Q&A with Vienna, August 2009 (QUESTIONS ONLY)

[amariyah_says]

Hi, Vienna! Thank you for doing this Q&A! I've scoured the forum and website for the answer to this question, but no luck, so I thought I'd try here: What's your policy on requesting songs for concerts?

(You may or may not remember me as an embarrassingly sincere "Recessional" fan from your Green Caravan show in Birmingham, AL a few years back... I'm going to your Nashville show on the 25th, and while I know it's much too short of a notice for ask for "Recessional" then, I'm sure I'll be at more of your concerts in the future, and I still hope to hear it live one day. )

Is there anything on an older song you'd really like to change, or look back at now and wince?

Regarding the "I'm On A Boat" cover discussed during the Twitter Q&A... would you perform it as a rap song, or change it up into more your own style (a la JoCo)?

[Kaoru]

First of all "vielen Dank" for the great opportunity to ask questions.

1) What are the things you can’t live without while being on tour?
2) Do you have a special ritual before & after a concert?
3) What are the songs you can’t live without?... Mehr lesen
4) What was the bravest thing you’ ve ever done ?
5) What was the best advice you’ve ever got?
6) Do you believe in love at first sight?
7) Finally and most important when will you come back to Germany?

Well, you can skip all the other questions but I hope the answer to question no. 7 will be "soon"

[reirei86]

Hi Vienna!

I was just wondering...do you still get nervous when you perform these days? I remember reading an article and you said you use to get really nervous before concerts. If you don't, how did you get over it?

Thanks for sharing your music
~Teresa

[aaparallel]

Hi Vienna,

I just looked through the older Q&A's and read your comment about the way you sing, not really breathing from the diaphragm and all. Are you still working on that? I think the neck straining technique that doesn't seem to hurt your voice actually gives your voice the pure and simply pretty quality that your fans love, but in recent shows, I've noticed that your vocals have gotten more powerful and clear. Just wondering if you've been getting more lessons, or your experience is really paying off.

-Josephine (I know, this is like my fifth question.)

[Kalenabear]

Hey Vienna, I've already been in the Twitter chat and posted questions on your facebook, hee. So, if you want to answer others' questions first, that's fine. Also don't know if you've already answered the following in past interviews, so feel free to skip if so.

1. On the Cnet 404 podcast, you said that did not know how to hire fellow musicians when you first started your career in music. So, I'm curious about your criteria now when seeking people to play with you. Is there even an audition process? Is it mostly through networking and the people you meet on the road?

2. What similarities and differences do you find between writing music for a musical like Sid Arthur and “regular writing” for your album? I’m sure the former has more parameters, yes? What about differences in the rehearsal processes? How was the Sid Arthur experience in general?

3. What differences/similarities do you find between playing with Marika/Dina/Alex and the Trio?

4. Are we supposed to know what you're whispering in Radio, or is it supposed to eventually creep up on us so that we have that "O_O Whoa" moment? My fellow forumers (are we collectively known as Tengsters?) have decoded some lyrics in the VT Kitchen thread, here.

Yay, you're awesome! Thanks again for the Q&A.

[stapper2]

Hello Vienna. This may be a silly question, but it's been bothering me. I come from a classical piano background and have no vocal training whatsoever. Inspired by your show last night, I decided to try to play and sing at the same time and I find it so difficult to play your arrangements and sing at the same time. I find that I can only sing along if I improv an arrangement that includes the melody line. Is there a process in the creation of your music so that that disconnect between the intricacies of what you are playing and singing does not mess your brain up? Do you become so familiar with the music and the melody separately that it becomes a non-issue? Or are you just that talented that it comes naturally?

[tanthalas]

I know there is a website somewhere where someone put together your stories - not sure if you've seen it. But that doesn't come from you - it's a fan.

I'm no Vienna, but I figure I'll throw in my 2 cents to answer your question:

Hey now, warmstrangers.com isn't run by just *any* fan.

Also, the stories on that site are quite authentic. They're info gathered from the forums and various shows, so in a sense it does (rather indirectly) come from Vienna herself.

[tanthalas]

I'm trying to buy a few tickets for the upcoming saratoga concert, but found the online ticketmaster route a bit overpriced....35 tix + 8 processing + extra processing fee on top of that for a few bucks -- x EACH just because we buy it online. Is there a local outlet? Look forward to meet you at the concert...

According to the site here:
http://montalvoarts.org/events/v_teng/

You can purchase the tickets at their box office.

[tanthalas]

Hi, Vienna! Thank you for doing this Q&A! I've scoured the forum and website for the answer to this question, but no luck, so I thought I'd try here: What's your policy on requesting songs for concerts?

If you have a particular song request, just drop her an email at vienna@viennateng.com , and I think she will usually do her best to fulfill your request.

[amariyah_says]

Hi, Vienna! Thank you for doing this Q&A! I've scoured the forum and website for the answer to this question, but no luck, so I thought I'd try here: What's your policy on requesting songs for concerts?

If you have a particular song request, just drop her an email at vienna@viennateng.com , and I think she will usually do her best to fulfill your request.

Thank you so much! Go you for helping the thread (and my question) out!

[Avi]

Oh, oh, and another (or a few)!

Do you read xkcd?
Do you listen to much music in other languages?

If you had chosen a degree completely different to CS, what might it have been?

[Fred]

Well, if the list isn't closed...
A reaction I had to a tweet/FB post: You often tell us about all the great eating you do on the road. How the heck do you (or any touring musician) keep in shape? I'd weigh about 300 after a year of touring & eating in restaurants all the time. Performing, itself, looks like an intense, exhausting experience, but not a real calorie burner. Am I wrong?

[micro]

- Are there plans for another music video?
- You've remarked how the internet helped when you first started. You probably have seen these series of articles, 1, 2, 3. What are your thoughts on some of the ideas presented and whether they would be applicable for you expanding your audience?
- Musically are you now where you thought you would be a decade ago and what do you want yourself to achieve, musically, a decade from now.

[TaliaMuse]

Hi Vienna!
Your music, covers and original, new and old, makes me think and feel in the way I long for music to do. Thank you for following your muse and sharing your gift. And for answering questions here! What a treat!

I would really like to know about the Latin in St. Stephen's Cross. The contrast in this piece is so powerful, and the chorale that sings in the chorus brings the whole album full circle so ...stunningly. What inspired you to choose Latin for this chorus? What are the words? What is the translation?

Thank you again, for all you are Being and Doing.
with Love!
~Mallory

[Ang Mo]

Would you rather do Cayamo or do this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIaFYAmJoSE&feature=fvw

I keep thinking you all could do the bike car thing up around the San Juans or there are a lot of rich people on Mercer Island. Maybe do concerts there while using the bike car as transportation. Notice the little trailer to haul your instruments in.

Sure Cayamo is luxurious and nice but where is the challenge and the stress?

I got to stop drinking water. It's killing me.