All Matters Of Music Because All Music Matters

Issu

e #7

Jan

2010 Metaverse Live Music Publication

Strum DIeSel

earthShIp SummIt canaDa 2010

anJ GuStafSon

the raIlS

DIGItal artS feStIval

open mIc DIrectory

Editor's Note

The Christmas holiday season is over, and a new year has begun. The start of a new year often brings new opportunities, and new challenges. For the M3 staff, it brings a bit of both with the change to a bi-monthly publishing schedule. The hard working staff and writers of M3 will now be bringing you six issues of M3 each year.

The new schedule brings the opportunity to keep our readers informed on the SL music scene in a more timely fashion. It brings the challenge of fin-ding news, stories, and other articles for the magazine which will interest our readers each issue. It also provides more opportunities for our readers to let us know of an upcoming event or story we should cover, or to write an article for the magazine and have their name appear in print.

To start the year off in a big way, this magazine is privileged to be the first source with news about EARTHSHIP Summit, a major music event taking place later this year in real life that will include participation by Second Life® residents. Don‘t miss the article on EARTHSHIP Summit and keep an eye on earthshipsummit.com and the M3 forums for developing news on this event.

We are always interested to hear from our readers with input or feedback about this magazine, so drop us a line. If you would like to get your own newsstand so visitors to your club, mall, or even small store, can pick up the latest issue, send an IM to Reslez Steeplechase.

Impressum

editor Andrew Hellershanks

assistant editor Shannon Oherlihy

art, layout & Design Kaela Kilara

Sales & Distribution Reslez

publisher Pat Insoo

contributors

Case Munro, Katydid Something,

Kourosh Eusebio, Shannon Oherlihy,

Shellie Sands,

c.y.D. records fcmc radio KaelaIDoScope.nice things lemon lady records mp3 By me

Advertiser Index

Stream team the originals the pond

redmond Digital arts festivaCombining the best of Real Life and Second Life®

nuts and BoltsAn Artists Perspective

TAbLE OF COnTEnTS // Issue 7 // Jan 2010

Strum DieselLiving and making Music without Fear

CliCk the PiC

the rails the toronto Band that‘s ma-king it in Second life®

open mic Directory

TAbLE OF COnTEnTS // Issue 7 // Jan 2010

Intents & purposes andreus “anj” Gustafson cD release

earthship Summit Woodstock of the We Generation

Worlds collided Sunday when Seattle‘s best Second Life® musicians gathered to perform in a mixed-reality music jam that was part of the Redmond Digital Arts Festival

Redmond Digital Arts Festival

The show took place both at Soulfood Books in Redmond Washington and Gwampa‘s Dance Kamp in Second Life® and both venues were packed. The Washington audience was treated to a two hour show viewed both live on stage and on a large screen showing the Second Life show. For most, it was their first view of SL and they were fascinated by it. After some initial difficulties, the Second Life audience was treated to a video view of the RL event as well. It was truly mixed reality. For some of the performers, it was a rare opportunity to play in front of a RL audience and for the SL audience it was an equally rare opportunity to see the people behind some of their favorite performers.

The musicians who performed were: EvaMoon Ember, Edward Kyomoon, Tukso Okey, Grif Bamaisin, Chaos Noyes, Dakota7z7

Pluto, Dale Aries, Lyndon Heart, and Wishing Lane. His bandmates, Steve Johnson on guitar and vocals, and Jim McLaughlin, a two-time world champion Hohner harmonica player. Steve Johnson is a foursquare minister in his day job, and Jim McLaughlin, aka The Harpman, resident redneck hippie who

Tukso Okey

Wishing Lane

EvaMoon Ember

Lyndon HeartDale Aries

Wishing Lane

Edward Kyomoon

Grif Bamaisin

Grif Bamaisin

blows & sucks, has performed with such notables as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, War, Vassar Clements, Townes Van Zandt, and Charlie Musselwhite.

