All Matters Of Music Because All Music Matters

Metaverse Live Music PublicationIs

sue

3

Mar

09

RPM Challenge 09 Do it Just because you can

Open Mic Directory

SounDManoptimize Your Broadcast Sound

Too Many Tears Wildfires ignite compassion world wide

Silas Scarboroughan inside look

Editors Note

A great many thanks to our readers for the amazing

response to our in world music publication

Wersquove seen that the need and interest is here and so

we aspire to keep raising the bar bringing you more

interesting stories active resources and big news in the

developments of live music in the metaverse

As the magazine is developing to maturity we excitedly

invite you to send us email suggestions comments or

to become involved in Music Matters

magazine production

- Editor

Impressum

Publisher Pat Insoo

Editor Andrew Hellershanks

art Layout amp Design Kaela Kilara

Contributors Angharad Catteneo

Bibi Ballinger

Boondoggle Gruppman

Skye Rudolf

Taff Nouvelle

Distribution

Reslez Steeplechase

The Matthew Show - februaryMatthew Perreaultrsquos new pop release an intropective and entertaining look at living longer

Silas speaksInterview with three year veteran metaverse stage live performer Silas Scarborough

Hall of FameDue accolade for artists in the metaverse Just Bringiton she delivers

open Mic Directory Where to go Breaking the Ice in this new medium

The SoundmanTweaky tweaky little Star You want to shine bright as you are

Table of Contents

Too Many Tears A story of international compassion Inspired SL artists come together creating a classic song of hope and humanity

RPM Challenge 09 Putting your notes to the wheel recording your creativity What else are you doing in February Independant artists SL and world wide take the Challenge

Erie IsleDinner and a concert make you smile Add a dash of mystery and intrigue with an evening at Erie Isle

Kourosh Eusibo - Mind over music Music transcends language generations and its almost tangible spirit communicates with our psyche Deliberately Kourosh journeys with us to explore this anomoly

Pess ReleasesVideo Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere Quan CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander Nichting

As millions watched the tragedy of the

Australian bushfires unfold on their

screens the world seemed a smaller

place Collective waves of compassion

and a feeling of hopelessness was felt

across the continents The song ldquoToo

Many Tearsrdquo was born in SL among the

ashes when two Australians and an

American worked together to try to

put the words to feelings to bring a

community together to write a song

about compassion and of being united

citizens of the world

Now if you were expecting a sad song

yoursquod be wrong While this is a song that

tells a horrific tale it also sings of hope

for the future The piece captures and

exults in the indomitable Australian spirit

and that of mankind in general The over-

whelming message is that of optimism

and love

Too Many TearsBy Angharad Catteneo

Experiment Rhode

Mariposa Upshaw

Bright Oh

A random spark from the devillsquos hand

Brought destruction on our beautiful land

No time to escape the smoke filled skies

Hundreds of lives in the blink of an eye

No stars in the sky an orange moon

Looks down on the townships now barren and doomed

Acres of vineyards for miles around

Now acres of memories burned to the ground

Too many tears to heal all the pain

If only if only these tears would fall like rain

If only the wind had been quiet that day

No angels no angels would take them all away

Why does the wind blow

Why does the sky glow

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

Why does my heartache

Why do I hate to wake

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

Lyrics by Mariposa Upshaw and Experiment Rhode

Music composed and performed by Bright Oh

Too Many Tears

Upon meeting with the two lyricists

towards the end of February I was

immediately struck by their sincerity

and humility Mariposa Upshaw (Mari) is

better known as the curator of the Angel

Dorei Museum and the Museum of SL

Photography Mari is a writer musician

and self-confessed all around girl of

the arts from Houston Texas with a

vivacious and dynamic personality

Marirsquos philosophy is that Art whether

it be music dance or visual can change

the world She is passionate about music

and appreciates musicians of any

style whose music comes from within

She feels that far more important

than expert technique is the ability

to transport the listener on a musical

journey through song

This philosophy is certainly shared by her

co-writer Experiment Rhode Ex is the

keyboard player in the Somerset Oh and

Rhode trio who are currently making the

transition from RL to SL Ex is a musician

author and journalist from Sydney a shy

Huddled forever in the dark of a room

Hearing the sound of the devilrsquos monsoon

Destroying all things that lie in its way

So many good people were taken that day

Frightened no longer away from all harm

All now embraced in gods open arms

So many were lost and taken away

Never forgotten in our hearts they will stay

Landscapes so vibrant now turned into dust

Consumed in the nightmare of flames so unjust

And through this wasteland we will find a way

To rebuild our lives from this terrible day

And out of the darkness comes a flicker of light

For the human spirit is still shining bright

With hearts united rebuilding the old

The future will rise from the ashes now cold

and unassuming character who obviously

shares a close artistic bond with his

fellow writer

The couple met just last Boxing Day

and this is their very first song It was

inspired composed and recorded

within three days Having finished 90

of the lyrics they shared the work with

Bright Oh of Somerset Oh and

Rhode Brightrsquos polishing contribution

was to add the music and the middle 8

The collaboration complete Too Many

Tears already a classic was born

Listening to Bright performing the piece

with its poignant lyrics and haunting

melody I was struck by the simple

beauty of the sentiment behind the

words which were highlighted by the

choice of chords and cleverly pared

down accompaniment

The song had its debut at the Angel

Dorei Museum which hosted the

Bushfire Benefit on Sunday February

15th Mari and Ex were gratefully over-

whelmed by the relief funds raised

that night

The Art of Australia exhibit is a colossal display of the works of 15 artists from all over the worlds most unique continent proudly displayed through Australia Day January 26th Just about a week later on February 7 the city of Victoria went up in flames

A great thanks to the help of Joaquin Gustav Jubal Enyo

Mash Rhode Russell Eponym MichelleD Ecksol Charles Somerset

Quinton Whitman Jessy Sommer and Jackdog Snook who freely shared

of their time and talent in support All the proceeds have been delivered

to Red Cross Australia

SL Artistrsquos welcome RPMrsquoers

Sat March 28

1 pm - 11 pm

RPM Challenge 09 Listening Party

Sun March 29

3 am - 9 pm

Live amp Recorded Originals

All times PDT

Red Rock- Canyon Stage click info for details

The 2009-RPM ChallengeInterview with participating musician Rene BechardBy Boondoggle Gruppman

The RPM Challenge is a February long song writing and recording event The challenge which is poin-tedly not a competition is to record an album in 28 days just because you can The RPM Challenge invites all types of musicians to participate - and hundreds upon hundreds do

