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Tara Linden

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  1. This week's featured artist is Downunder, who has been playing energetic rock music in SL for over six years. Come get amped up at one of his shows soon! His music can be found on SoundCloud. Q: When/how did you hear about Second Life? A: Well it was by accident really. I was on a program for a while called IMVU, where I could dj only. A friend on there that recommended Second Life to me, as he said you can perform there, so I joined up. At first I didn't like it, avatars weren't so good, so I went back to IMVU for another year or two. Then, I finally went back to Second Life and stayed. I was lucky to find an awesome manager, Pam Astonia, who has been with me for many years, and of course the amazing Downettes. They get to experience what it's like to be onstage and they all do an amazing job. Q: How did music come into your life, and what instruments do you play? A: My love for music began at an early age, always listening to the radio for new bands, but unfortunately I played professional sports so that took priority. It was only when I retired from sports that I joined bands and started playing all over Australia. I’ve tried to play the guitar but was hopeless, so singing is what I concentrated on. Q: How would you describe your style, and how has it evolved over the years? A: My style is all over the place, I like to consider myself an entertainer as well as a singer. I love having the crowd involved, I feed off that energy and at most shows I have too much energy and perform for many hours. I think my record is a five hour show. I think most SL performers evolve together for all new genres that come around. Q: What are some of the albums/tracks that have helped get you through the last year? A: Bands like Matchbox 20, Neil diamond, Foo fighters, and Inxs to name a few that I draw my inspiration from and have helped me get through a personally terrible year for myself. Q: What was your favourite inworld performance? A: Other than the numerous charity events, the show that always sticks in my mind was a memorial for a past manager of mine, Annie, who unfortunately passed away. It was a very hard show to do as she was loved by a lot of people, and I still dedicate her favourite song to her to this day, bless her. Q: What is the most meaningful aspect of the SL music community to you? A: Well, the talent. So many amazing performers in Second Life right in your lounge room, every genre, anything you like. Now that is amazing. Thank you, Downunder! If you or someone you know would like to submit content for Music Mondays, please fill out this form. Have an amazing week, everybody!
  2. This week’s featured artist is Virgil, who plays mainly rock and blues, and has had his SL shows streamed on the South Pole! Check out his music and calendar below. FACEBOOK FLICKR WEBSITE SOUNDCLOUD CALENDAR Q: When/how did you hear about Second Life? A: When I first came to Second Life I was looking for an online game to play, like The Sims or WoW, and had never even heard of SL. Once I got online and started exploring I was hooked. I did all the things we all do, I imagine, and then a few years ago I met a woman that sang in SL. When she found out I was a musician, she said I should give it a try. So I did. Q: How did music come into your life, and what instruments do you play? A: My parents sent me to piano lessons when I was eleven years old. I went for a few years, and this really helped me understand music and some theory. I purchased an acoustic guitar from a childhood friend for $5.00 around that same time, and started learning open chords and beginner stuff. One of my friends played a little more than me and he would show me things… of course back then we did not have the internet - it was all sharing and listening to other players and just figuring stuff out. I play the guitar and also play the bass and some keyboards. I used to have a drum kit as well, but now usually just program my drums or grab a drum track offline. I record all of my own backing tracks and play 100% of the guitars you hear, and I play all of the instruments on many songs. And, of course, I play the guitar and sing live at shows. Q: How would you describe your style, and how has it evolved over the years? A: I am a rock and blues guitar player. I also play pop, country, and can play a little jazz, but mainly I just love to play guitar. I have played in bands since I was 17 years old and still play shows in real life. The guys I listen to and learn from are guys like Brian May (Queen), Peter Frampton, Joe Bonamassa, Eddie Van Halen, and Stevie Ray Vaughn… Jeff beck...David Gilmour… I could go on and on. As for singing, I never really sang more than a few songs here and there, I was always the lead guitar player. When I came to Second Life I started singing more, and now I sing all the time. I also write songs. Songwriters I admire are guys like Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, JJ Cale, The Stones, Ric Ocasek (The Cars)... Johnny Cash, Dwight Yoakam, and of course so many blues guys. As for evolving… well, we are always evolving and striving for new and better sounds. For me, the journey is always about tone and taste. I try to slow down and focus on phrasing and expressing my feelings through the instrument, to have some kind of communication or conversation with the listener. I also believe that tone is 90% of the battle when playing live. If you have a good tone in your instrument you are able to play and express yourself so much better. Q: What are some of the albums/tracks that have helped get you through the last year? A: Oh wow… this is a tough question. Music really lifts us up, you know? I don't care what you are into or like listening to, it touches the pleasure centers in your mind and transports {you}... I tend to listen to The Stones, Clapton, Beck, Matthew Sweet… some harder rock too. I go back to Sheer Heart Attack album by Queen or Queen II, just about ANYTHING by Joe Bonamassa. Q: What was your favorite inworld performance? A: I enjoy all of the venues I play at and the idea that I am able to reach people from all over the planet is remarkable to me. I would say my most memorable was probably the SL17B. I had a great slot there on a Friday night and there were SO many people there… really a good time, and I met some good friends due to that show. Q: What is the most meaningful aspect of the SL music community to you? A: The most meaningful aspect is reaching people and providing some relief or comfort or just plain entertainment to them. When someone IMs me and tells me how my playing or singing touches them, it just makes my day. I was once playing a show and I got an IM from a woman that was part of a research team in Antarctica… she sent me some pics of their station and wanted me to know I was being heard at the South Pole, I mean how awesome is that? I have had people tell me they have their guitar out at home and are playing along, and some go and get their spouses or kids to listen. I have also had people tell me they play my shows while driving and share with others in the car… it is an honor to be able to reach that many people in all of these different situations and share a feeling or moment with them. Virgil also sells his own line of guitars on the marketplace! Check them out here. Thank you, Virgil! If you or someone you know would like to submit content for Music Mondays, please fill out this form.