The Redmond Digital Arts Festival is an annual festival celebrating the convergence of art and technology through presentations, workshops, performances and installations. Sponsors include the City of Redmond, Microsoft, Gas Powered Games, DigiPen Institute of Technology, Marriott, Digital Double, and 4 Culture.Eva Moon, a member of the Redmond Arts Commission, coordinated the event Sunday

between the RL venue, Soulfood Books (a favorite Redmond hangout for both local artists and musicians traveling through the area from all over the world), and the Second Life venue, run by Gwampa Lomu.

Mary Yelanjian, the City of Redmond Arts Administrator, thought the show was fantastic, praised the high level of musicianship, and wished it could become a regular event.

More information about the Redmond Digital Arts Festival: http://redmondartsfestival.com/Soulfood Books: http://soulfoodbooks.com/

Living and Making Music Without Fear

Strum started writing his first lyrics at the age of 11 and hasn’t stopped. Much of what he writes speaks from the heart and of personal experience, but he also writes songs about socio-political issues. When asked about his songwriting process, Strum replied, “Over recent years I have found that creating the music and lyrics simultaneously works best for me - it‘s like you are performing the song for the first time very slowly...pulling out a thread very slowly so as not to break it. I think that method allows the song to form organically. There‘s no forced message, just the message that happens to be there. There have been a number of occasions where I am simply bawling as I sing out improvised verses while writing. This is one job where making yourself emotionally available to the world is considered an act of professionalism.”

Strum Diesel has been on the Second Life® music scene since August of 2008. A singer/songwriter from the Atlanta, GA area, he is currently adding the finishing touches to his latest album, Lucky, which is due to be released in February of 2010. He is releasing it primarily in SL with a physical version for the real world.

Strum, or Sean Kagalis as he is known in real life, has loved music since he was four years old. He listened to KISS and the hair bands for the sheer energy they exuded, as well as U2. His taste in music is broad, from his idol Ani DiFranco to Lady Gaga and hip-hop. “Anything that has something to say… I think it all comes down to heart. If it has heart it’s worth listening to,” he says. “It’s the language of the human experience.”

BY SHANNON OHERLIHY

Music is the language of the huMan experience

Living and Making Music Without Fear

Hurricane Katrina played a large part in Strum’s songwriting and performing. He was on vacation in New Orleans the weekend the storm struck. Finding himself trapped in a downtown Ramada Inn with 40 other guests for 6 days, Strum would perform for the group each night to help boost morale. In the aftermath of the devastation, Strum found his eyes were opened to living without fear and from that point on made a conscious decision to always follow his heart when it came to his craft.

A seasoned performer, Strum has played in bands but found he preferred being a solo artist. He played coffeehouses and other venues from central Florida to Buffalo, NY, and finally to Atlanta, GA, gaining a diverse following along the way. A friend introduced him to Second Life® in August of 2008, which opened up a whole new world for him. “SL gives you a direct line to a listeners ear—they are comfortable in their homes, which makes it much more conducive for listening. Another great thing about SL is that I don’t have to fill up my gas tank”, he says.

Strum plays all kinds of venues and gigs, whether they are paid or tips only, because his motivation and

this is one job

where Making

yourself

eMotionally

available to

the world is

an act of

professionalisM

12

www.myspace.com/

seankagalis

DISCOGRAPHY

Opaque 1998 (Cassette)

Where Do I Begin? 2000 (CD EP)

Every Good Boy Does Fine 2001 (CD EP)

New Path Now 2003 (CD)

The Vault [1996-2004] 2007 (CD Comp)

Connect: Live @ Eddie‘s Attic 2008 (Live CD)

in 2009 (internet only mp3 release)

Lucky 2010 (CD)

The Vault, Connect, and in 2009, are available on iTunes.

reason for being in SL is to expand his fan base and expose a greater amount of people to his music: “I think if you put your heart into it, talk to your fans, and pace the frequency of performances, you don‘t really have to depend on the person who is putting their own money into the venue to pay you. Your audience will eventually find and support you.”

