Many Ways to Be Excellent
In 1999 Robinson had a vivid dream with music, which he captured to begin composing a dramatic and fully romantic-style 20-minute work for large orchestra. Following a reading in 2003, and a double-premiere by DSO of this ESSAY No. 1 (After Sibelius) in 2006, he wrote a dozen more highly-crafted works to launch the string sextet CutTime Simfonica® in 2010. The first suite is a cool love story (Mighty Love, 2007), clearly referencing bluegrass, tango and jubilee styles, and mixing with melodies recalling Schubert, Dvorak, Hindemith, Strauss and Shostakovich.
Significantly, the next suite of works, Gitcha Groove On! (2009), shifts classical music from Vienna Woods to Detroit streets. Rich and sensuous counterpoint gives way to hard knocks in alternation with fairly familiar rock, blues, Latin, soul and hip-hop grooves. These funky-romantic works create a fast moving sidewalk through Detroit, albeit in the classical lane. Building on what Detroit Free Press Music Critic Mark Stryker called Robinson’s “taste for fleshy, romantic textures”, his 2009 hit Highland Park, MI: City of Trees won him a Kresge Artist Fellowship in 2010.
Robinson describes his compositional style as “totally old school, because I revere the most conventional compositional techniques. But I can apply them to or alternate them with popular elements such as a dance groove to form an attractive on-ramp into how classical music develops. They also give the player more chewy textures to play with.”
With a solid music library already, CutTime began to partner in 2010 with Classical Revolution (CR) of San Francisco, launching volunteer chapters in both Detroit (CRD) and Grand Rapids, MI (CRGR). These regularly visited challenging venues that strengthened CutTime’s capacity for info-tainment that connects with newcomers. Robinson honed his ability to direct from his bass, hence performances retained symphonic qualities.
Clubs, bars, and restaurants often forced the use of some amplification. And CutTime owns a small system. Robinson both defied and clarified stereotypes about classical music, giving emotional testimony about the origins, sports, and practical benefits of this music. In 2022 he moved CutTime to Pittsburgh.