  3. Photo by Selena Whalen We would love to have more Residents sign up to be featured in Music Mondays! Especially with SL18B and Music Fest coming up... If you are performing and haven't been featured, we'd love to get you some publicity before the events. Don't be shy! Sign up today
  4. This week we are featuring Mankind Tracer, a.k.a. Seth Regan, who has been playing rock music in SL since 2006. He is a prolific performer inworld as well as IRL and has made several albums over the years. For more information, please check out his official website. Q: When/how did you hear about Second Life? A: I was surfing Yahoo in 2006 from my apartment in New York and saw an ad come up. Of course I had to check out this new thing called a ‘Virtual World’! Q: How old were you when you started playing music, and what prompted your interest? A: I originally started piano lessons at about nine years old after my parents saw I was able to play songs by ear. I took lessons for a few years, but made the move to guitar after hearing Pink Floyd and other cool rock tunes I was exposed to at a young age by my five older brothers. Q: Tell us about some musicians who have been important/influential to you. A: I have a lot of favorites, so many songs by so many phenomenal artists and bands are crammed in my head. I’d probably say Pink Floyd and other progressive rock bands, some classical tunes as well, and I’m also a big Billy Joel fan. I love so much music from so many different periods and decades. Q: Have you been making new music during the quarantine? If not, how have you managed your relationship to music/creativity during a time when it can be hard to feel motivated? A: I released my last album Covers - Part I in 2020 during Covid. It’s a double album that contains 25 cover tunes that I recorded as acoustic covers and some that I did more full studio productions on. During this unprecedented time, I’ve turned to music, as I always have. It’s my home. It’s my soul, my breath and my guiding light when I just need to regroup. Q: You've been active in SL for what, about 14 years now? How has the music scene changed, and how has your approach to performing inworld evolved? A: It seems to be in a constant state of flux, just like it does in RL. Of course with the unfortunate start of Covid last year, many artists were no longer able to play their RL gigs, so they migrated to other online platforms, SL included. My approach to performing in SL hasn’t changed at all. I have always recognized that these are people from all over the world behind the avatars. I’d also like to add that when a venue, or any business for that matter, is kind enough to book me, I put my name and my all behind the event, including creating promotional graphics and marketing to about 400K+ SL’ers within my networks. I think it’s very important that as the musicians, besides our performances, we do what we can to help promote those who are hiring us to perform for their audience(s). Q: What is the most meaningful aspect of the SL music community to you? A: I would have to say diversity. There are so many wonderful, talented artists from all over the globe. This as well as the inherent property of SL itself… the platform. When I first started, I noticed there were some sending a DJ signal into SL. I thought, well if they can send a signal off a board, why can’t I send a live signal. Then I very quickly started my live shows, not before seeing other live musicians were in on it too. It’s an amazing tool we musicians have with SL. I use(d) it to springboard my RL career. I chose to mix SL and RL. Some don’t and that’s perfectly fine. We have that choice. For me personally, I managed to leverage my SL career to gain more exposure for both Mankind and Seth. I am forever grateful. Follow his socials for the latest news on his music: Facebook (fan) Facebook (personal) Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Thank you, Mankind Tracer! If you or someone you know would like to submit content for Music Mondays, please fill out this form.