Devoted fans, called Strumbolis, show up at all the performances feeding on the energy Strum gives out with every song. Heart and soul emanates from the songs and is evident in the banter in between. An electric performer, he sings loud and plays hard, so much so that it is commonplace for him to break a string in the middle of the set. Many times it is the G-string that breaks, which always brings laughter and some off-color one-liners from the crowd. He plays mostly originals, many of which are crowd favorites.Songs like “Happy”, “Striking the Stage”, “Lucky”, and “Gay”, to name but a few, draw from personal experience but resonate strongly with a diversified audience. It’s easy to get a sense of who Strum Diesel is through his songs and his effervescent personality. People are drawn to his authenticity and always leave wanting more.

this is one job

where Making

yourself

eMotionally

available to

the world is

an act of

professionalisM

Nuts and

Bolts

Often, when I’ve read or heard a musician’s first experience of a performance in Second Life®,

I come across the phrase “blown away”. I myself, about 4 years ago now, was blown away by

watching live music piped through the wires of the Internet directly into my home. I wondered,

“You mean that person is playing right now? There’s a real person there? What happens if

I type something to him? Did he just say hello to my avatar?”

Having been in the midst, at the time, of playing three to four real world open mics per week, the idea of finding a new venue for music appealed

greatly. The exhaustion of packing away a keyboard was beginning to wear on me. Usually,

I’d only bring the piano, leaving behind the synthesizers due to set up considerations, and

therefore, leaving much of the sounds I wished to convey behind. SL seemed to offer a way

to eliminate the transport time and still be able to perform.

by Kourosh EusEbio

Little did I realize, however, there was something more than convenience going on. That “wow” feeling that first hit was the first indication that new ground was being broken.What is that? What is that something that awes musician and audience

alike in a virtual world? I still don’t believe I have the entire answer. Many good questions are ones with answers that evolve, much like good art is often evidenced from its own growth.

Nowadays, my involvement in SL centers around a weekly gig, during

which regulars and new comers alike visit. Bree Birke, the hostess, curator and owner of Nitida Ridge, presents a wonderful venue where musician and audience can relax and enjoy the setting and experience.

In this setting we have built a community - a place and time formed where we can all gather and ramble about everything and nothing at all. More often than not, we talk not of the music, but rather things tangential such as what works well in coffee or tea or how one of our friends is now a 3-story high avatar resting on the hill.

Looking at the more basic elements, the community is, as with any other, defined in space and time. The space we share is created and perceived from the vantage points of our monitors and is abstracted from the “real world” while simultaneously maintaining a reality of its own.

But, without any abstraction, and perhaps more importantly, we share time. At the same time, one listener hears what another hears. One person sees what another types. I see what you wish to share. With some lag, you hear what I created in one place as the sounds are

subsequently sent throughout the world. Ultimately, we converse.

Livingston Taylor, singer-songwriter at the Berklee college of music and author of Stage Performance, writes that a performance is a conversation. A performer stands upon the stage but hears the audience, gathers a sense of the feeling floating about the room, and engages that feeling.

Though I can write a piece of music and embed it in a website, the music remains distant from the listener. That distance is measured, among other dimensions, in the time between its creation and when a listener hits play.

But when we are together, despite being across the world, what you say, however small, large, or off-topic, affects the tone of the room. That tone is where I begin. If there is energy, I play with energy; if there is happiness, I play with joy; if there is anxiety, I hope to bring about a bittersweet calm.

thE powEr of silEncE is onE of

thE most importantlEssons a musician

can lEarn

Did it work, did it not? I review the chat and read what has been said. Shall we go further into the dream series of works or are we ready for a build?

In sharing time, we share conver-sation. Being able to have this intimate talk of sorts in the medium of the Internet across many miles and into many homes is, ultimately, what blows us away.

Here, it becomes apparent how little things change over the wires, air, and satellites of the Internet. The same rules apply. In improvising, I sense the emotional state of the room, attempt to clear my mind of its clutter, and play. Whether

this is done in front of an audience physically present or represented individually by avatars on my monitor does not matter. Music is created all the same.

What makes music “good” is defined by many criteria. But, I tend to like simple answers and so search for those. One criteria that has remained with me as evidence of not only good music but good art in general is a feeling that occurs when considering the work: “we are here, and we are here now”. Subtly or overwhelmingly felt, the sensation is of being present and awake in the moment. What better way to sense that moment than by being actively involved in the experience as it occurs?