Each year on February 1st partici-pants begin their creative process to produce original and very diverse music up to the end-of-month dead-line on the 28th At that time RPM Challenge organizers must receive the final 10 songs or 35 minutes of each artistrsquos efforts Cataloging takes a few weeks then the public is

invited to hear this new music during listening parties in select cities around the world private living rooms and thanks to RPM Challenge in cooperation with the FCMC and Red Rock this completely independent music event can be experienced in Second Life This year the third annual RPM Challenge Listening Party in Second Life will culminate on March 29th 3am-9pm PDT in a celebratory listening party at the Canyon Stage Red Rock in the Native Lands sim of Second Life Many of the SL artists who met the challenge and a few veteran RPMrsquoers will take to stage to present their works live

Recently Red Rock owner Boondoggle Gruppman chatted with musician Rene Bechard fresh off her creative rush with the 2009-RPM Challengehellip

Listen to the 2009 submissions and find out more about the RPM Chall-enge Click the info tab and link to the website at rpmchallengecom

Boondoggle Gruppman How long have you been creating your own music and what style(s) or mode do you feel allows you to express your creative spirit

Rene Bechard I started playing guitar at 13 or 14 and writing since I was 17 I like to be alone and my surroundings quiet I try to quiet my mind and feel myself (sounds so corny ndash lol) Then I start creating music and then the words comehellip

Boondoggle Gruppman How many songs did you create for the challenge and which one do you hope the world will hear and why

Rene Bechard I wrote 10 songs which is more than I have written in the past 10 years On The Ocean is the song I think would be best for me because it illustrates getting away from the pressures and madness of the world and finding serenityhellip which I believe is the state most of us are reaching for

Boondoggle Gruppman The RPM Challenge guidelines give you February to create and record What day did you begin Did you follow a daily songwriting ritual What day was your final submission

Rene Bechard I began on February 1st and wrote and recorded every moment I had free I would write a song and then record it and then move on to the next I mailed my CD on February 28th which incidentally was the day I wrote and recorded my final song This challenge was very hard for me but very rewarding

Boondoggle Gruppman Did you have to learn any new technical skills or adapt your creative process to complete the RPM Challenge If so how did this affect the overall process and your music

Rene Bechard My engineering skills are pretty much non-existent I had to do my best trying to balance the sound going in and then in mixing the tracks

Boondoggle Gruppman When and where did you first encounter the RPM Challenge and how did this lead to you being inspired to do this yearlsquos challenge

Rene Bechard My hubby and his friend have participated in this challenge a few times in the past They both encouraged me to take it on this year since in the past I was reluctant afraid to do sohellip So I bit in and I am so glad that I did

Boondoggle Gruppman In your creative process what inspires you to write a song and how do you sculpt that initial inspiration into its final form as a song

Rene Bechard For me it most always begins with music ndash sometimes even a drum beat I will start to play a melody and most times immediately a melody and words magically appear in my mind

Rene Bechard - UNO

1 UnfinishedFebruarysongIwishIlsquodfinishedintime A Blues song ndash untitled

2FavoriteRPMChallengeartistampsong Canrsquot remember RPM Challenge Name ndash Song = Blind In One Eye The RPM Challenge Artists name is Gumbo

3FavoriteSecondLifelivemusicianorband Monte Montgomery

4Favoriteplacetowritesongs In the bedroomstudio

5Asongeveryoneshouldlistentois Patheacutetique Movement - Beethoven

6InmymusicthethingIstrugglethemostwithis Playing instruments

7 InmymusicthethingIexcelinis Singing

8ThefirstthingIdidwhenmylastRPMChallengesong wasdonewas Open a bottle of Chardonnay

9WhenIencounterbdquowriterlsquosblockldquomyremedyis To watch South Park

10Ifeelasongcomingtomeanditlsquosabout My cat Memphis Bean

101010 Ten questions for ten answers in ten words or less

Rene BechardBoondoggle Gruppman What has been the most rewarding and challenging aspect(s) of the challenge

Rene Bechard Writing and Recording 10 songs in 28 days This challenge was very hard for mehellip And I am thrilled that I completed it Yeah

Boondoggle Gruppman If you could have dinner with three musicians who would they be and what would you hope to learn from each

Rene Bechard Beethoven ndash My favorite composer To learn whom he was how he felt about life and music and then how he manifested his orchestral brilliance Sineacutead OrsquoConnor ndash Love Her ndash To learn how to carry on creating ndash putting yourself out there and how to remain brave in the midst of intense negativity Trent Reznor ndash Love Him ndash To learn about layering and to encourage him to write a symphony

Boondoggle Gruppman What would you say to someone to inspire them to create and share what they create with others

Rene Bechard Artistic creativity is a divine experience and a wonderful communicator When you create and share your creativity you set in motion a ripple that will hopefully bring happiness beauty andor a message into someonersquos life

Boondoggle Gruppman What are you hoping you and others will gain from the live listening party at Red Rock in Second Life

Rene Bechard Well I guess for one we can all be Red Rock rockstars And I also hope everyone realizes that we all have something worthy to offer and yes we are worth listening to