  5. This week's featured musician is Al Hofmann, whose one-man band has treated us to a fusion of rock, jazz, and electronic elements for 14 years. With over 3,000 inworld shows under his belt, his style has no doubt evolved time and time again and each performance brings fresh interpretations. Please check out his official website and YouTube channel to experience his music for yourself! Q: When/how did you hear about Second Life? A: I heard about Second Life in the summer of 2006 on a local tv program about new conceptual art tendencies. Q: What instruments do you play, and at what age did you pick them up? A: I play the guitar: electric, acoustic, classical and midi guitar. With the midi guitar, you can play any instrument sound with it. MIDI is an acronym that stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It's a way to connect devices that make and control sounds (such as synthesizers, samplers, and computers) so that they can communicate with each other using MIDI messages. {I also play} bass guitar, percussion and charango, an ancient South American {stringed instrument}, kind of mandolin. I started to play the guitar at the age of 5. Q: How would you describe your music? A: The style I play is being defined as fusion. A mix of different styles, mainly jazz and rock. Q: Tell us about some of the musicians who have been the most influential to you. A: John Mclaughlin, Jeff Beck, Chick Corea, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Weather Report, etc. Q: How has your relationship to music and creativity been affected by the pandemic, and what would you say to inspire other artists during this time? A: The positive side of the pandemic is that you have time to fully embrace what you do. Whatever that might be, you can improve what you love to do the most. A wonderful opportunity to even discover the purpose of your life. I strongly believe there is art in every individual. Life and humans are an act of art. Q: What is the most meaningful aspect of the SL music community to you? A: The most meaningful aspect of the SL music community is planetary conscience. No more borders, languages, political implications, time frames. One love: Art on the planet. SL has given us all a terrific chance to connect with artists and people around the world. Thank you, Al! If you or somebody you know would like to submit content to be featured in Music Mondays, please fill out this form.
  6. This week's featured musician is Joel Eilde (Joel Tamas irl), who plays rock interspersed with little doses of jazz, country, and blues both inworld and with his band Red Heaven. He has played over 3,000 shows in SL over the last decade and encourages newcomers to join the unique virtual music scene. Please check out the official Red Heaven website. Q: When/how did you hear about Second Life? A: Back in early 2007, I was working as a tech journalist and I was doing a week-long series about Second Life, which I had only just heard of at that point. So I made an account to jump in and try it out and… I stayed. Simple as that. Q: What instruments do you play, and what made you pick them up? A: I sing, I play guitar, and I play bass. Like a lot of young adolescent males with unrealistic dreams of stardom, I picked up bass as a young teen and got more into guitar later on. I didn’t get singing for real until I started performing in Second Life in 2011. I had dabbled before, but never felt confident about my voice until I was in my 40s. Now I actually think of myself as a singer first, so things have really changed. Q: Tell us the origin story of your band Red Heaven. A: Red Heaven is, unequivocally, a Second Life success story. I started performing in Second Life because I wanted an option to play music without going to bars and all that malarkey. And doing so built up my skills really fast: singing, playing, songwriting, all of it. I really credit Second Life for being the woodshed that got me to the point where I could really make Red Heaven a proper real-life band. I honestly couldn’t have gotten to this point with the albums and real world live shows if I hadn’t been grinding in Second Life for so many years. Q: Are your bandmates also SL Residents? A: Only one: Olga Zoubkova, whose SL name is Loreen Aldrin. She lives in Russia so she’s not part of my performing band, but she’s all over every single Red Heaven album. The others, I don’t think they have any idea what Second Life is. Q: How has your relationship to creativity been affected by the last year? A: Well, since January 2020 I’ve released two albums (with another to come this summer), started streaming live Facebook shows, did the biggest livestreamed full-band show of my life, and have been pounding out Second Life shows on the regular. So I guess I’d say it’s been pretty good, but I’m also one of those very lucky people who’s had tons of free time during the pandemic so far, and therefore it’s been easy for me to put it to good use doing what I love. Q: What is the most meaningful aspect of the SL music community to you? A: What I love more than anything and with all my heart is the absence of “stardom.” An ordinary person can just turn on their mic for an hour and play their acoustic guitar and sing, and they can get a legit following and even make a little money. That’s a beautiful thing to me; the way Second Life audiences embrace amateur music without celebrity. I don’t know any other audience that’s so open to and supportive of amateur music. And I honestly wish the world was more like Second Life in that way. Thank you, Joel! If you or somebody you know would like to submit content for Music Mondays, please fill out this form.
