Rick Robinson: CutTime® Summer Season

Rick Robinson writes:

July 6, 2018

Dear Friends,       

 

My weekend with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra was delightful and their four musicians involved and the audience seemed uplifted by my authentic, emotional-yet-rational approach to classical music presentation. I gave a short seminar with a writing exercise and led a rehearsal and short program of CutTime Simfonica® for a full house for their EDGE series. I hope to return.

Audience at Troy-Hayner Center sits around CutTime Simfonica

CutTime® begins its summer season of events today with our new project partners Urban Requiem Project, for short events in Highland Park (HP). A grant from the Erb Foundation administered by Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings' Art-Ops program allows for 4 teach-ins at the HP Boys & Girls Club the next four Fridays, and a few pop-up events at Nandi's Knowledge Café on open mic night July 19 8p, a senior center (TBA), a church Sunday service (TBA) and an art gallery (below). We're even hoping for a street location but have yet to find a suitable location with lots of people. These grants barely cover the discounted costs of hiring me solo, with guitar and the three poets for these events.

Yet other Art-Ops grantees were hot to have Urban Requiem Project perform WITH CutTime Simfonica. Those dates and times in Highland Park are as follows:

Reading in the Park July 21 10:45am on McGregor Library steps
333 Midland Art Gallery July 28 3p-5 during weekend exhibit
Detroit Repertory Theatre August 25 time-TBA for street festival

Highland Park, MI is a very important and besieged municipality in the middle of Detroit. I began playing cello then bass here in the mid-70s, inspired by my mother, older siblings and a single, beloved strings teacher at Barber Middle School, Ms. Anne Dodge. I wrote a strong composition (City of Trees) about my experience in such a flipped environment that I look forward to playing as often as possible in HP, and hopefully to inspire perseverance and a wider worldview among parents and youth.

Poet Kevlar Afrika teaches about industrial Detroit over classical music during Open Streets at MI Depot CTS at Sidewalk Festival at Old Redford Theater For operations, growth and  grabbing exposure  opportunities with CutTime Simfonica, I'm not just asking  for money (although that does  help most immediately). We  also need recommendations to any who might hire CutTime; for private house concerts, corporate lunches and special dinners, as  well as church and temple  concerts, and next year's summer festivals. Let's build a parallel  future for classical music. Tell everyone it's time we cut loose  with classical music! - Rick Robinson (Mr. CutTime)