Bree Birke

Bree Birke

It is interesting to note this sharing of time as being so important. After all, time is fundamental to the existence and experience of music itself. Music has several primary requirements. One of these is whether sound exists or not. Put simply, knowing the power of silence is one of the most important lessons a musician can learn.

But, even more primal, is time. Together, time and sound, create frequency and from there we have pitch; they allow repetition and rhythm, harmonies and cadences, phrasings and stories. All is told in time. A phrase can be slowed and evolved into a padded airy sound, allowing the world to slow down. A rhythm could build and the measures’ initial beats can pound

into a quickened frenzy. Stretched or compressed, time never disappears.

Our attention, spread over time, is our most important resource. There are few more wonderful ways to spend it than in a musical conversation across the world.

Kourosh Eusebio is Kourosh Dini − acclaimed SL performer, composer of 6 albums, author of Video Game Play and Addiction: A Guide for Parents, winner of a Gold National Parenting Publications Award and the Mom’s Choice Award, and practicing psychiatrist in the Chicago area.

intents & purposes 2009 by andrew Deal aka andreus ‘anj’ Gustafson

Andreus Gustafson released his second of two CDs in the fall of 2009. This most recent collection of original music, Intents & Purposes, follows one year on the heels of his first CD, Distant Suns. Anj is a multi-talented musician, playing many instruments accompanied by his vocals with self-programmed backing instrumentation per Anj, all done in his studio.

Intents & Purposes contains 13 tracks that run the gamut from rock to pop, spiritual and ambient, bluegrass, jazz, and some symphonic influences format, showcasing his diverse musical career. Songs may be sampled and purchased, or downloaded, at www.a3d3.net.

mom

mom

Imagine all the people Living life in peace…

Sharing all the world

You may say that I‘m a dreamer But I‘m not the only one

I hope someday you’ll join us And the world will live as one

ONE SHIP, 6 BILLION PEOPLE,

WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT

These words, written by John Lennon nearly 40 years ago, describe a vision which has been renewed in the upcoming EARTHSHIP Summit, in Toronto, Canada in June. A call for action to an “Event for Massive World Change”, the EARTHSHIP Summit is set to coincide with the G8 World Leaders Meeting being held in Toronto at the same time. This worldwide, grassroots, citizens-driven happening intends to open up a dialog with the G8 World Leaders and produce a summary report of all the world´s concerns for submission to the G8 World Leaders.

The central theme of the EARTHSHIP Summit is the building of a community to explore issues of poverty, peace, sustainability, health, the extinction of species, equal

by Katydid Something

5 themes: Air, Water, Man, Earth and Nature with conferences, exhibitions, events, activities and/or contests within each category.

The EARTHSHIP Summit is being put together by artist David Kam who is the center of the Thinkism Art Movement, a philosophy that Art can be meaningful beyond words, beyond culture, and language. Kam believes there is a certain responsibility to create works of art that shed new light on various social, philosophical, political, environmental, psychological, and religious issues. Thinkism art explores people’s relationship to the world, and our relationship to one other. In his small world, Kam, and other like-minded, artists create works of art about climate change,

rights, the environment, and the future of our planet. At the heart of the event will be a Global Village, bringing together an alliance of 300 million schools, non-government organizations, businesses, governments, leaders, artists, and individuals from around the world to share ideas, form alliances and take action on saving planet earth and humanity. Citizens worldwide will come together to participate in a community of sharing, collaborating, singing, dancing, celebrating their differences along with their similarities—working together to make sure all voices are heard, through music, art, lectures, literature and social conscious raising, so even the smallest is important; the youngest protected. The Global Village is divided into

REALIZE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN YOUR GLOBAL VILLAGE

the extinction of species, poverty, war, media control, the rise of the Internet and other themes relevant to the 21st century.

In 2008, Kam met a peace emissary by the name of HRH Prince Frederick Von Saxe-Lauenberg of Children of the World 2000, who was working to organize an event in the Philippines call the World Creative Youth Forum. The two joined efforts and the EARTHSHIP Summit was born.

