Rick Robinson: Our Ohio triptych concluded its chapter with a Classical Revolution event in Cincinnati, riding the coattails of the Constella Festival

Rick Robinson writes:

June 16, 2015

Dear Friend,     

The CutTime adventure continues to be surprising, challenging and joyous both abroad and locally in Detroit. We have a number of Classical Revolution Detroit events to make you aware of, including the Mitch Albom Show.

Our Ohio triptych (Cleveland, Youngstown, Toledo) concluded its chapter with a Classical Revolution event in Cincinnati, riding the coattails of the Constella Festival. As you can see from this fabulous picture by Viktor Posnov, we had a full Simfonica and a full audience of curious, young people. We met many fabulous people and musicians and were hosted graciously by violist Walter Park.

Shortly before this run CutTime participated in an amazing Art-X Detroit event for fellow Kresge Fellow, filmmaker Jasmine Rivera. A combined gospel choir of youth and elders, American Idol singer Malaya Watson and CutTime Simfonica set the context for a preview of her film about celebrated Catholic Bishop Gumbleton. Simfonica performed music by Steve Sholtes as well as my own Serenade from Mighty Love. It was an emotional concert experience of amazing variety.

Simfonica has been performing almost weekly as part of our Classical Revolution Detroit series, funded this year by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as part of its Knight Arts Challenge. Additional funders are the Kresge Foundation, James B. Nicholson, Barbara van Dusen and many generous supporters. Please help us express profound thanks to these pioneers in classical music!

While at times our attendance has been light, the impact on some of the attendees has been as deep as expected: people taking Detroit Symphony and Community Music School brochures, signing up for the CutTime Newsletter, and thanking us for opening them up to classical with a casual manner. Venue owners seem to be the most impressed. Club Classical works, but not just for playing Mozart in a bar; rather for amplifying, hosting and explaining something of how written, instrumental music works, and why WE musicians can't play enough of it.

As Detroit turns the corner in its recent troubled history, we've played in nine venues new to us so far: Northern Lights, Baker's Keyboard, Motor City Brewing, Lager House, St. Cece's, Mexicantown Fiesta Lounge, Trumbullplex, Trinosophes and Signal Return Press. We'll add a tenth tonight at 7. With many new restaurants and artist galleries and grassroots theaters opening each month, we won't be able to hit but a few more before the grant runs out in December.

Several notable Detroit events coming up are: 

• Always Brewing in Rosedale, June 16 7p-10 with Jherrard Hardeman quintet
• St. Cece's in Corktown, June 17 7p-10 with West Jazz String Quartet
• Northern Lights in New Center, June 28 4p-7 with West Jazz String Quartet
• Trumbullplex in Woodbridge, June 29 8p-9, opening for a Baltimore band
• Mitch Albom Show on WJR radio 760 AM, July 2 5:30p-7
• Campus Martius downtown, July 7 noon-2
• Detroit Institute of Arts, July 10 8p, as part of Rivera & Kahlo in Detroit film
• Mexicantown Fiesta Lounge, July 16 4p-7, guest TBA

We hope you come and experience the CutTime difference before the money to place classical everywhere else runs out. In the end, all we really have is NOW. Embrace the present as it is! Thanks.

- Rick Robinson