Part One: Singer-Songwriter Vienna Teng. A decade ago, musician Vienna Teng had her first major national media interview on NPR's Weekend Edition, shortly followed up by an appearance on Letterman. Coming off that national exposure, the pianist and singer-songwriter toured heavily with the likes of Duncan Sheik and opening for artists like Shawn Colvin, Joan Biaz and others. She released more albums and achieved the kind of success she was happy with… But a few years ago, Teng decided to pause her successful music career to go back to college and get her MBA in environmental studies. Now that she's checked off that goal, she's returned to her music, with a new album coming out this fall. We'll meet Vienna Teng and talk about her musical and educational journey and hear some of her music, when Charlotte Talks.
Guest
Vienna Teng - Pianist and Singer-songwriter. Her new album Aims (5th studio album) will be released in September
- Vienna Teng is performing at the McGlohon Theatre at Spirit Square on July 20th. Details.
Part Two: Charlotte's Arts Funding Troubles. Charlotte has a lot of money invested in the arts and now some of the city's biggest and most popular museums and cultural institutions may be in financial trouble. After the recession, the traditional funding model of government grants and workplace giving just isn’t working to fund the city's arts and cultural sector. One group, the Cultural Life Task Force is working to find a solution to save the arts. WFAE Reporters Julie Rose and Briana Duggan have been digging into Charlotte's arts funding troubles in a series that aired last week on WFAE. They'll update us on the situation and share what they've learned about the weaknesses of the current funding system, how arts groups are faring in this uncertain climate and what it will take for them to survive, when Charlotte Talks.
Guests
Julie Rose - WFAE Reporter
Briana Duggan - WFAE Reporter and CAJA Fellow (Charlotte Arts Journalism Alliance - a consortium of local media dedicated to covering the arts.)