Hi Reader!

Exciting new-music-release things are afoot, and I'd love you to be part of it.

I'm working with some wonderful collaborators on a trio (!) of music videos, and one of them just asked me: "Do you think you could get a few hundred people to submit selfie videos of themselves singing part of this song? In about a week?"

A few hundred people? In a week?
My friend, this is where I need your help.

It's a really beautiful, moving part of the music video's story - a grand finale of sorts. I love this director's vision of including individual faces of people with a wide range of life experiences. So it would mean a lot to me if YOU were among the people who feature in that moment. And your own community, too: feel free to recruit family members, friends, work buddies, beloved neighbors, etc. who might be game!

Here's what we need: a 10-second selfie video of you singing along (or lip syncing) to "We've Got You." I made a quick example video, with the music to sing along to:

​

To make sure we can use your video, please aim for:

• Simple background (think passport photo).
• Well lit, no harsh shadows.
• Camera at eye level; look straight at the lens.
• Head fully in frame; don't cut off your hair or chin.
• Minimal head movement, please.
• Record sound (so we can sync your video up with the music - we won't use your audio in the final product).
• Include a few seconds of you silently looking at the camera, no singing.
• The words to sing are: "we've got you, we've got you, we've got you, we've got you, hold on, gotta hold on, gotta hold on, 'cause we've got you."

That's it! Upload your video by WEDNESDAY, JULY 24 to Dropbox:​
​https://www.dropbox.com/request/7ka8JbZhjdfy43HuV3Wi​

And thank you in advance. So much.

(If you'd like to follow where this is all going, I'll be posting updates on video production and other works in progress on Patreon. As always, it's pay-what-you-wish - recommended $5/month - and you can join/cancel/rejoin whenever you like.)

UPCOMING TOUR DATES 2024

I'll be on the road again this fall, in a couple of different configurations: solo, with my chamber-virtuoso compatriots in Founders, and sharing evenings at City Winery with the wonderful Peter Mulvey. I'll also be bringing back the pre-show Civic Happy Hours - because action is the antidote to despair (thank you, Joan Baez).

• Fri 13 Sep @ 19:30 PDT - Saratoga, CA - Carriage House Theatre at Montalvo Arts Center [a few tickets left]
• Sun 15 Sep @ 20:00 PDT - Santa Monica, CA - McCabe's Guitar Shop **sold out, adding 17:30 early show**
• Thu 19 Sep @ 19:30 EDT - Springfield, OH - Clark State Performing Arts Center
• Fri 20 Sep @ 20:00 EDT - Ann Arbor, MI - The Ark
• Sat 21 Sep @ 20:00 EDT - Grand Rapids, MI - Calvin University Recital Hall
• Wed 25 Sep - Sat 28 Sep - Smoky Mountains, TN - Multitudes: A Gathering with Alex Wong [sold out, waitlist open]
• Sat 12 Oct @ 19:30 PDT - Seattle, WA - St. Mark's Cathedral - featuring Founders​
• Sun 13 Oct @ 20:00 PDT - Portland, OR - Alberta Rose Theatre - featuring Founders​
• Sat 19 Oct @ TBA CDT - Northfield, IL - Founders headlining @ Lutheran Church of the Ascension
• Thu 14 Nov @ 20:00 EST - Richmond, VA - Tin Pan
• Sat 16 Nov @ 20:00 EST - Washington, D.C. - The Hamilton - with Peter Mulvey​
• Sun 17 Nov @ 19:30 EST - Philadelphia, PA - City Winery - with Peter Mulvey​
• Mon 18 Nov @ 19:30 EST - Boston, MA - City Winery - with Peter Mulvey​
• Tue 19 Nov @ 20:00 EST - New York, NY - City Winery - with Peter Mulvey​
• Thu 21 Nov @ 20:00 EST - Atlanta, GA - City Winery - with Peter Mulvey​
• Fri 22 Nov @ 19:30 CST - Nashville, TN - City Winery - with Peter Mulvey​
• Sun 24 Nov @ 19:00 CST - Chicago, IL - City Winery - with Peter Mulvey​

Back to furiously making and crossing things off to-do lists. I hope you're wearing sunscreen, drinking lots of water, and finding respite and resolve amid the waves crashing around us this summer. (And if this finds you in the Southern Hemisphere, hope you're staying cozy!)

Much love,
VT