Hello Dear Friends!
The time is nigh. My last booked gig of the year is this Saturday, July 11th. True, if the right invitation pops up I may say yes if I’m able, but I’m not actively booking right now as I deepen my commitment to caring for my family. Will you please invite any Chicago area music lovers you know to this great new listening room series? I really don’t know many folks in the area and it would help the hosts lift this new event off the ground. If you’ve ever gone to the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, you may know the curators, Travis and Allison Peterson, from hosting Stage 7 in the Pecan Grove.
“The O’plaine Station concert series started in October 2025. The name of the is taken from both the main road leading into our subdivision (O’plaine road) and the historic O’plaine house and the associated barn behind, located a couple miles from our house. The barn is said to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad. It was located 100 yards from the Des Plaines River and behind the popular boarding house which had visitors coming and going at all hours. Since most Underground Railroad havens were called “stations,” our think tank came up with O’plaine Station. We are a welcoming stop along your long journey from one place to another. We take in all and provide a safe space to share ideas, thoughts, stories and songs in an intimate environment with eager ears and open minds.”
RSVP: OPSTATIONCS@GMAIL.COM
You can learn more on my website.
There’s a Facebook event, too.
>> Psst! Sign up for my mailing list to receive occasional free downloads!<<
Since this is my last booked gig, it means that my only musical income will be from Patreon and album sales, so I’ve offered a new financial tier to my Patreon - just one dollar a month! You’ll have access to home videos and recordings of brand new songs, first dibs on new merchandise, including handmade goods, poetry and personal essays and free downloads of studio recordings. This $1/month is a trial. I’m hoping to get 150 people to sign up for it. That number will bring me about $125/month after Patreon takes their percentage. That amount might not sound like a lot to you, but it’s a game changer for me. It’s about two weeks worth of my groceries. You would literally be helping to feed me. THANK YOU!
When I first started Patreon in 2022, I used the funds for the recording studio. As my life has shifted and I’ve become a full-time caregiver, I’m now living off of the funds. I still dream of getting back into the studio. The Country Duo has a very small savings that could get us a single song recorded. I’m hoping that happens sooner than later, but time will tell.
So what’s next for me? Glad you asked! (I ask myself that question about 100 times a day, honestly. “What’s the next right thing?”)
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My Tiny Grama turns 100 on July 20th! It’s my absolute honor to walk this season of her life with her. Every evening when I help her get situated in her bedroom, I say to her, “I love you! I’ll be joyful to see you in the morning!” The following morning, if we’re blessed to rise, we hug and sometimes she sings a song from her childhood school days “We’re all in our places with sunshiney faces!” Then we have breakfast together. I learn so much from watching her navigate a body and mind that’s seen a hundred years. She’s one of my greatest inspirations and it’s an easy decision to make, setting music aside for a while to be present with her.
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There’s a new baby on the way! No no no. Not me. I’m 51 and waaaaay past that. We’ve had 15 months of enjoying my grandbaby Arlo (technically my great-nephew if you looked at a genealogy chart, but that doesn’t account for my heart relationship with him!) My other niece has her second child due at the end of September! I’m keeping my calendar clear to celebrate and support this newest member of our family, his parents and big sister IJ.
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I’ll keep writing songs as I’m able and recording them at home, even if I only have 10 minutes to prop up my phone selfie-video style for a low-quality offering. To me, it’s not about perfection or a shiny polished finish that’s worthy of a Tik-tok influencer, it’s about authenticity, doing what I can, moving forward and creating as I’m able. Hope you like messy-haired videos! :)
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I’ve been working little bits on my YouTube channel. I’ve added a lyric video for “Empty of a Worried Mind” that features my goddaughter G, a song from The Country Duo’s new record, Little Lagoon Sessions. I swiped and edited into a single song Kristin Hamilton & Lucy Gray doing a version of my tune, “The Poppa Song” from a Cover Me KC event a few years ago. Subscribe to my channel to get notifications when I add new stuff. I’m slowly going through a ton of old videos that I never edited.
- I was able to have a quick escape to Springfield, Missouri a few weeks ago where my dear Brother Brandon Moore and I filmed our version of a Gillian Welch & David Rawlings tune, “Revelator.” There’s a YouTube playlist of some of the other cover songs we’ve done together and we hope to collaborate on more recordings in the future. We’ve been friends and musical companions for nearly 25 years. Grateful to have such a kind and talented friend to collaborate with. His newest band is Little Jones, which features a bunch of members from Big Smith, including Molly Healey, Jody Bilyeu (also a member of The Hillbenders), Jay Williamson and Bill Thomas (one of my favorite songwriters!)
Thanks for all of your support, friends! I hope my music and stories lift you all up as much as you lift me, you know, in that All Boats Rise kinda way. And if you choose to join my Patreon, even as a free member, I’d be so glad to have you join there. I recommend downloading the app. They’ve done some updating recently and it’s pretty fun!
Please remember to be good to yourselves so you can be good to others.
Cheers!
Kasey Rausch
Tuesday, July 7, 2026