August 23, 2018
Rick Robinson writes:
Dear Friends,
It's been a fruitful summer and the chocolate on the cake will
certainly be a collaboration with nationally-renowned visual artist Phillip K. Smith III
for the unveiling of his permanent LED light display on the unused
pedestrian bridge linking The Guardian Building with One Woodward. The Detroit Skybridge
was raised in the 1970s when MichCon Gas owned both buildings. Once
that no longer was the case, the bridge became a curiosity... UNTIL NOW.
Apparently at the request of Bedrock Detroit, Quicken Loans and Wayne
County, the Skybridge will become a new landmark identifying the city
and its penchant for reinvention.
For the CutTime Players performance in Spirit Plaza, we will celebrate reinvention, renewal and the breathing city, for which I composed two short, contrasting works. MODEL-T MAGIC
captures the DRIVING SPIRIT of Detroit as a hand-cranked engine that
eventually takes flight. It connects the harmonic world of Schubert with
techno, somewhat like the bridge that connects The Guardian with One
Woodward.
The second work takes inspiration from
Phillip's slow changing colors (too slow for music) mirroring changes in
our surroundings. My music is a slow-breathing meditation
with natural colors; somewhat like wind-chimes, but with instruments.
Both of these works take my composing in interesting new directions.
I hope you'll join us for the premieres Saturday, August 25 at 8pm in Spirit Plaza. (In case of rain, we move to the next night.) CutTime Players performs a full 90-minute program and with special guest The Urban Requiem Project street poet Kevlar Afrika. Here is a Curbed Detroit article about the event.
Kevlar Afrika performs with CutTime Simfonica at Sidewalk Detroit
The collaboration with Urban Requiem Project (UR313.com)
has been very successful with hundreds curious to experience the value
added by passionate and powerful street poets Claretha Bell (aka Peace) and Andre Johnson (aka Kevlar Afrika). Through several Highland Park re-grants from the Erb Foundation via the Art-Ops program of Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, we have performed 4 times so far, taught and engaged at the Boys and Girls Club! And we have still four more short pop-ups by the end of this month, inc. this weekend!
Kids learn as performers accompany old pictures
of Highland Park's Model-T plant
The Urban Requiem Project
celebrates the passing of Detroit's industrial century with spoken
word, classical and soul music, vintage photos of the city, people and
factories, plus the very people we're trying to engage. We are applying
for major grants to compose a final orchestral work that can be produced
by any orchestra. It was envisioned and founded by jewelry artist Virgil Taylor while teaching at Youthville. Please wish us well with this entertaining bridge into learning history and classical music.
In fact, this Saturday at 1p, CutTime Simfonica ALSO performs amplified with Kevlar at the Detroit Repertory Theatre's festival. Two great concerts on the same day with my own inventions: how many can say they have such rich opportunities?
Hope to see you at one of these!
- Rick Robinson (Mr. CutTime)
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