There is definitely something amiss at

Erie Isle Itrsquos not the name of the place

as heaven knows SecondLife is full of

strange names There is something in the

air a funny smell an eerie light

We are near the sea but therersquos no

sunshine no refreshing ocean breezes

Someone told me the sun never shines

here and I believe it I heard another

reporter disappeared hmmm

I was under the impression this was

going to be dinner and a show but had

no idea the menu included the star

Winston Ackland being served up on a

silver platter with the infamous side of

fava beans and a good Chianti

By Bibi Ballinger

Terror and mysTery show a role playing musical event

The only place he had never dared go

was the cellar which had been sealed

off decades ago One night Gaston tore

off the seals to the cellar door and went

inside Whatever happened inside has

never been known but when Gaston

came out he went upstairs and killed

his wife and children In a brief moment

of clarity following the murders Gaston

took his own life Following the killings

the few remaining residents divided into

two factions Some went to the dark

side in unspeakable ways and the rest

banded together for protection and to try

to make some semblance of life on

the island

Itrsquos the evening of Winstonrsquos show Itrsquos

hot and sticky and not a breath of air

Erie Isle is a small sparsely populated

island off the east coast It was once

home to wealthy entrepreneur Frederik

Muircastle and his family who settled

there in 1907 Mrs Muricastle became

a social leader organizing events and

festivals to bring the islands folk together

The town grew and became a popular

tourist attraction Then something

terrible happened

In August of 1914 Frederikrsquos beloved

wife Eleanor was found murdered in the

bedroom of Muircastle Manor Frederik

was devastated He wanted to turn back

the clock and have his lovely Eleanor

alive caring for the home children and

himself again He began to pursue ways

to raise her from the dead He spent

a fortune on rare books and searched

around the world for people who might

be able to achieve such a task

He experimented

Spirited away to the mainland to live

with relatives the children were too

young to realize what had happened

save one Gaston was the oldest son

and at 8 years of age witnessed strange

events that would haunt him all his life

He returned to Erie Isle after ten years

to claim his birthright Muircastle Manor

Gaston came with enthusiasm and wor-

ked to reinvigorate the island by having

social events as his mother had

He married and had five children and for

several years peace and prosperity ruled

Erie Isle

Then depression and war killed tourism

Weather wreaked havoc on the land and

without the financial means to return

the island to its former glory bleakness

took over Gaston no longer found joy in

ownership of his family home Spending

more and more time inside the Manor

he became depressed and wandered the

many rooms again and again

tory comments Among them was a

provocative looking woman named

Omen Valeska I noticed her from the

balcony when the light hit her metal

bracelets Knives adorned her bracelets

appearing to be more than decorative

I wondered how she got past security

and why no one was doing anything

I learned later that she was a member

of the Dreadshift faction an otherworldly

element that makes Erie Isle its sanctuary

Ninety minutes into the show chaos

struck In a split second several of

those unworldly people were on the

stage surrounding Winston who was

now on his knees with a chain wrapped

around his neckThe startled audience

let out screams and some tried to get on

stage but were quickly pushed away

and left to stand and watch in horror

There was a brief skirmish between the

anywhere Therersquos no sound of crickets

or frogs just the incessant howling of a

dog or wolf or whatever it was There are

a few people standing around outside

the Phantom Theater They are in small

groups talking in low tones avoiding

eye contact Winstonrsquos publicist Jura

Shepherd came and quickly went inside

Clearly she was concerned

I waited outside for Winstonrsquos arrival and

was surprised to see a police escort with

sirens cutting the night air like screaming

banshees This was not going to be any

ordinary gig A popular and busy mu-

sician why would Winston choose to

do this particular show if it required this

kind of security

I climbed the stairs to an empty balcony

to watch the show Winstonrsquos family and

friends along with bodyguards stood

between the stage and theater seats

It was a full house and the first few rows

had been taken by some oddly unmusic-

like people Donrsquot get me wrong music

attracts all kinds of people but these

folks were uncharacteristically quiet see-

mingly here for something other than this

popular musician

As hot and uncomfortable as it was and

with the air full of foreboding Winston

put on a wonderful show He was the

vision of a true busker a character in an

ill-fitting suit wearing a steam engine

top hat that belched steam throughout

the show His guitar appeared to be

made of cheap plywood and at his feet

lay a battered guitar case He sang a

mix of original and cover tunes that he

and his fans enjoy The audience was on

their feet much of the time dancing and

having fun well most of them anyway

There was still that bunch of oddly dark

people in the first few rows who just sat

and smirked making occasional deroga-

attackers who seemed to be fighting over

Winston for what reason I donrsquot know

Omen Valeska assumed leadership and

dared anyone to get in her way

She dragged Winston off the stage and

they disappeared

After a quick search of the theater

people went outside to see what was

happening I followed a group running

towards the lighthouse People gathered

at the bridge to the lighthouse only to

be held back by the Dreadshift who

were now pointing their weapons at

the growing crowd There were shouts

and pleas to Omen to not harm Winston

and let him go It wasnrsquot long before the

Dreadshift lowered their weapons and

disappeared A few brave souls in the

crowd made their way inside to save

Winston but were horrified to find only

fresh blood on the floor Where was

Winston A search of the lighthouse

revealed nothing but the traces of

blood and an oddly cryptic drawing

on the floor

After what seemed forever the crowd

broke up some gathering clues at the

scene others were going back to the

theater and around the island to search

for Winston I decided to leave It was a

long curious evening with a terribly

mysterious outcome Winston has

been seen since that night and is still

performing but they say something is

very different about him I wonder if it

is not really him but a stand in If it is

him what does he say happened to him

and why is no one talking Itrsquos curious

why he chose to do that particular show

knowing the risk Itrsquos all very strange but

then again itrsquos Erie Isle so why wouldnrsquot

it be

likely be released on his label Life in

Music in March of 2009

(httplifeinmusicorg)

Kourosh performs dark wave ambient

piano and electronica His music is heard

regularly in Second Life Kourosh is a

musicianartist working in the medium

of piano and synthesizer The music he

creates has been described as relaxing

and soothing yet gripping and hypnotic

Performed in a state of concentration

Kourosh invites the listener to participate

in a meditative mind-state to reflect upon

the nature of the mindrsquos natural ebbs and

flows His studies began at five years of

age and progressed by way of individual

tutoring of the classical composers Influ-

ences during this early period of musical

Kourosh Eusebio aka Kourosh Dini in

RL is re-releasing his acclaimed album

Legends After a year of its retirement

Kourosh has worked tirelessly in re-

mastering the album to perfection

After 3 plus years as a musician in SL

Kourosh has honed his carefully crafted

meditation music and has become a

staple in the SL music scene

rdquoLegends was never quite what I wanted

of it The sounds didnlsquot quite have the

cohesive nature I wanted Its story is now

more readily apparent Nowsbquo Village Lost

Legendslsquo associates to the mythology

that develops in any community Second

Life is a community and develops its

own legends This is a way of reflecting

similar notionsrdquo Village Lost Legends will

Kourosh Eusebio creating Legends

ldquohellipKourosh has the ability to create an atmosphere a feelingmdasha place of contentment with his musichellip rdquo

Get a free mp3

at httplifeinmusicorg

development included Chopin Bach

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff He would

also listen to and improvise around the

music of the Beatles Metallica and Mike

Patton Later influences included Phish

Tool Simon Posford Bill Laswell Pete

Namlook James Bernard among others

Kourosh is also a practicing psychiatrist

The pursuit of under-standing the mind

language and communication by way of

sounds symbols and words is reflected

in both his music as well as his psychi-

atric vocation His medical degree and

residency in adult psychiatry were ob-

tained through the University of Illinois

at Chicago He pursued further studies

in child and adolescent psychiatry at the

University of Chicago Presently he

continues to work and learn at the

Institute for Psychoanalysis and main-

tains a private practice seeing clients in

therapy and medication management

In April of 2008 he published a book

describing the benefits and potential

detriments of video games and virtual

space called Video Game Play and

Addiction A Guide for Parents silver

winner of Momlsquos Choice Awards

Kourosh also maintains a blog

(httpkouroshdinicom) titled Mind

Music and Technology reflecting his

thoughts of this unique intersection as

he continues his path of artistry and he-

aling through these media He has done

score for short films both recorded and

live and has collaborated on work pre-

sented at the 4Arts Gallery Landmark Art

Gallery the Fast Forward Film Festival

and Chicago Indymedia

Music videomachinima collaborations

with SLrsquos Sitearm Madonna include

the tracks ldquoBeastrdquo and ldquoImpartrdquo Albums

written and produced include Turn of

the Year EP (2008) Live at Red Rock

(2007) Sky Lily (2007) Live at Bliss

Garden (2007) Ontogeny (2005)