  7. Photo taken at The Magic Happens Here This week's featured artist is Randal Prater, a multi-instrumentalist who plays dreamy and cinematic indie pop in both RL and SL. You may also know him as Linus Radford, his original SL persona, as he's been a Resident for about 14 years! He just released a new album called Solo Seasons, so please check out his music on Spotify and YouTube. Q: When/how did you hear about Second Life? A: This would have been January of 2007. I had just finished being the frontman for The Pagan States, and before that, Creeping Myrtle. I was just starting to record my first solo album, 'Falling to Pisces.' I didn't want to fall into the rut of losing my live chops and get rusty while in the recording studio. So, I was looking for a way to play solo acoustic shows while also making progress on my new album since it would be the first time I'd be playing all the instruments myself instead of relying on bandmates. My wife discovered an article about a virtual world where you could be yourself and be seen by only your pixels (an avatar). She saw that musicians were playing shows in there and that I should have a look. So, once I dove in and did my own research, I discovered that there were lots of singer-songwriters out there in the exact boat I was in, or at least in the same proverbial harbor. Juel Resistance (Suzen Juel) was the first artist I discovered and then it snowballed from there. My second album (Second Tuesday of Never) actually features a lot of other Second Life artists, including Suzen. Anyway, I started playing shows in SL and did so until 2010 when it became too painful to play guitar anymore. So, I reinvented myself as a part-time piano player just so I could keep writing and recording songs. Q: What instruments do you play, and how did music come into your life? A: Back when I had fewer physical limitations, I'd play whatever instrument in the studio that needed playing. I don't think I got proficient at any of them since I'm completely self-taught. But, I did a passable job on most things I tried. That said, it is quite painful to my ears and ego whenever I listen back to myself on drums or harmonica. My origin story starts in the womb when my mom played nonstop early Beatles records for nine months. It was a foregone conclusion that I'd end up being some kind of musician or artist. When I was a little kid, I wanted to be George Harrison. Then once I got to high school, I wanted to be John Lennon. Unfortunately for myself and the whole world, that's when he was cruelly taken away from us. But, if there's one singer-songwriter that ever existed that sums up most of what I'm trying to say through my own songs, it's definitely John. Q: How do you decide what visuals to go for in music videos, and how does the music inform it? A: I love that question and already feel like my answer will fall short. But, here goes... This was the first album where I decided I wanted a video for every song and not just one or two. I did the videos by following the track order. So, track one was done first and the final track was done last. I think I got better at video editing by the end. Anyway, the one thread that tied the videos together was that each one had a cameo by one or more crows. Sometimes, it only lasts for a split second, so the viewer has to pay attention. I remember Alfred Hitchcock always made a similar cameo in his old films, and he had a film called The Birds. So, that's likely where I got my idea to tie it all together that way. Of course, it also helps that the final track is called 'Full Crow Moon.' Q: Who are some cool musicians that you've discovered over the last year? A: If you'd said the past decade, that would be much easier. I tend to stick with a songwriter for a while. So, if they come out with an album one year that speaks to me, chances are good that I'll also be interested in their fifth album. Since nothing I've discovered in the past twelve months rivals what I've discovered in the past five to ten years, I'll say that my favorite current singer-songwriter is Angus Stone, who mostly records and performs with his sister Julia. My favorite band is Doves. Their album The Universal Want is hands down my favorite from 2020. Since Wolf Alice is finally putting out a new album in 2021, I predict that will be my favorite for this year. Stay tuned. I'd be remiss in leaving out my dear friend, and sometime collaborator, Bruce Lash. He's got albums in both years and they're fab. Q: Describe the creation of your album Solo Seasons and your creative vision for your music in general. A: Thank you for specifically mentioning my latest album. It was my first one in six years, and the first one that I played all the parts myself, since the first solo record. This time everything was played on keys, even the drum parts, so it was easy to just write and record the whole thing by myself in the crypt (my basement studio). As with every solo album, the theme was dictated by the number. This was the fourth record, so ‘four seasons' seemed like a decent theme. That meant two songs for every season, eight in total. I just mapped it out like that. So, the first two songs on the album are about springtime and the final two tracks are about winter. I'm very methodical when it comes to details and making sure everything is in its proper place (even when usually I'm the only one who will notice). Q: What is the most meaningful aspect of the SL music community to you? A: While it's admittedly been a minute since I was playing shows myself, I'll say from a fan's perspective that it's a great world to be a part of. Especially during this era where most of us are spending even more time in the house than before, it's my current way of providing some semblance of normalcy to my weirdly wired brain. I can just walk around in SL and catch a show and be shoulder to shoulder with other concertgoers without wearing a mask or worrying about anything other than which show I am going to see when there are at least three good ones going during any given hour. So, it's easy to be grateful to the virtual world of Second Life and all the tireless work and creation of the music community, and all artists in general. Thank you, Randal! If you or somebody you know would like to submit content for Music Mondays, please fill out this form.