JOIN NOWClICk the Web tab

A200 Assembly One of the major components of the summit is The A200 (short for „Assembly of 200 Non-G8 Nations”). The brainchild of David Kam, the A200 is a meeting of the world’s 200 poorest nations, to run concurrently with the G8 World Leaders Meeting. This first assembly will focus on the continent of Africa.

The G8 is a meeting of the world’s richest nations, representing 14% of the world’s population, and 65% of the world economy. The combined G8 military spending was US$850 billion, representing 72% of the world’s total military expenditures, and accounting for 96-99% of the world’s nuclear weapons. The A200 will represent the other

86% of the world population—the world’s poorest people.

Also invited to the assembly are non-profit organizations, green businesses, and concerned citizens of the world. The mission of A200 is to open up a dialog with the G8 World Leaders and produce a summary report of all the world’s concerns for submission to the G8 World Leaders.

Imagine Music and Arts Festival The next major component, and central to the interest of the Music Matters community, is the Imagine Arts & Music Festival; Three days of Peace and Music to Change the World. David Kam believes music is a universal language that unites people, and he has joined forces Artie Kornfeld, one of the organizers of the original Woodstock in 1969, to produce the festival.

Created as a charity event, Imagine is inspired by John Lennon’s song “Imagine”. infused with the spirit of Woodstock ’69 (and LIVE8), to kindle commitment for massive environmental and social change.

“We want to invite to Imagine about 50-60 of the world’s greatest rock bands, in spirit of Woodstock ’69. The theme is “3 Days of Peace and Music to Change the World”. We hope to bring 700 thousand to 1 million people to the event, and to broadcast it to another 300 million people worldwide

JOIN NOW

Click the web tab

Æ

Toronto’s Model Downsview Park The EARTHSHIP Summit will be held at Downsview Park, Canada’s largest urban park, situated near downtown Toronto and close to public transportation. Participants are encouraged to leave their cars at home!

Downsview Park is a 231.5 hectare (572 acre) multi-purpose recreational space integrating park, sustainable neighbourhoods and infrastructure, with excellence in architecture and urban design, social diversity, and conservation of resources —a modern and innovative approach to park development for the

(TV, radio, webcast),” Kam states on the website, EARTHSHIPsummit.com. “With 5 spectacular stages…this will be one of the most spectacular world changing events of the 21st century. If you missed Woodstock during the 20th century, now you don‘t want to miss the biggest concert of the 21st century. Come change the world at IMAGINE.”

21st century. It’s a model for creative urban land use for the future incorporating a stormwater management system, it’s “Tree City” design concept, and it’s use of geothermal technologies. And it has already handled crowds upward of half a million people.

is happening in Toronto, as much as we can, at the in-world EARTHSHIP Summit”, Steeplechase continues.

This will include a talent search in art, music, machinema, and cultures. Planning is in the early stages for juried art shows, and music talent contests with the winners participating in the in-world event. Mixed-reality aspects are being explored and planned. Artists and organizations who have in-world presence and are planning to attend the Toronto event are encouraged to consider incorporating mixed-reality aspect into their participation.

“We are in the early stages of planning this huge event in-world”, says Steeplechase. “We are open to any, and looking for ways to make the EARTHSHIP Summit SL as exciting and meaningful to SL residents as the real-time, real-world event in Toronto!”

“It will take a close collaboration of builders, scripters, technology experts, organizers, and volunteers to create EARTHSHIP Summit SL.” Anyone interested in participating please drop a notecard to Reslez.

Second Life® residents have been invited to be part of this historic event in-world, where a EARTHSHIP Summit SL is being planned.

SL Residents are strongly encouraged to consider attending the real life EARTHSHIP Summit in Toronto to meet each other and report the event to in-world events.

“Second Life® is a perfect medium to facilitate grouping and chartering travel packages for residents to attend, meet each other, and share their voice”. says Reslez Steeplechase of the First Call Musicians Co-op in Second Life®, who are spearheading the SL version of the event and working closely with RL EARTHSHIP Summit organizers. “And SL will also allow people who want to be there and are unable to travel to Toronto to participate in this world-changing event.”