Fidelio (2003) The Color of Tea in

Sunlight (1999) and The Beckoning

of Agora (1998)

Video Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere QuanRL artist Houmllli Vals aka Sphere Quan in

SL just released a new song on YouTube

called Remember The Boy

You can hear and view it here

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=e_

BqxnNFBNs

If you enjoy this valued production

and feel that the music of Houmllli Vals

should be heard more by all means

do share this with everyone you know

in SL and RL

CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander NichtingOn Saturday April 4th Xander Nichting

will release his debut CD

ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo

Cafeacute de Noot Hamseweg 31

3828 AA Hoogland (Netherlands)

(wwwdenootnl)

Will host this exciting release party

The event begins at 8 PM with the

official unveiling at 9 PM

Xander will perform a few choice

compositions from Out of the Blue

There will be opportunity to purchase

the album have a chat with Xander

have pictures taken with him take

pictures and have your copy of the

album signed

REMEMBER THE BOY OUT OF THE BLUE

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

Editors Note

A great many thanks to our readers for the amazing

response to our in world music publication

Wersquove seen that the need and interest is here and so

we aspire to keep raising the bar bringing you more

interesting stories active resources and big news in the

developments of live music in the metaverse

As the magazine is developing to maturity we excitedly

invite you to send us email suggestions comments or

to become involved in Music Matters

magazine production

- Editor

Impressum

Publisher Pat Insoo

Editor Andrew Hellershanks

art Layout amp Design Kaela Kilara

Contributors Angharad Catteneo

Bibi Ballinger

Boondoggle Gruppman

Skye Rudolf

Taff Nouvelle

Distribution

Reslez Steeplechase

The Matthew Show - februaryMatthew Perreaultrsquos new pop release an intropective and entertaining look at living longer

Silas speaksInterview with three year veteran metaverse stage live performer Silas Scarborough

Hall of FameDue accolade for artists in the metaverse Just Bringiton she delivers

open Mic Directory Where to go Breaking the Ice in this new medium

The SoundmanTweaky tweaky little Star You want to shine bright as you are

Table of Contents

Too Many Tears A story of international compassion Inspired SL artists come together creating a classic song of hope and humanity

RPM Challenge 09 Putting your notes to the wheel recording your creativity What else are you doing in February Independant artists SL and world wide take the Challenge

Erie IsleDinner and a concert make you smile Add a dash of mystery and intrigue with an evening at Erie Isle

Kourosh Eusibo - Mind over music Music transcends language generations and its almost tangible spirit communicates with our psyche Deliberately Kourosh journeys with us to explore this anomoly

Pess ReleasesVideo Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere Quan CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander Nichting

As millions watched the tragedy of the

Australian bushfires unfold on their

screens the world seemed a smaller

place Collective waves of compassion

and a feeling of hopelessness was felt

across the continents The song ldquoToo

Many Tearsrdquo was born in SL among the

ashes when two Australians and an

American worked together to try to

put the words to feelings to bring a

community together to write a song

about compassion and of being united

citizens of the world

Now if you were expecting a sad song

yoursquod be wrong While this is a song that

tells a horrific tale it also sings of hope

for the future The piece captures and

exults in the indomitable Australian spirit

and that of mankind in general The over-

whelming message is that of optimism

and love

Too Many TearsBy Angharad Catteneo

Experiment Rhode

Mariposa Upshaw

Bright Oh

A random spark from the devillsquos hand

Brought destruction on our beautiful land

No time to escape the smoke filled skies

Hundreds of lives in the blink of an eye

No stars in the sky an orange moon

Looks down on the townships now barren and doomed

Acres of vineyards for miles around

Now acres of memories burned to the ground

Too many tears to heal all the pain

If only if only these tears would fall like rain

If only the wind had been quiet that day

No angels no angels would take them all away

Why does the wind blow

Why does the sky glow

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

Why does my heartache

Why do I hate to wake

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

Lyrics by Mariposa Upshaw and Experiment Rhode

Music composed and performed by Bright Oh

Too Many Tears

Upon meeting with the two lyricists

towards the end of February I was

immediately struck by their sincerity

and humility Mariposa Upshaw (Mari) is

better known as the curator of the Angel

Dorei Museum and the Museum of SL

Photography Mari is a writer musician

and self-confessed all around girl of

the arts from Houston Texas with a

vivacious and dynamic personality

Marirsquos philosophy is that Art whether

it be music dance or visual can change

the world She is passionate about music

and appreciates musicians of any

style whose music comes from within

She feels that far more important

than expert technique is the ability

to transport the listener on a musical

journey through song

This philosophy is certainly shared by her

co-writer Experiment Rhode Ex is the

keyboard player in the Somerset Oh and

Rhode trio who are currently making the

transition from RL to SL Ex is a musician

author and journalist from Sydney a shy

Huddled forever in the dark of a room

Hearing the sound of the devilrsquos monsoon

Destroying all things that lie in its way

So many good people were taken that day

Frightened no longer away from all harm

All now embraced in gods open arms

So many were lost and taken away

Never forgotten in our hearts they will stay

Landscapes so vibrant now turned into dust

Consumed in the nightmare of flames so unjust

And through this wasteland we will find a way

To rebuild our lives from this terrible day

And out of the darkness comes a flicker of light

For the human spirit is still shining bright

With hearts united rebuilding the old

The future will rise from the ashes now cold

and unassuming character who obviously

shares a close artistic bond with his

fellow writer

The couple met just last Boxing Day

and this is their very first song It was

inspired composed and recorded

within three days Having finished 90

of the lyrics they shared the work with

Bright Oh of Somerset Oh and

Rhode Brightrsquos polishing contribution

was to add the music and the middle 8

The collaboration complete Too Many

Tears already a classic was born

Listening to Bright performing the piece

with its poignant lyrics and haunting

melody I was struck by the simple

beauty of the sentiment behind the

words which were highlighted by the

choice of chords and cleverly pared

down accompaniment

The song had its debut at the Angel

Dorei Museum which hosted the

Bushfire Benefit on Sunday February

15th Mari and Ex were gratefully over-

whelmed by the relief funds raised

that night

The Art of Australia exhibit is a colossal display of the works of 15 artists from all over the worlds most unique continent proudly displayed through Australia Day January 26th Just about a week later on February 7 the city of Victoria went up in flames