  8. This week's featured artist is Oblee, whose performances in SL center around live looping to create a unique experience for the audience every time. Please check out his music on his official website, as well as his social media below: Spotify Facebook SoundCloud BandCamp Q: When/how did you hear about Second Life? A: I heard about Second Life shortly after its release, but didn't spend any time inworld until late 2007. It was an exciting time to be there! I had some friends in France who had done a little machinima pilot in SL and wanted me to do some voices. That's when my current avatar was born. At the time I was playing drums in a few touring bands and was looking for a way to play live, original music to people around the world without having to sit in a van with 5 other grimy musicians. I was becoming the prototypical and annoying drummer gone solo and SL was my accomplice. Q: Your music is hard to define. What genres would you say it draws from? A: Thank you! I think that in part, a lot of my original music was born in SL, or at least born when my mind was often in SL. As far as a specific influential genre, I really can't say. I've never been very proficient at describing music or knowing which genre was which. I'm a lousy critic, and can usually find something I like about any piece of music. That said, I think the musicians I look up to the most are the ones who just did what they were going to do without commercial pressure. I've never heard music that didn't influence me in one way or another. Q: Who are some of the musicians that have influenced your style? A: The musicians I've heard! While I say that with some degree of humor, I really have been influenced by everything I've heard. I do hear bands like The Cure or artists like Tom Waits pop up in my original material, and the band The The was always an inspiration to be a self-produced one man band kind of act. A lot of the musicians with whom I've played in bands have influenced my style and my attitude toward songwriting. The Country/Americana songwriter Sand Sheff was a huge influence on me personally and professionally, and all this after my first words to him were "I hate country music!" I guess in the end, the artists who have influenced me most were the ones I perceived as authentic or honest, playing their music because it was burning a hole out of them instead of playing it to seek some kind of commercial success. All this aside, I think that a lot of non musical things have affected my musical style as well, the natural world in particular. I used to describe my music as like the "house music on the Millennium Falcon" in an attempt to say it respected the old and the new, the classic and the modern, technology and nature, all at the same time. Q: What type of equipment do you use? A: At this point? OLD equipment! I've recently become a parent, which has, predictably, stopped my impulse buying of musical equipment and instruments. I use a Boomerang III looper run on a sub mix from a 16 channel mixing board. Into that looper goes a DW drum set, a few acoustic guitars, an electric bass guitar, a handful of vintage synthesizers, an upright piano, congas, djembes, bongos, and whatever else I can get my hands on. I'm not much of a gear head, and feel like the "feeling" far outweighs the instruments, but I am slightly addicted to old synthesizers. Outside the mixer I use the normal rack full of compressors, gates, and effects units to make a hopefully bearable, radio-like sound to my live performances. The looper itself has no permanent memory or click track or other bells and whistles. It is just a bare bones machine that records and plays. One of the reasons I've stuck with that particular looper is the fact that it has no safety net. Once a song is over, it's all erased forever. Mistakes can be song-ending and quite embarrassing. I think the potential for catastrophic, embarrassing failure is what makes live music live music. {In SL, Oblee likes to use Thunk equipment.} Q: Tell us about your favorite experience playing live in SL. A: I've had some amazing times in SL. Some of the most fun was on those wild nights quad-streaming with Los Federales, or dual streams with Beth Odets. (Ask her about what I did on her birthday.) Apart from the musical collaborations, my favorite experience, in a broad sense, is having an audience who wants to hear my original music. An audience who is listening, often alone, at home, is so much different than a real life bar audience because they notice musical nuances and they actually hear the lyrics to songs. I've had a lot more audience members tell me they liked the lyrics to a song in SL than I have in RL. The first time someone IM'd that the sim is full and they couldn't get in was a wild and exciting experience. It was so nice that I now play homestead sims as often as possible. After all these years, I have trouble pointing to specific moments in time as the best times, but I can say with confidence that it is the people that make those moments. Playing the SL birthday celebrations has always been a highlight to the year, and one of those moments that I am very proud to be a part of such a vibrant community. Oh yeah, Simon's party for the solstice was a real hoot! Q: What is the most meaningful aspect of the SL music community to you? A: Musicians need an audience. At the end of the day, I think we all write and perform music as an act of communication. The music industry can be a cruel beast, and a lot of times a musician's ability to reach a larger audience is inexorably tied to their location and/or willingness to take enormous risks. The Second Life community tears down a lot of those barriers and is a loving and supportive group who gives artists a place to shine, sell their music, and perform. I often say that my original music was born in SL and that is very true. When my paying gigs in RL demanded playing popular cover songs, my SL audiences were encouraging me to write more and cover less. I'm eternally grateful for the people I've met playing music in SL. Oblee was also featured in the Drax Files, a Destination Guide video, and his local paper. Thank you, Oblee! If you or someone you know would like to submit content to be featured in Music Mondays, please fill out this form.