SL land is being procured to build, contests are being planned for sustainable building and green technologies, and organizations are being contacted for support with exhibitions, conferences, and events. “We hope to integrate what

Virtual EARTHSHIP Summit

As part of the Second Life® participation in EARTHSHIP Summit there will be a variety of events planned to stimulate artistic creation within the five themes of the event, Air, Water, Man, Earth and Nature. Organizers of the SL Global Village are working directly with the organizers of EARTHSHIP Summit to showcase the Second Life® efforts. Winners of SL contests will be presented to EARTHSHIP Summit organizers for consideration in the real life competitions and exhibitions.

“This is an incredible opportunity for SL artists, builders, and musicians to showcase their talents to a world-wide audience of upward to 3 million,” expresses Steeplechase.

Among the events being considered include:

• A musical talent competition styled similar to American Idol to showcase SL‘s most popular and talented musicians.

• An art copetition to showcase the creative talent of SL artists featuring a variety of mediums and disciplines voted on by the residents

• A Multimedia/Mixed reality creative competition

• A Immersive Expression competition

• In Theatre, a playwriting competition with entries to be presented as a theatrical production

• An enviromental poetry and creative commentary competition

The SL Global Village organizers encourage residents who know of other cultural expressions practiced in Second Life to contact them for consideration.

Virtual Talent Search

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!TELL ME MORE

E=MC² Green Awards

• Natural Food and Health Exhibition

• Climate Change & Nature Pavilion

• Energy & Technology of the Future Pavilion

• Business of the Future Pavilion (Green Business & LOHAS Living)

• Peace & Humanitarian Pavilion

• Cars of the Future Pavilion

• Art Basel of the Future Pavilion (Sustainable Art, Crafts & Media)

• Cities of the Future Pavilion (Eco-homes & Eco-cities)

The organizers of EARTHSHIP Summit in Second Life® hope that by participating and publicising this historic event, they can inspire SL residents to take part in the real E=MC² Green Awards. E=MC² Green Awards are open to all exhibitors, speakers, performers, partners, sponsors, and registered attendants of the EARTHSHIP Summit, including the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health & Sustainability) Festival - EARTHSHIP exhibitions below at the:

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

EARTHSHIP Summit organizers with evaluate companies and products for the awards according to these social and sustainable guidelines. The judging will be done by combining the points from the general public, journalists and the judging panel.

Within each category are many opportunities for awards, some of which can apply in SL and some which are rooted in the real world only:

Food, Health & Sustainability, Non-Food, Climate Change & Nature, Green Energy & Technology, Green Business, Peace & Humanitarian, Cars, Art, Crafts & Media

“This is an amazing opportunity to meld our virtual world to the real world, to harness the creativity and talent we see everywhere in Second Life® and apply it to a real life showcase,” says Steeplechase. “This is a call to action: in reality, philosophically and spiritually. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!”

Jill Garnet

Jeremy Baracuda

Toronto based rockers, The Rails, are something of a Second Life® rarity − they’re a full on original music band. When they’re not tearing up stages in their native Canada, they’re bringing their awesome tunage to the Grid. Big thanks to guitarist Jeremy Barracuda and keyboardist Lolly Gladstone for taking the time to answer a few questions about how they do that thing they do!

The Rails − a second life® RaRiTy

Lolly Gladstone

by Case Munro

Q: Describe your earliest musical memories. What motivated you to learn to play?

A: I learned to play guitar after I had already been a lead singer for a number of years. My earliest and most impactful musical memories were meeting The Stranglers, D.O.A., and The Simple Minds in the early 1980‘s.

Q: Learning an instrument is one thing, but starting a band is a whole deeper level of masochism. What was your first band?

A: The first band I was in was an act based out of Ottawa called The Restless Virgins. I was the lead singer, my friend Steve, who I knew from High school, played guitar. We wrote the material together. Ironically this band has achieved some sort of folk legend status as being one of the earliest punk rock bands in Canada. At the time it seemed like a black hole of despair and unpaid bills.

