Hi Reader!

Welcome to a new school year, for those of you who celebrate in the northern hemisphere. I am now a parent of a pre-Kindergartener (!). She has been totally chill about walking into a new school, in a different part of town, with lots of bigger kids, new teachers and new classmates, no one she knows at all. I do not question life's great mysteries.

In this dispatch: some unusual upcoming gigs, the Cliff's Notes version of a climate action workshop, and some thoughts on this summer's touring with family.

UNUSUAL GIGS IN SEPTEMBER

This weekend I'm heading to Dallas to respond to this call. Thank you to everyone who sent this video our way - Amy Cox got in touch immediately. As with the performances by other artists who are fulfilling this family's "moonshot" wish, Sunday afternoon's show will be livestreamed. If you want to show your support, you can donate to Annie's Place, which provides free childcare services to moms having chemotherapy or obstetrical appointments. And if you can make it in person for this very special show, a small number of tickets are available for a $200 donation to Annie's Place.

• Sun 3 Sep @ 3:00pm CDT - Dallas, TX - Moonshot Concerts supporting Annie's Place​

I'm also frantically studying up on some piano and guitar sheet music. (Did I ever mention that I am abysmal at sight-reading? My piano teacher used to chastise me for pretending to read the music, since I'd clearly memorized some wrong notes.) But I'm braving the written score to take a brief break from solo touring and become an ensemble musician! Trumpeter and composer Brandon Ridenour invited me to be a guest performer with his innovative chamber group Founders, for two Midwest dates at Lawrence University and DePauw University. Assuming no flight hiccups, the other members of Founders will join me onstage at Joe's Pub in NYC as well.

• Wed 20 Sep @ 7:30pm EDT - Greencastle, IN - performing in Founders ensemble @ DePauw University
• Fri 22 Sep @ 7:30pm CDT - Appleton, WI - performing in Founders ensemble @ Lawrence University

Meanwhile, I've also added a fourth show in Cambridge, MA after the first three sold out (!), and tickets are already going fast...

As always, the full event calendar is at viennateng.com/tour.

CLIFF'S NOTES OF A CLIMATE ACTION WORKSHOP

The feedback on my climate action workshops has been really encouraging: "game-changer," "refreshing," "didn't realize how much I needed this." So many people are eager to channel their anxiety, or grief, or anger into action. It's been amazing just to see people remember that they're not alone, and that there are practical things they can do to have a ripple effect in solving a bigger problem. And selfishly, I've so enjoyed getting to know some of the remarkable people who listen to my music, and understand what fills their days.

Here's a distilled version of what we talk about in those workshops:

Despair is a luxury. Did you know that we've already bent the curve of future global warming down significantly? This story is still being written, and it's an epic Lord-of-the-Rings style struggle. There are millions of people working hard to turn the tide on climate and build a better world. Don't doomscroll; pitch in! And the more you do, the more you'll become aware of exciting things afoot, as well as some very doable fixes that can make a big difference.

So:

1. Start with joy. Burnout helps no one. Where's your happy place? What do you enjoy being good at, or want to do more? For me, I love hanging out with nerdy, undaunted-by-setbacks people, and playing "concierge" to introduce friends to cool stuff - and I've found abundant chances to do both in the climate space. Do you relish a good crafting or home improvement project? Enjoy hosting people? Always helping friends and family with tech stuff? There's a way to channel that into climate action for sure.

2. Stack with other stuff in your life. How could climate action combine with something you need or want to do anyway? I'm hopeless with exercise, but I do bike everywhere (grocery day is the true workout). While I don't relish politics, it's the most effective way to support several causes I care about, including climate. Could commuting by public transit become your book-reading time? Could you add new plant-based recipes to the dinner rotation? Or advance your career by networking in climate fields?

3. Stop being one person. You don't have to figure it all out yourself, or do it alone. What groups could you join, locally or online? Who in your life could you ask for advice, or to come along with you, or to hear how it's going? (Just talking about climate with people who know you makes a real difference.)

Here's a compilation of my recommended climate action resources - all stuff I've found useful personally, and/or sent to workshop participants and my Patreon community. I'll keep adding to it as I find more. And if you're looking to share ideas and encouragement with fellow music fans, we've started a Facebook group and Discord server.

Still too overwhelming? "Just tell me what to do, V?" Here's a starter pack of bite-sized, meaningful actions.

You can do this. We've got you. Welcome.

​

A MUSICIAN'S VILLAGE: TOURING WITH FAMILY

These may be solo shows, but they are not solo tours.

​Jacob has been working full-time, from an assortment of backstage areas and guest bedrooms, and solo parenting on many evenings and weekends. Arcadia has had to acclimate not only to one social scene after another, but also her first total-stranger babysitters. Fortunately, she's turned out to be an avid pre- and post-show helper, fascinated with the packing/unpacking and plugging/unplugging of music gear. She also stayed up way, way past her bedtime to watch both shows at The Triple Door in Seattle. "Was it fun watching Mama do her show?" Jacob asked. "No!" she frowned. "I want to do MY show now." (Speaking of which, she has informed us that "When I'm not doing a show, I'm Arcadia, but when I do a show, my name is RK.")

Heaps of gratitude for everyone who hosted us and helped us out along the way. Bob Whitfield quietly added “impromptu childminding” to his tour manager duties. In Boulder, some dear friends urged Jacob and me to take a date night while they fed, bathed and tucked in a fourth kid in their home. The hosts of a Seattle climate workshop and house concert, Bill and Mickie Lippe, opened their home to our motley crew for our whole Seattle stay. Our local babysitters, Lor in Boulder and Makaela in Seattle, did an amazing job (thank you Care.com). And my cousins in Portland threw open their front door and shouted “Welcome! …we were only expecting one of you! …but what a nice surprise!"

The meet-and-greets before shows felt like family time, too. Sometimes we just chatted, shared stories, had a good laugh or two; but sometimes there were long hugs and tears, the sharing of things we hadn't spoken about with almost anyone. As with the workshops, it's an honor to hold space for that kind of gathering.

In an era where it's all too easy to feel isolated, I feel immersed in community. I hope I am giving as much as I receive - but there might be no hope of that, since all that other people have done for my family and me is already immeasurable. I'll keep trying, though.

See you out there, my friend.

Love,
VT