet and marimba
Publisher: Gottry Publications (2021)
Composed: 2020
Duration: 4’30”
Difficulty: Medium
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Whether you take your morning drink of choice with two shots or one, extra foam or none, and prefer a small, medium, or extra large, there is a simple and satisfying pleasure in that first sip of a refreshing beverage to start the day. Light on the Ice is a commissioned duet for B-flat clarinet and 4.3-octave marimba focused on the simple fun of a relaxed groove and cheerful dialogues. Composed for and premiered by The Unfiltered Duo—Paul Hayes (percussion) and Amy Humberd (clarinet)—this piece is playful, accessible, and tuneful enough to keep your audiences humming on their way out of the performance. As the work weaves through multiple themes and trades melodic and accompanimental roles between the two instruments, the most important element is the continuity and comfort of the groove. As long as that feels good for both performers and listeners, the rest will go down quite nicely!

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“Light on the Ice” is fun, useful, and pleasantly (not stressfully) challenging, and I would not hesitate to recommend it for any advanced high school solo-and-ensemble program, or as a nice change-of-pace piece on an otherwise heady undergraduate recital. – Brian Graiser
Printed by permission of the Percussive Arts Society, inc.

“With a comfortable groove” is the indication given to the performers at the beginning of the piece, and it is this groove that makes the piece so enjoyable for the listener. [It] would be a tuneful and upbeat addition to any recital program. – Robyn Jones
Printed by permission of the International Clarinet Association