Q: When did The Rails get started? Tell me about the history of the band.

A: The Rails formed in 2001. I was the initial bass player with Lolly singing and playing keys. We also had two guitarists and a drummer. The band has been through several lineup changes. Lolly and I are the only founding members left. We had to change personnel for a bunch of reasons. The most common problem we encountered was getting our fellow band members to take the business of being in a

Jill Garnet

Jeremy BaracudaChop Baxton

The Rails − a second life® RaRiTy

band seriously. This means, practice on your own time, not just with the band. Show up on time for gigs. Don‘t be a wastoid. Keep your girlfriend/boyfriend out of the band‘s issues.

Q: How did you come across Second Life®? A: I had heard about Second Life® for about two years before I joined in 2006. I needed to get a computer upgrade before I could try it out. The thing that interested me most was the ability to produce and develop content such as the representation of a live musical performance. I watched and studied

it for about two months before trying it out with Lolly.

Q: When did you decide to launch the band in SL and how did you prepare?

A: We did our first performances in January/February 2007. We already had a fair bit of music hardware as a result of running a band for six years. This included mixers, a digital recorder, microphones, and a pro-tools rig. I also learned how to build my own computers. This was important as the typical pre-assembled systems available (at a reasonable price) were just not good enough.

Q: What is your technical set up for SL performances? Please get really detailed here, including your internet connection, odd gear, etc. Do you all play in the same room with a computer, or computers, to see SL?

A: Our setup to produce a four avatar act includes five computers. One for each band member and the fifth one is entirely dedicated to the audio streaming. The one used for audio streaming has a USB audio input/output device which accepts ¼ inch left and right inputs. Our signal is produced in analog fashion and is then sent to this device which encodes it into digital form. We use a sixteen channel mixer which has a built in effects module. This is augmented with a separate eight channel mixer. All of our instruments are sent to the mixer via direct input so we get a clean signal. When we play we are standing up as we would do normally, but with headphones on. Our drummer sits (of course) and he has his own separate headphone mix. The computer monitors are positioned at eye level so that we can see what is going on when we play. We use rubber keyboards

because they can be folded out of the way easily and beer spills are not an issue. It took a fair bit of room configuration and experimentation to get the best physical setup. There are a lot of cables involved and they must not be stepped on or be laid cross walking paths. We use one DSL connection and it seems to be sufficient. I use a digital recorder to log the shows we do and, often, we will sit around and listen to the performance afterwards.

Q: What is your pre-show ritual? How soon do you start getting ready, etc?

A: The pre-show ritual involves making sure there is a cooler of beer for the band mates with the coldest beer possible in it. This is placed

“Our setup to produce a four avatar act includes five computers. One for each band member and the fifth one is entirely dedicated to the audio streaming.”

Q: Do you integrate your RL and SL band efforts, and if so, how do you go about it? Does your RL audience understand SL?

A: I would like to integrate the two but I think they are still very different experiences for the audience and I am leery of attempting such. I cannot envision myself being on stage, in a club, with a laptop beside me as I play. I wouldn‘t like to see that if I was in the audience. We have thought about doing a performance in our home where we invite people over for a party and

in center of room so that they can help themselves. I usually produce a new set list for every second show. We start getting ready about one or two hours beforehand. This involves dressing avatars, checking computer systems for required upgrades and internet connectivity. I will often vacuum the room and clean the whole studio area as well. I like to make the experience as pleasurable for my band mates as possible. This contrasts with what we normally have to deal with when playing in RL clubs.

conduct an SL broadcast at the same time. I would have our party folks in a different room with a TV watching the SL act taking place and I would also have a live video on this group of people so that avatars in SL could see them and interact with the party in that fashion.

Q: We’ve talked about this before, technical hurdles notwithstanding, there are very few bands in SL. The music scene is predominately solo performers. Why do you think that is?

