Known for his enthusiasm and for playing notes into the high heavens, Corey Cutler was a valued trumpet player in the BYO for many years. He was also an avid jazz player and enjoyed performing with the BYO Jazz Band. Corey is fondly remembered for his efforts on ‘Satchmo’. It was wonderful to catch up with him, as he enjoys the warmer climate up North!
When did you play with the BYO?
I think I started in Year 5 and continued through until the end of Year 12. My first couple of years, I was still attending primary school in Coffs, so I used to catch a lift with Pru Borget, which was always great fun.
What instrument(s) do you play?
Trumpet is my one and only instrument, unlike the other Cutler. However, we brass players liked to dabble in some percussion every now and then if we had no parts, or we would play other instruments’ parts, much to the strings’ dismay.
Where can we find you now?
After four years at UNE in Armidale studying Rural Science, I’m currently living and working in southeast Queensland in a town called Chinchilla. I work as a Junior Agronomist for a company called Wood Ag. Famous for their big watermelon, Chinchilla is a lovely country town where you’ll find a range of crops being grown, such as wheat, barley, chickpeas, sorghum, mung beans, cotton, and of course, watermelons. As an agronomist, I work closely with growers, giving them recommendations and advice to manage their farms effectively. From weed sprays to insect checking to fertilizer applications, no two days are the same.
What was your favorite memorable moment with the orchestra?
It’s hard to go past Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture as one of my most memorable moments with the BYO. It created such a great atmosphere, and not to forget the cannons… I think the whole town was talking about it for weeks. Not to mention the day trip with Pop to Sydney and back to return the cannons in a horse float. It doesn’t get much more “Bellingen” than that. Apologies to any woodwinds who have hearing loss from sitting in front of the brass section.
While that performance was a hit, as I hinted at before, the brass section tended to be a little cheeky at times. Playing out of time or in a different key, whether on purpose or by accident, we were known to cause trouble. I think Annie and the rest of the orchestra wanted to pull their hair out at times. However, looking back now, these moments are what made Thursday afternoons fun. It would also be amiss of me to leave out pieces like “Satchmo” and quite a few John Williams hits, which saw the brass section feature a bit.
What is on your playlist this week?
As probably expected, a fair bit of country music is played in the ute while driving around people’s farms. Morgan Wallen, Ella Langley, Kameron Marlowe, and Riley Green are the key ones. However, some punk rock does come into the rotation; All Time Low, blink-182, and Good Charlotte also get a run.
What was the best thing you took away from the BYO?
Barbara’s cupcakes! In all seriousness, I think it was the people I got to meet and form friendships with, that I never would have, if I didn’t join the BYO. For such a small town, Bello has generated so many musical opportunities for so many people, and I think the BYO is a big part of that. Being able to look up to these people and learn from them has certainly had a big influence on me.
We have lots of new players every year… do you have any advice for our young players?
As a minimalist musician, as I like to call myself, in reference to the amount I practiced, immersing yourself in all kinds of music is important. Join different bands, make your own, play different styles, go to state music camps—the list goes on. The more connections you make and the experience you gain, the more you’ll find what really drives your passion for music.
What essential creative experience should we be adding to our ‘to do’ list this year?
After recently attending a live performance in Toowoomba—Missy Higgins’ Second Act Tour—going to live shows is an essential creative experience to undertake. Witnessing the artist in their raw element is quite uplifting and soulful. Hearing people’s stories through song, dance, drama, you name it, is a confronting yet inspiring way to reflect on our own issues, possibly even providing us with some resolutions. It’s hard to put into words all the emotions you can experience in one live performance, but it’s certainly an essential journey.
For all the meat eaters out there, a new hobby of mine, smoking meat, is also a delicious creative experience!
If you could travel to one place in 2024… where would it be?
I think Fiji is on the cards for later in the year, so I think the answer is Fiji! I would also love to see an overseas grain harvest in Canada or the States, but I think that’s certainly further down the track!
Cheers!
Corey
