TEAM
David Cutler Founder, Co-Director
An award-winning, multi-genre composer, pianist, and Yamaha Master Educator, Dr. David Cutler balances a varied career as a speaker, author, consultant, musician, and educator. One of the world’s leading voices on arts entrepreneurship training, Cutler’s acclaimed books like The Savvy Musician 2.0 and The Savvy Music Teacher—which provide tools for amplifying income, impact, and innovation—have shaped a generation of artists.
Long known as a visionary within higher education, he directed two Carolina/College Music Society Summits on 21st Century Music School Design, and often facilitates "Innovation GAMEs" with faculty communities, a concept shared in his visual book The GAME of Innovation.
Cutler serves as Distinguished Professor of Music Entrepreneurship and Innovation at University of South Carolina.
Kathryn Fouse Co-Director
Pianist Kathryn Fouse has enjoyed an active career as a performer, educator, and administrator who enjoys crossing discipline boundaries to collaborate with colleagues across various areas. She enjoys sharing her passion for new music with audiences and actively seeks collaborative ventures with like-minded artists. Her collaboration with visual artist Larry Thompson resulted in a collaborative performance and exhibition entitled Aural Vision: Art Inspired by Sound that has been presented on three continents.
Dr. Fouse served as Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas from 2018-2025. Prior to her time at UMHB, she was at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, as a music faculty member and Associate Dean for the School of the Arts. She was an accreditation site visitor and team leader for the National Association of Schools of Music for approximately ten years and served the organization on the Commission for Accreditation and the Nominating Committee.
Savvy Planning Team
Dr. Mihoko Watanabe
GREAT LAKES REGION
Professor of Flute
Ball State University
Dr. Deanna Swoboda
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Professor, Tuba; Assoc. Dir of Grad Studies
Arizona State University
Dr. Nathanael May
CENTRAL REGION
Division Chair of Fine Arts, Friends University
Dr. Caterina Bristol
SOUTHERN REGION
Asst. Provost, Dean of the Graduate School
Alabama State University
Maria F
NORTHEAST REGION
Professor of Creative Entrepreneurship and Interdisciplinary Arts, Berklee College of Music
Dr. Kimberly James
SOUTHWEST REGION
Assoc. Professor, Voice
University of Las Vegas
Dr. Mark Samples
NORTHWEST
Professor, Musicology
Central Washington University
Dr. Emily Ondracek-Peterson
MID-ATLANTIC REGION
Exec Dir, School of Music
Old Dominion University
Dayna Dengler
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Master's Student, Flute
University of South Carolina
CMS Partners
Dr. Charlie Chadwell
CMS DIR, PROF ACTIVITIES
Asst. Prof. of Saxophone
Western Illinois University
Brian Pertl
CMS President
Director, School of Music
University of Denver