A great thanks to the help of Joaquin Gustav Jubal Enyo

Mash Rhode Russell Eponym MichelleD Ecksol Charles Somerset

Quinton Whitman Jessy Sommer and Jackdog Snook who freely shared

of their time and talent in support All the proceeds have been delivered

to Red Cross Australia

SL Artistrsquos welcome RPMrsquoers

Sat March 28

1 pm - 11 pm

RPM Challenge 09 Listening Party

Sun March 29

3 am - 9 pm

Live amp Recorded Originals

All times PDT

Red Rock- Canyon Stage click info for details

The 2009-RPM ChallengeInterview with participating musician Rene BechardBy Boondoggle Gruppman

The RPM Challenge is a February long song writing and recording event The challenge which is poin-tedly not a competition is to record an album in 28 days just because you can The RPM Challenge invites all types of musicians to participate - and hundreds upon hundreds do

Each year on February 1st partici-pants begin their creative process to produce original and very diverse music up to the end-of-month dead-line on the 28th At that time RPM Challenge organizers must receive the final 10 songs or 35 minutes of each artistrsquos efforts Cataloging takes a few weeks then the public is

invited to hear this new music during listening parties in select cities around the world private living rooms and thanks to RPM Challenge in cooperation with the FCMC and Red Rock this completely independent music event can be experienced in Second Life This year the third annual RPM Challenge Listening Party in Second Life will culminate on March 29th 3am-9pm PDT in a celebratory listening party at the Canyon Stage Red Rock in the Native Lands sim of Second Life Many of the SL artists who met the challenge and a few veteran RPMrsquoers will take to stage to present their works live

Recently Red Rock owner Boondoggle Gruppman chatted with musician Rene Bechard fresh off her creative rush with the 2009-RPM Challengehellip

Listen to the 2009 submissions and find out more about the RPM Chall-enge Click the info tab and link to the website at rpmchallengecom

Boondoggle Gruppman How long have you been creating your own music and what style(s) or mode do you feel allows you to express your creative spirit

Rene Bechard I started playing guitar at 13 or 14 and writing since I was 17 I like to be alone and my surroundings quiet I try to quiet my mind and feel myself (sounds so corny ndash lol) Then I start creating music and then the words comehellip

Boondoggle Gruppman How many songs did you create for the challenge and which one do you hope the world will hear and why

Rene Bechard I wrote 10 songs which is more than I have written in the past 10 years On The Ocean is the song I think would be best for me because it illustrates getting away from the pressures and madness of the world and finding serenityhellip which I believe is the state most of us are reaching for

Boondoggle Gruppman The RPM Challenge guidelines give you February to create and record What day did you begin Did you follow a daily songwriting ritual What day was your final submission

Rene Bechard I began on February 1st and wrote and recorded every moment I had free I would write a song and then record it and then move on to the next I mailed my CD on February 28th which incidentally was the day I wrote and recorded my final song This challenge was very hard for me but very rewarding

Boondoggle Gruppman Did you have to learn any new technical skills or adapt your creative process to complete the RPM Challenge If so how did this affect the overall process and your music

Rene Bechard My engineering skills are pretty much non-existent I had to do my best trying to balance the sound going in and then in mixing the tracks

Boondoggle Gruppman When and where did you first encounter the RPM Challenge and how did this lead to you being inspired to do this yearlsquos challenge

Rene Bechard My hubby and his friend have participated in this challenge a few times in the past They both encouraged me to take it on this year since in the past I was reluctant afraid to do sohellip So I bit in and I am so glad that I did

Boondoggle Gruppman In your creative process what inspires you to write a song and how do you sculpt that initial inspiration into its final form as a song

Rene Bechard For me it most always begins with music ndash sometimes even a drum beat I will start to play a melody and most times immediately a melody and words magically appear in my mind

Rene Bechard - UNO

1 UnfinishedFebruarysongIwishIlsquodfinishedintime A Blues song ndash untitled

2FavoriteRPMChallengeartistampsong Canrsquot remember RPM Challenge Name ndash Song = Blind In One Eye The RPM Challenge Artists name is Gumbo

3FavoriteSecondLifelivemusicianorband Monte Montgomery

4Favoriteplacetowritesongs In the bedroomstudio

5Asongeveryoneshouldlistentois Patheacutetique Movement - Beethoven

6InmymusicthethingIstrugglethemostwithis Playing instruments

7 InmymusicthethingIexcelinis Singing

8ThefirstthingIdidwhenmylastRPMChallengesong wasdonewas Open a bottle of Chardonnay

9WhenIencounterbdquowriterlsquosblockldquomyremedyis To watch South Park

10Ifeelasongcomingtomeanditlsquosabout My cat Memphis Bean

101010 Ten questions for ten answers in ten words or less

Rene BechardBoondoggle Gruppman What has been the most rewarding and challenging aspect(s) of the challenge

Rene Bechard Writing and Recording 10 songs in 28 days This challenge was very hard for mehellip And I am thrilled that I completed it Yeah

Boondoggle Gruppman If you could have dinner with three musicians who would they be and what would you hope to learn from each

Rene Bechard Beethoven ndash My favorite composer To learn whom he was how he felt about life and music and then how he manifested his orchestral brilliance Sineacutead OrsquoConnor ndash Love Her ndash To learn how to carry on creating ndash putting yourself out there and how to remain brave in the midst of intense negativity Trent Reznor ndash Love Him ndash To learn about layering and to encourage him to write a symphony

Boondoggle Gruppman What would you say to someone to inspire them to create and share what they create with others

Rene Bechard Artistic creativity is a divine experience and a wonderful communicator When you create and share your creativity you set in motion a ripple that will hopefully bring happiness beauty andor a message into someonersquos life

Boondoggle Gruppman What are you hoping you and others will gain from the live listening party at Red Rock in Second Life

Rene Bechard Well I guess for one we can all be Red Rock rockstars And I also hope everyone realizes that we all have something worthy to offer and yes we are worth listening to

