It seems like just yesterday that the Classical Revolution movement started in San Francisco with small groups of classical players heading out into non-standard venues to shake up the way the world relates to music and the way music relates to the world. Believe it or not, Classical Revolution is no longer in its infancy–it has grown into a large, widespread grassroots movement that has planted itself in over 30 cities throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. Once considered something of a fringe activity, playing in non-standard venues and ensembles is now the name of the game, and it’s no longer just for freelancers. Take it from Rick Robinson, a bassist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra: music is on the move and out on the town, and it’s time for everyone to get involved.
When Robinson, who is 49 and a full-time member of the DSO, first heard about Classical Revolution, he knew that it was a natural fit for his personality. Says the Detroit News, Robinson has been known throughout his two-decade tenure in the symphony as “Downtown Rick Robinson” for his live-wire personality and his interest in thinking outside the box. By the time he heard about Classical Revolution, Robinson had already formed two chamber music groups in Detroit–the CutTime Players and CutTime Simfonica–to help take music out of Orchestra Hall. The Classical Revolution mission of bring music to the people rather than waiting for them to come to the concert hall seemed, as Robinson put it, “right up my alley.” He hopes to work for a more inclusive classical music, “especially for people who walk by Orchestra Hall every day and have no interest in going inside — probably because the orchestra isn’t interested in coming out to the people and meeting them halfway.”
To that end, Robinson founded the Detroit chapter of Classical Revolution in 2010. Robinson acts as an emcee and a curator, keeping programs moving and the crowd laughing between pieces. “What I really love is when we surprise people who happen to be at the bar and had no idea that classical music was going to be on the plate,” says Robinson. “And it’s always a 50-50 shot at whether they are pleasantly surprised or not.” His experiences with those who are pleasantly surprised have been satisfying to him–so satisfying, in fact, that Robinson has taken his ideas and his music on the road. For the past year, he has been traveling the country to test-drive his ideas. Next month, he will be resigning from the DSO in order to devote his full attention to his Classical Revolution work.
Robinson hopes to use his time to forge connections with other Classical Revolution chapters in other cities. His ultimate goal is to build new classical music audiences across the country. Part of his goal is to use his own compositions to reel in listeners, presenting what he calls “new classical,” a blend of classical forms and more familiar American forms, like blues. He hopes to partner with orchestras and schools to create ensembles to play his pieces in bars, churches, schools, clubs, and other unexpected places. Says Robinson, “This is the game; this is the touchdown I’m trying to score,” he says. “It’s to put it in front of people and have them start to understand and enjoy it — and crave it like I do.” The way Robinson sees it, the more people he can get to listen to classical music, the happier he’ll be–and the happier they’ll be. After all, he says, “It’s a party…and everyone’s invited.”
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