  9. Parker Static-Riley at BBW Heaven Beach Club This week we are featuring Parker Static-Riley, who has been singing an impressive and stylistically broad repertoire in Second Life for a decade. Her stage presence is sweet and uplifting, and she has performed at many major SL events like SLB Music Fest, Music Faire, and more. Check out her music on her SoundCloud and find more information on her official website. Q: When/how did you hear about Second Life? A: I heard about SL in 2007... I came to SL knowing I wanted to sing after watching an episode of MTV’s True Life about a girl who performed in SL under the name Keiko Takamura. I joined and like many people, I was so confused at Welcome Island. I logged out and didn't come back for 1.5 years. I came back after seeing a rerun of that episode, this time with a little more patience. Lol! Here I am! Q: What initially drew you to music? A: In RL I grew up in a family of singers... Legit, everyone in my family sings. So singing was just a normal part of life for me. When I really discovered my passion for music, I was four years old leading songs in the choir. Music is my passion, it’s just a huge part of who I am. Q: Who are some of your favorite musicians? A: In no particular order, just to name a few... Bruno Mars, Stevie Wonder, Adele, Beyoncé, Celine Dion, and Whitney Houston. Q: If you could open for any musician/group, who would it be? A: Stevie Wonder, because he is one of the few legends of music who is still alive, and he is one of the greatest musicians of all time. Q: What are your favorite genres of music? A: I love them ALL but being from Nashville, country, gospel, soul, and R&B all have a special place in my heart. However, I cover all genres at my shows. Q: What is the most meaningful aspect of the SL music community to you? A: Second Life is a marvelous platform that allows us to share and touch people all over the world with song. For me, it's being able to make people FEEL. Whether it's happiness, sadness, a memory from childhood, or laughter at me being silly. As long as you FEEL something, I'm good with that. Thank you, Parker! If you or anybody you know would like to be featured in Music Mondays, please fill out this form.
  10. Photo Credit: Kissmy Spicoli This week's featured artist is Jed Luckless, who has been providing us with upbeat and improvisational guitar jams since 2009! With over 600 shows under his belt, his immense music archive is filled with enough tunes to get you through the rest of winter and then some. Please check out his website as well as his YouTube channel. He also has some great videos of inworld performances: Nantucket Yacht Club, The Cave, & Hippiestock. Q: When/how did you hear about Second Life? A: I first became aware of Second Life in 2009. I heard there was a live music scene happening there. At the time I was playing in a Grateful Dead cover band, and I was honing my skills on that music so I wanted someplace I could recreate the complete Dead show experience. I did a search in Second Life for Grateful Dead and stumbled upon a {region} called DarkStar, which had a complete recreation of the Dead’s stage setup, and I knew I had found my place. That was my home for many years and I played a lot of shows there. After a while, I branched out into playing more of my original music. Q: Your music draws from a variety of styles, what subgenres do you think would be appropriate to describe it as? A: My style really is all over the place, which likely comes from being exposed to all kinds of music by my parents, from classical to jazz to showtunes. My own musical tastes gravitated initially toward hard, classic rock, like Led Zeppelin, then later progressive rock like Genesis, and eventually jam band music, which is typically how I describe myself now: jam band inspired, which reflects the large amount of improvisational jamming I do at my shows. Q: How many years have you been playing guitar, and how did you get into it? A: I picked up guitar around age 15. I think it all started with the Partridge Family. I wanted to be Keith Partridge and I loved the idea of driving around in a bus playing music. An early love for guitar heavy rock bands like Kiss, Aerosmith and AC/DC also propelled me to pick up the six-string. Q: Tell us about some of the musicians who had an influence on your style. A: I mentioned a few of them already, but not the biggest one which is Phish. Not too many people even know who Phish is, but they have such an eclectic mix of styles in their music and that’s what first drew me in. It might surprise people to know that I first saw Phish live in 1992 and have seen hundreds of their shows over the past 30 years. They do a lot of improvisational jamming too. My tours and shows in Second Life are very much patterned after the way Phish and The Grateful Dead do it, with a run of shows set up around a theme like “Winter Tour 2021” and stops at various venues across the grid over a few weeks or months. The concerts themselves are typically a two-set format with a setbreak. Q: Do you have to adjust any effects like distortion, whammy bar, pedals, etc. while streaming in a way that is different from a performance in the physical world? A: I would say that if anything, I have to change the way I perform in the physical world to replicate what I do in Second Life, since that is where I have really developed my act and my sound. When playing in Second Life, I use in-ear monitors and an on-stage mixer that allows me to put drums, keys and other instruments through my looper to create a kind of one-man band. It’s really hard to do that on a physical stage with the typical amps and monitors that a bar or club has set up. In Second Life we also have an amazing particle light show by Moondance Parx. If only we could make that work in the real world! Q: What is the most meaningful aspect of the SL music community to you? A: I think the answer is right there in your question. Community. The group of fans and friends that come to the shows and the interaction I have with them and they have with each other is really what it’s all about for me. It’s very similar to the vibe of a Dead or Phish show, and that’s the goal. It’s not just about the music, it’s about the scene. That’s why we have a set break, so people can socialize and connect. I totally love that I’ve been able to build a community around my original music and I couldn’t have done that without Second Life. But my shows are only as good as the energy the crowd brings to them. The more connected we all are the more the circuit hums and the more likely it is to be an electric experience for everyone. Thank you, Jed! If you or someone you know would like to submit content for Music Mondays, please fill out this form.