A: It is really hard to produce a multiple avatar act. I think doing a solo show is considerably easier. In my experience there have always been more solo performers than there are bands. I think putting a real band together is also a very hard thing to do. You have to get people to volunteer a considerable amount of time and be really dedicated to that effort. Needless to say the music has to be good enough that they are prepared to play it in the first place. I have actually been a sideman in bands, playing other people‘s material, and the only thing that keeps you going is the music.

Q: What advice would you have for bands that are thinking about performing in SL?

A: I would encourage them to do it. I think it makes so much sense because a band has to practice constantly anyway. Instead of doing it in a dark little room, do it with an audience. The SL technology allows us to develop our music and perform in a comfortable setting. It makes it seem less like work. My band mates are experienced musicians and they immediately understood the benefit of doing this when they saw it the first time. It represents a paradigm shift for the indie artist. In the real world there are way too many bands and not enough clubs for them to play in. In SL, it is just the reverse with not enough bands and way too many clubs.

“The SL technology allows us to develop our music and perform in a comfortable setting. It makes it seem less like work.”

Q: Have you looked at any other virtual world platforms for performance, like Metaplace, or Blue Mars?

A: I have not heard of those worlds but if they allow me to perform in the way SL does I would be interested.

Q: Do you think that performing via virtual world technology can be as transformative as digital distribution has been, in terms of leveling the playing field for independent artists? What factors can help or hinder that?

A: I definitely agree that it is a transformation. It is the first time, in my opinion, where technology has developed to actually further music. In the past, every technological advance seemed to be geared towards making it easier for someone to copy and duplicate the artists work. This is not possible with SL because the experience is

actually a tactile one for the audience. The value the audience gets cannot be recorded or duplicated. You have to actually be there to get the worth of it. This technology is helping the original music artist instead of trying to make a cheap copy of their work.

Q: What’s next for The Rails?

A: We are going to record a new body of songs. If we get some positive reviews in the music press we will tour it in and around Toronto. We will continue to perform in SL regardless.

It is the first time, in my opinion, where

technology has developed to actually

further music.

More infos about

THE RAILS http://therails.ca/

Open Mic DirectOry

Times listed are Second Life® Time (PDT). Precise at printing, and updated regularily. Contact Reslez in world for submissions, corrections, questions and for advertising! reslez@mattersofmusic.com

Musicmattersmagazine@gmail.com

Strung Up

Time: 12 pm - 3 pm Run by: Fable Sinatra and Sylar Morrisey

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Acheron/15/251/7

U21 Global

Time: 1 pm - 3 pm Run by: Keko Heckroth

http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Tarington/227/220/37

sUnday

Kickin Club Atlantic

Time: 4 am - 7 am Run by: Tia Foxtrott http://slurl.com/secondlife/Club%20Atlantic/30/32/21

U21 Global

TUESDAY

Merry Pranksters

Time: 6:00 am - 9:00 am Run by: Nancy Lei

http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Tarington/227/220/37

Foxy Hollow

Time: 10 am - 1 pm Run by: Terri Breen

http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Smelton%20Hollow/221/250/22

MONDAY

Mediaculture Open Mic

Time: 1 pm - 3 pm Run by: LadyDragon Essel

http://slurl.com/secondlife/ mediaculture/120/99/24

WeDneSDay

Cafe Cassablanca

Time: 1 pm - 4 am Run by: Daedalus Lemuria

http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Valtor/45/49/22

paradise cafe

Time: 4 pm - 6 am Run by: Goody Sweetwater

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Private%20Cove/114/152/501

thurSDay

The Hummingbird Cafe

Time: 4 pm - 6 pm Run by: DimiVan Ludwig

http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Menorca/46/7/24

Wanders Paradise

Time: 5 pm - 6 pm Run by: Electrix Parx

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Private%20Cove/114/154/502

FRIDAY

Kasbah

Time: 7 pm - 10 pm Run by: Sonatrix Dench

http://slurl.com/secondlife/ hallelujah%20azul/212/139/24

saTURday

Club Atlantico

Time: 5 am - 9 am Run by: Kickin Monitor

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Club%20Atlantic/29/33/21

Crystal Silver

Time: 8 am - 10 am Run by: Sher Salmsont

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Shouldice/16/14/2775