There is definitely something amiss at

Erie Isle Itrsquos not the name of the place

as heaven knows SecondLife is full of

strange names There is something in the

air a funny smell an eerie light

We are near the sea but therersquos no

sunshine no refreshing ocean breezes

Someone told me the sun never shines

here and I believe it I heard another

reporter disappeared hmmm

I was under the impression this was

going to be dinner and a show but had

no idea the menu included the star

Winston Ackland being served up on a

silver platter with the infamous side of

fava beans and a good Chianti

By Bibi Ballinger

Terror and mysTery show a role playing musical event

The only place he had never dared go

was the cellar which had been sealed

off decades ago One night Gaston tore

off the seals to the cellar door and went

inside Whatever happened inside has

never been known but when Gaston

came out he went upstairs and killed

his wife and children In a brief moment

of clarity following the murders Gaston

took his own life Following the killings

the few remaining residents divided into

two factions Some went to the dark

side in unspeakable ways and the rest

banded together for protection and to try

to make some semblance of life on

the island

Itrsquos the evening of Winstonrsquos show Itrsquos

hot and sticky and not a breath of air

Erie Isle is a small sparsely populated

island off the east coast It was once

home to wealthy entrepreneur Frederik

Muircastle and his family who settled

there in 1907 Mrs Muricastle became

a social leader organizing events and

festivals to bring the islands folk together

The town grew and became a popular

tourist attraction Then something

terrible happened

In August of 1914 Frederikrsquos beloved

wife Eleanor was found murdered in the

bedroom of Muircastle Manor Frederik

was devastated He wanted to turn back

the clock and have his lovely Eleanor

alive caring for the home children and

himself again He began to pursue ways

to raise her from the dead He spent

a fortune on rare books and searched

around the world for people who might

be able to achieve such a task

He experimented

Spirited away to the mainland to live

with relatives the children were too

young to realize what had happened

save one Gaston was the oldest son

and at 8 years of age witnessed strange

events that would haunt him all his life

He returned to Erie Isle after ten years

to claim his birthright Muircastle Manor

Gaston came with enthusiasm and wor-

ked to reinvigorate the island by having

social events as his mother had

He married and had five children and for

several years peace and prosperity ruled

Erie Isle

Then depression and war killed tourism

Weather wreaked havoc on the land and

without the financial means to return

the island to its former glory bleakness

took over Gaston no longer found joy in

ownership of his family home Spending

more and more time inside the Manor

he became depressed and wandered the

many rooms again and again

tory comments Among them was a

provocative looking woman named

Omen Valeska I noticed her from the

balcony when the light hit her metal

bracelets Knives adorned her bracelets

appearing to be more than decorative

I wondered how she got past security

and why no one was doing anything

I learned later that she was a member

of the Dreadshift faction an otherworldly

element that makes Erie Isle its sanctuary

Ninety minutes into the show chaos

struck In a split second several of

those unworldly people were on the

stage surrounding Winston who was

now on his knees with a chain wrapped

around his neckThe startled audience

let out screams and some tried to get on

stage but were quickly pushed away

and left to stand and watch in horror

There was a brief skirmish between the

anywhere Therersquos no sound of crickets

or frogs just the incessant howling of a

dog or wolf or whatever it was There are

a few people standing around outside

the Phantom Theater They are in small

groups talking in low tones avoiding

eye contact Winstonrsquos publicist Jura

Shepherd came and quickly went inside

Clearly she was concerned

I waited outside for Winstonrsquos arrival and

was surprised to see a police escort with

sirens cutting the night air like screaming

banshees This was not going to be any

ordinary gig A popular and busy mu-

sician why would Winston choose to

do this particular show if it required this

kind of security

I climbed the stairs to an empty balcony

to watch the show Winstonrsquos family and

friends along with bodyguards stood

between the stage and theater seats

It was a full house and the first few rows

had been taken by some oddly unmusic-

like people Donrsquot get me wrong music

attracts all kinds of people but these

folks were uncharacteristically quiet see-

mingly here for something other than this

popular musician

As hot and uncomfortable as it was and

with the air full of foreboding Winston

put on a wonderful show He was the

vision of a true busker a character in an

ill-fitting suit wearing a steam engine

top hat that belched steam throughout

the show His guitar appeared to be

made of cheap plywood and at his feet

lay a battered guitar case He sang a

mix of original and cover tunes that he

and his fans enjoy The audience was on

their feet much of the time dancing and

having fun well most of them anyway

There was still that bunch of oddly dark

people in the first few rows who just sat

and smirked making occasional deroga-

attackers who seemed to be fighting over

Winston for what reason I donrsquot know

Omen Valeska assumed leadership and

dared anyone to get in her way

She dragged Winston off the stage and

they disappeared

After a quick search of the theater

people went outside to see what was

happening I followed a group running

towards the lighthouse People gathered

at the bridge to the lighthouse only to

be held back by the Dreadshift who

were now pointing their weapons at

the growing crowd There were shouts

and pleas to Omen to not harm Winston

and let him go It wasnrsquot long before the

Dreadshift lowered their weapons and

disappeared A few brave souls in the

crowd made their way inside to save

Winston but were horrified to find only

fresh blood on the floor Where was

Winston A search of the lighthouse

revealed nothing but the traces of

blood and an oddly cryptic drawing

on the floor

After what seemed forever the crowd

broke up some gathering clues at the

scene others were going back to the

theater and around the island to search

for Winston I decided to leave It was a

long curious evening with a terribly

mysterious outcome Winston has

been seen since that night and is still

performing but they say something is

very different about him I wonder if it

is not really him but a stand in If it is

him what does he say happened to him

and why is no one talking Itrsquos curious

why he chose to do that particular show

knowing the risk Itrsquos all very strange but

then again itrsquos Erie Isle so why wouldnrsquot

it be

likely be released on his label Life in

Music in March of 2009

(httplifeinmusicorg)

Kourosh performs dark wave ambient

piano and electronica His music is heard

regularly in Second Life Kourosh is a

musicianartist working in the medium

of piano and synthesizer The music he

creates has been described as relaxing

and soothing yet gripping and hypnotic

Performed in a state of concentration

Kourosh invites the listener to participate

in a meditative mind-state to reflect upon

the nature of the mindrsquos natural ebbs and

flows His studies began at five years of

age and progressed by way of individual

tutoring of the classical composers Influ-

ences during this early period of musical

Kourosh Eusebio aka Kourosh Dini in

RL is re-releasing his acclaimed album

Legends After a year of its retirement

Kourosh has worked tirelessly in re-

mastering the album to perfection

After 3 plus years as a musician in SL

Kourosh has honed his carefully crafted

meditation music and has become a

staple in the SL music scene

rdquoLegends was never quite what I wanted

of it The sounds didnlsquot quite have the

cohesive nature I wanted Its story is now

more readily apparent Nowsbquo Village Lost

Legendslsquo associates to the mythology

that develops in any community Second

Life is a community and develops its

own legends This is a way of reflecting

similar notionsrdquo Village Lost Legends will

Kourosh Eusebio creating Legends

ldquohellipKourosh has the ability to create an atmosphere a feelingmdasha place of contentment with his musichellip rdquo