  11. Photo provided by Fly Kugin This week's featured artist is Fly Kugin, an immensely talented violin player who injects a classical flair to jazz, rock, pop, and music from all over the world. She enjoys both solo performances as well as dual-streams with many talented SL performers. For more information and to hear her music, check out her official website and SoundCloud Q: When/how did you hear about Second Life? A: I discovered Second Life five and a half years ago. I had a new laptop and was searching for games. I discovered an advertisement on the internet about Second Life, so I downloaded the viewer and created an account. It happened by accident via the internet. Q: At what age did you start playing violin, and do you play any other instruments? A: I was at a fine arts high school when I started playing the violin and have been playing since then. At the same time I also started playing the piano. In addition to the violin and the piano, I can also play the flute and the ukulele. Q: Are there any aspects of playing the violin that are specific to this instrument and not found in other string instruments? A: I was at high school when I started playing the piano and violin, as I stated above, and in the beginning the violin was harder for me to play than the piano. This is because I had experience with the piano in middle school. I had a small keyboard and was playing melodies and the piano was initially my first musical passion. At the beginning of my professional classical music education in high school, my main instrument was the violin and everyone in my class had to play the piano. I still loved to play the piano at the time, as I was more familiar with the violin, but one cannot get the sounds as easily on the violin than on the piano. But my high school violin teacher started to give me very emotional pieces to play. An example of such a piece is Pietry Illyric Tchaikovski's "G Minor Canzonetta." This particular classical piece went straight to my heart and was so emotional. After this, I started to practice the violin more. Within four years I realized my violin skills had improved very much. I applied to university with the violin as my piece for the entrance exam to the music program, and I passed! At this point, the violin was my main passion. In music I really cannot compare any instrument, but I was wrong because you have to be patient with instruments. I was not patience with the violin, so in the beginning the piano was my main piece and I practiced it more. I believe that there is no instrument that is harder than any other: all instruments can be played if you have time, patience, and are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to learn the instrument. Q: What are some of your favorite songs to cover on the violin? A: There are too many to count and name! But there are a few that I feel really passionate about. These pieces are: Lara Fabian's "Je T'aime," Queen's "Show Must Go On," Tomaso Albinoni's "Adagio," and Lucio Dalla's "Caruso." I am always adding new covers, but I cannot ever stop playing these four pieces. Q: Tell us about your creative process as it pertains to instrumental music, like how you convey ideas and feelings without words. A: This is hard to explain, as it is about feeling. For example, if the song is about losing someone, I put myself into the song so to speak and I think about a time when I have lost someone and put that emotion into playing that particular piece. If the song is a funny song, I remember a time when I was having fun as a child and put that particular feeling. My feelings are reflected with my violin fingers when playing. Music is a reflection of feeling, so the audience will feel the pieces as well. If I feel happy I will play happy music, If I am sad then the music I am playing is sad. Q: What is the most meaningful aspect of the SL music community to you? A: For me the most meaningful aspect of the SL community is the music. Because music is life for me. Music is the place or object where I realize I am real when I am in Second Life. Music makes me feel so alive. I could make music in any location or in any time zone, but Second Life provides a great opportunity for me to share my music to strangers and friends who are around the world. This is important because there are so many people around the world who have different perspectives about music, so getting appreciation from many people from different backgrounds and cultures gives me confidence and makes me very happy. Thank you, Flyqueen! If you or someone you know would like to submit content for Music Mondays, please fill out this form.
