Dear music lover,
Thank you for visiting our website and
seeking information about our pioneering
ensemble. We deeply regret that
we have pitifully few performances to
offer you. Despite this
temporary setback, every audience we DO
entertain IS amazed at the
versatility, virtuosity and power of our little band!
And in fact, we are enacting plans to
apply for grants thru appropriate
non-profit agencies so we can CONTINUE to
serve our
MISSION. We will also continue to
expand our repertoire
of music with stories like The Sorcerer’s
Apprentice, Peter and the Wolf,
Fur Elise,
The Three-Cornered Hat and Carmen.
Someday we will premiere a few new
major transcriptions including
The Incredible
Flutist suite by Walter Piston, plus a
love story based on the Slavonic Dances by Dvorak.
Over the years CutTime Players has developed educational programs for students, which
illuminate the instruments and the
composer's ability to imply complex
characters, animals or emotions.
These are becoming MORE interactive,
featuring only short works, having ALL
of the players engage the students, and
instructing on the importance and
mechanics of concentration,
teamwork and listening
skills. We were often lecturing students
and giving sectionals or masterclasses to whole
student orchestras!
We have grown tremendously as an ensemble!
Initially, since we are conductorless, we had to carefully work out who, when,
and how they would lead/start sections. More often than not, that would
fall to DSO Principal 2nd Violinist Geoff
Applegate, a pragmatic leader! But there were
many times when someone ELSE had the lead voice (melody). So
variously we’d ALL need
to call on our best skills of timing and
controlled movement to bring the others
WITH them... preferably all with good
attack (or NOT),
character, and tempo (speed)... much like
a conductor does, but WITH an instrument!
These are chamber music skills that orchestral
musicians aren't required to use. So it
makes us better musicians to have to sharpen
these skills!
We were pleased to have attempted some
very important steps in recent seasons;
including early seasons with frequent
bookings, the fun Halloween program in
2000,
the release of a non-commercial CD Live
in Dearborn in 2002, the stirring
MLK concert of 2003 took us to a new level
of programming, the MOZART
CELEBRATION in 2006 and our 1st
trip to FLORIDA in 2009. These were all GREAT successes!
Please enjoy these 3
YouTube VIDEOS of their adventures...
including an M.I.T. Robotics Video!
So we hope you'll remember to keep in touch with
us! CHECK BACK OFTEN to our updated list of
NEXT CONCERTS!
Or better yet, set yourself up! Just send
us contact information for any
CONCERT PRESENTERS NEAR YOU that we may
show you that WORLD-CLASS QUALITY really
MEANS something... and that INSTRUMENTS IN
THE HANDS OF STUDENTS ALSO has a profound
impact!
Sincerely,
- Rick Robinson
Director, CutTime
Players
Recipient, 2010 Kresge Artist Fellowship