Get a free mp3

at httplifeinmusicorg

development included Chopin Bach

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff He would

also listen to and improvise around the

music of the Beatles Metallica and Mike

Patton Later influences included Phish

Tool Simon Posford Bill Laswell Pete

Namlook James Bernard among others

Kourosh is also a practicing psychiatrist

The pursuit of under-standing the mind

language and communication by way of

sounds symbols and words is reflected

in both his music as well as his psychi-

atric vocation His medical degree and

residency in adult psychiatry were ob-

tained through the University of Illinois

at Chicago He pursued further studies

in child and adolescent psychiatry at the

University of Chicago Presently he

continues to work and learn at the

Institute for Psychoanalysis and main-

tains a private practice seeing clients in

therapy and medication management

In April of 2008 he published a book

describing the benefits and potential

detriments of video games and virtual

space called Video Game Play and

Addiction A Guide for Parents silver

winner of Momlsquos Choice Awards

Kourosh also maintains a blog

(httpkouroshdinicom) titled Mind

Music and Technology reflecting his

thoughts of this unique intersection as

he continues his path of artistry and he-

aling through these media He has done

score for short films both recorded and

live and has collaborated on work pre-

sented at the 4Arts Gallery Landmark Art

Gallery the Fast Forward Film Festival

and Chicago Indymedia

Music videomachinima collaborations

with SLrsquos Sitearm Madonna include

the tracks ldquoBeastrdquo and ldquoImpartrdquo Albums

written and produced include Turn of

the Year EP (2008) Live at Red Rock

(2007) Sky Lily (2007) Live at Bliss

Garden (2007) Ontogeny (2005)

Fidelio (2003) The Color of Tea in

Sunlight (1999) and The Beckoning

of Agora (1998)

Video Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere QuanRL artist Houmllli Vals aka Sphere Quan in

SL just released a new song on YouTube

called Remember The Boy

You can hear and view it here

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=e_

BqxnNFBNs

If you enjoy this valued production

and feel that the music of Houmllli Vals

should be heard more by all means

do share this with everyone you know

in SL and RL

CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander NichtingOn Saturday April 4th Xander Nichting

will release his debut CD

ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo

Cafeacute de Noot Hamseweg 31

3828 AA Hoogland (Netherlands)

(wwwdenootnl)

Will host this exciting release party

The event begins at 8 PM with the

official unveiling at 9 PM

Xander will perform a few choice

compositions from Out of the Blue

There will be opportunity to purchase

the album have a chat with Xander

have pictures taken with him take

pictures and have your copy of the

album signed

REMEMBER THE BOY OUT OF THE BLUE

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

The Matthew Show - februaryMatthew Perreaultrsquos new pop release an intropective and entertaining look at living longer

Silas speaksInterview with three year veteran metaverse stage live performer Silas Scarborough

Hall of FameDue accolade for artists in the metaverse Just Bringiton she delivers

open Mic Directory Where to go Breaking the Ice in this new medium

The SoundmanTweaky tweaky little Star You want to shine bright as you are

Table of Contents

Too Many Tears A story of international compassion Inspired SL artists come together creating a classic song of hope and humanity

RPM Challenge 09 Putting your notes to the wheel recording your creativity What else are you doing in February Independant artists SL and world wide take the Challenge

Erie IsleDinner and a concert make you smile Add a dash of mystery and intrigue with an evening at Erie Isle

Kourosh Eusibo - Mind over music Music transcends language generations and its almost tangible spirit communicates with our psyche Deliberately Kourosh journeys with us to explore this anomoly

Pess ReleasesVideo Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere Quan CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander Nichting