  12. This week's featured artist is Lexus Melodie, who has been performing soulful indie folk in Second Life for about a decade. Her interest was piqued by the creative and entrepreneurial sides of SL, and she even met her RL husband inworld! She's been writing songs about experiences from both of her lives ever since. Please check out her Youtube channel for some RL content, as well as some inworld performances: Cafe Musique, this glamorous closeup, and a birthday concert. Q: When/how did you hear about Second Life? A: Back in about 2008, I was working in London and a friend showed me an article about Second life and the people who were making money with land and making clothing etc. I had already played Sims for a few years and it felt like the ultimate upgrade. I spent a year making clothing until I rented a store at the classic old SL venue Guthries, where I got my first taste of live music in SL. I never looked back. Q: What instruments do you play in addition to singing, and at what age did you start practicing music? A: I play guitar for the most part these days, but I've been pretty musical since the age of 5, when I started playing trumpet, piano, and later, cello. I was lucky enough to live somewhere where music education is free. I feel like music has always been in me. Guitar is the only instrument I hadn't had formal lessons for, so it's my bit of fun really. Q: Tell us about a few of the musicians who have influenced your style. A: This is a difficult one... I love so much music but I'm probably influenced quite a lot by the angst of Alanis Morrisette, the heartbreak of Amy Winehouse... the melodies of SIA and a whole lotta soul music. Q: What do you think is the best show you've ever played in SL, and what made it so special to you? A: After 10 years on and off of playing music in SL it would be almost impossible to pick a single event, but the thing that makes it so special in SL are the people who come out and listen to the shows. They could just plug in the stream on their land, but they make the effort to come out and support the venues and the shows. They make me feel like my words mean something in a world in which it's hard to be heard sometimes. It's a relationship... I perform, but they give back so much... it would impossible to do it without them. Q: What advice would you give to other musicians and artists who are struggling to find inspiration these days? A: Don't be afraid to step away from music, whether it's for a week or a month or longer... sometimes you just need to refresh and give yourself the time to get inspired again. Listen to the music that used to make you sing aloud in the car, or dance around your room with a hairbrush mic. Q: What is the most meaningful aspect of the SL music community to you? A: Just that.... that it truly is a community. For all the good and the bad... we come here to escape and end up mimicking reality. We might not want to be physically near people but you still want the other parts of the community, friendships, and even commerce that SL has to offer. It's a really special place that has been important to an awful lot of people for a million different reasons. It's slife as we know it. Thank you, Lexus! If you or anybody you know would like to submit content for Music Mondays, please fill out this form.
  13. (Photo taken at Puddles) One of the things I miss the most right now is spending Saturday morning in a coffee shop. There’s something about sipping an espresso beverage while nibbling on some kind of carb that makes me feel like all my worries have floated away and the day is filled with glorious potential. I found this video by Resident Emily Wand that really illustrates that experience. I ended up hopping around to a few different coffee shops in Second Life and without even meaning to, let out the biggest sigh of relief. I could even sense the muscles in my shoulders drop, because something about being in that environment makes me feel so relaxed. With all the Cafes & Hangouts available inworld, I encourage you to treat yourself to that feeling of “Ahh, that’s perfect” as soon as you can. There are so many good ones, each with a unique atmosphere, so I wanted to mention a few. Puddles Cafe and Lounge really hit the spot for me. This two level hangout has a super tall ceiling and a hip converted industrial loft aesthetic. Plus, prepare yourself for what I am about to say: there is a cat on a roomba. I may or may not have chased it around with a grin on my face for 15 minutes. Add the rainbow flag and Black Lives Matter sign, and I’m officially moving in. A sign says that there are group chats on Tuesdays and Fridays at 6pm SLT, so check it out! For a more rustic setting, check out Il Nido. As a cafe and wine bar, this is a great option for more of a late afternoon vibe. From my research I also discovered Bellis Blues Cafe, with DJ Stephanie every Monday from 10:00am-12:00pm. Coffee shops like Burrow Coffee & Whisky Co., which is remodeled regularly so there’s always something new, are great places to meet people and experience art, music, and the little things that make us happy. I wasn't kidding!
  14. Pictured above: Moonlight Teahouse Now that we're all obsessed with washing our hands, it's time to get those virtual paws dirty with some gardening! The plants of Second Life are truly one of my favorite parts of coming inworld. I am continually impressed by the botanical creations I see. Some are exact replicas of things from nature, and others are imaginative renderings that look like props from a fantasy movie. While 2021 may not be the fresh start some of us had hoped for, there are plenty of regions waiting for you with space to clear your thoughts and think positively about the future. The Gardens & Landscaping regions are a great place to get inspiration to build a greenspace of your own, and also lovely spots for a leisurely stroll. Moonlight Teahouse (above) even has Tai Chi poseballs facing the ocean. Nature & Parks offers more options that are a little spread out. Beaches, wilderness, and enchanted forests are all great places to hang out with friends or have a relaxing moment to listen to the stillness around you. Many of these regions are based on real life places or inspired by cultures from all over the world. Our Photogenic Spots section is also filled with rolling hills, seaside cliffs covered in moss, and more. If you're feeling inspired, check out the gardening section of the marketplace and see what your virtual green thumb comes up with!
  15. It's time for another photo challenge! Whether you're going for festive or cozy, share a picture of your escapades in one of your favorite winter regions. It can be a solo or group shot, and let us know the name of the region. Strawberry and I took the photo above at Silent Night. It's absolutely gorgeous but I was not prepared for the cold, as you can see from our frosty breath. I'm also probably about to trip over my untied shoelaces. Will your pic be silly or dramatic? Featuring a snowman or an ice skating rink? Scope out the winter attractions soon, we can't wait to see what you get up to!
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