Q. Why do musicians need a Classical Revolution or CutTime®? Why change anything?

A. Our devotion as classical musicians is no secret. This music is, for us, so powerful, spiritual, broad, challenging, redemptive, and worth dedicating our lives to beauty for a living. And our demands for a controlled environment are very necessary to serve our art, musicians, true believers, and supporters. And yet it’s very clear that we also need to start attracting new audiences to our traditional concerts. We would be damned if we’d compromise that environment, even if that would leave many potential fans out in the cold.

Potential newcomers default to easy excuses rather than the extra efforts to meet our demands (shower, dress, church manners, sitting silently, reading the program, delaying gratification, confusion, discerning). It’s bad enough that many easily dismiss classical as too slow, too European, too old, boring, gay, mysterious, challenging, colonial, or exclusive. It’s worse that as musicians we can never address these stereotypes directly anywhere, and so we accept them as a monk accepts the itchy robe. The irony is understandable and circumvented with exercises such as CutTime’s.

Another irony is that most newbies have likely already been deeply touched briefly by classical music, in movies, TV, around Christmas, or memorials. Hence, there is latent curiosity for more. CutTime believes then that most will respond positively under the right conditions or with the right music, even in noise. CutTime and Classical Revolution are sharing access and walking back the popular stereotypes that prohibit trying; creating experiences that bridge over what divides us. We are choosing when, why and how to make classical music special, or better yet, common.