As millions watched the tragedy of the

Australian bushfires unfold on their

screens the world seemed a smaller

place Collective waves of compassion

and a feeling of hopelessness was felt

across the continents The song ldquoToo

Many Tearsrdquo was born in SL among the

ashes when two Australians and an

American worked together to try to

put the words to feelings to bring a

community together to write a song

about compassion and of being united

citizens of the world

Now if you were expecting a sad song

yoursquod be wrong While this is a song that

tells a horrific tale it also sings of hope

for the future The piece captures and

exults in the indomitable Australian spirit

and that of mankind in general The over-

whelming message is that of optimism

and love

Too Many TearsBy Angharad Catteneo

Experiment Rhode

Mariposa Upshaw

Bright Oh

A random spark from the devillsquos hand

Brought destruction on our beautiful land

No time to escape the smoke filled skies

Hundreds of lives in the blink of an eye

No stars in the sky an orange moon

Looks down on the townships now barren and doomed

Acres of vineyards for miles around

Now acres of memories burned to the ground

Too many tears to heal all the pain

If only if only these tears would fall like rain

If only the wind had been quiet that day

No angels no angels would take them all away

Why does the wind blow

Why does the sky glow

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

Why does my heartache

Why do I hate to wake

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

Lyrics by Mariposa Upshaw and Experiment Rhode

Music composed and performed by Bright Oh

Too Many Tears

Upon meeting with the two lyricists

towards the end of February I was

immediately struck by their sincerity

and humility Mariposa Upshaw (Mari) is

better known as the curator of the Angel

Dorei Museum and the Museum of SL

Photography Mari is a writer musician

and self-confessed all around girl of

the arts from Houston Texas with a

vivacious and dynamic personality

Marirsquos philosophy is that Art whether

it be music dance or visual can change

the world She is passionate about music

and appreciates musicians of any

style whose music comes from within

She feels that far more important

than expert technique is the ability

to transport the listener on a musical

journey through song

This philosophy is certainly shared by her

co-writer Experiment Rhode Ex is the

keyboard player in the Somerset Oh and

Rhode trio who are currently making the

transition from RL to SL Ex is a musician

author and journalist from Sydney a shy

Huddled forever in the dark of a room

Hearing the sound of the devilrsquos monsoon

Destroying all things that lie in its way

So many good people were taken that day

Frightened no longer away from all harm

All now embraced in gods open arms

So many were lost and taken away

Never forgotten in our hearts they will stay

Landscapes so vibrant now turned into dust

Consumed in the nightmare of flames so unjust

And through this wasteland we will find a way

To rebuild our lives from this terrible day

And out of the darkness comes a flicker of light

For the human spirit is still shining bright

With hearts united rebuilding the old

The future will rise from the ashes now cold

and unassuming character who obviously

shares a close artistic bond with his

fellow writer

The couple met just last Boxing Day

and this is their very first song It was

inspired composed and recorded

within three days Having finished 90

of the lyrics they shared the work with

Bright Oh of Somerset Oh and

Rhode Brightrsquos polishing contribution

was to add the music and the middle 8

The collaboration complete Too Many

Tears already a classic was born

Listening to Bright performing the piece

with its poignant lyrics and haunting

melody I was struck by the simple

beauty of the sentiment behind the

words which were highlighted by the

choice of chords and cleverly pared

down accompaniment

The song had its debut at the Angel

Dorei Museum which hosted the

Bushfire Benefit on Sunday February

15th Mari and Ex were gratefully over-

whelmed by the relief funds raised

that night

The Art of Australia exhibit is a colossal display of the works of 15 artists from all over the worlds most unique continent proudly displayed through Australia Day January 26th Just about a week later on February 7 the city of Victoria went up in flames

A great thanks to the help of Joaquin Gustav Jubal Enyo

Mash Rhode Russell Eponym MichelleD Ecksol Charles Somerset

Quinton Whitman Jessy Sommer and Jackdog Snook who freely shared

of their time and talent in support All the proceeds have been delivered

to Red Cross Australia

SL Artistrsquos welcome RPMrsquoers

Sat March 28

1 pm - 11 pm

RPM Challenge 09 Listening Party

Sun March 29

3 am - 9 pm

Live amp Recorded Originals

All times PDT

Red Rock- Canyon Stage click info for details

The 2009-RPM ChallengeInterview with participating musician Rene BechardBy Boondoggle Gruppman

The RPM Challenge is a February long song writing and recording event The challenge which is poin-tedly not a competition is to record an album in 28 days just because you can The RPM Challenge invites all types of musicians to participate - and hundreds upon hundreds do

Each year on February 1st partici-pants begin their creative process to produce original and very diverse music up to the end-of-month dead-line on the 28th At that time RPM Challenge organizers must receive the final 10 songs or 35 minutes of each artistrsquos efforts Cataloging takes a few weeks then the public is

invited to hear this new music during listening parties in select cities around the world private living rooms and thanks to RPM Challenge in cooperation with the FCMC and Red Rock this completely independent music event can be experienced in Second Life This year the third annual RPM Challenge Listening Party in Second Life will culminate on March 29th 3am-9pm PDT in a celebratory listening party at the Canyon Stage Red Rock in the Native Lands sim of Second Life Many of the SL artists who met the challenge and a few veteran RPMrsquoers will take to stage to present their works live

Recently Red Rock owner Boondoggle Gruppman chatted with musician Rene Bechard fresh off her creative rush with the 2009-RPM Challengehellip

Listen to the 2009 submissions and find out more about the RPM Chall-enge Click the info tab and link to the website at rpmchallengecom

Boondoggle Gruppman How long have you been creating your own music and what style(s) or mode do you feel allows you to express your creative spirit

Rene Bechard I started playing guitar at 13 or 14 and writing since I was 17 I like to be alone and my surroundings quiet I try to quiet my mind and feel myself (sounds so corny ndash lol) Then I start creating music and then the words comehellip

Boondoggle Gruppman How many songs did you create for the challenge and which one do you hope the world will hear and why

Rene Bechard I wrote 10 songs which is more than I have written in the past 10 years On The Ocean is the song I think would be best for me because it illustrates getting away from the pressures and madness of the world and finding serenityhellip which I believe is the state most of us are reaching for

Boondoggle Gruppman The RPM Challenge guidelines give you February to create and record What day did you begin Did you follow a daily songwriting ritual What day was your final submission

Rene Bechard I began on February 1st and wrote and recorded every moment I had free I would write a song and then record it and then move on to the next I mailed my CD on February 28th which incidentally was the day I wrote and recorded my final song This challenge was very hard for me but very rewarding

Boondoggle Gruppman Did you have to learn any new technical skills or adapt your creative process to complete the RPM Challenge If so how did this affect the overall process and your music

Rene Bechard My engineering skills are pretty much non-existent I had to do my best trying to balance the sound going in and then in mixing the tracks

Boondoggle Gruppman When and where did you first encounter the RPM Challenge and how did this lead to you being inspired to do this yearlsquos challenge

Rene Bechard My hubby and his friend have participated in this challenge a few times in the past They both encouraged me to take it on this year since in the past I was reluctant afraid to do sohellip So I bit in and I am so glad that I did

Boondoggle Gruppman In your creative process what inspires you to write a song and how do you sculpt that initial inspiration into its final form as a song

Rene Bechard For me it most always begins with music ndash sometimes even a drum beat I will start to play a melody and most times immediately a melody and words magically appear in my mind

Rene Bechard - UNO

1 UnfinishedFebruarysongIwishIlsquodfinishedintime A Blues song ndash untitled

2FavoriteRPMChallengeartistampsong Canrsquot remember RPM Challenge Name ndash Song = Blind In One Eye The RPM Challenge Artists name is Gumbo

3FavoriteSecondLifelivemusicianorband Monte Montgomery

4Favoriteplacetowritesongs In the bedroomstudio

5Asongeveryoneshouldlistentois Patheacutetique Movement - Beethoven

6InmymusicthethingIstrugglethemostwithis Playing instruments

7 InmymusicthethingIexcelinis Singing

8ThefirstthingIdidwhenmylastRPMChallengesong wasdonewas Open a bottle of Chardonnay

9WhenIencounterbdquowriterlsquosblockldquomyremedyis To watch South Park

10Ifeelasongcomingtomeanditlsquosabout My cat Memphis Bean

101010 Ten questions for ten answers in ten words or less

Rene BechardBoondoggle Gruppman What has been the most rewarding and challenging aspect(s) of the challenge

Rene Bechard Writing and Recording 10 songs in 28 days This challenge was very hard for mehellip And I am thrilled that I completed it Yeah

Boondoggle Gruppman If you could have dinner with three musicians who would they be and what would you hope to learn from each

Rene Bechard Beethoven ndash My favorite composer To learn whom he was how he felt about life and music and then how he manifested his orchestral brilliance Sineacutead OrsquoConnor ndash Love Her ndash To learn how to carry on creating ndash putting yourself out there and how to remain brave in the midst of intense negativity Trent Reznor ndash Love Him ndash To learn about layering and to encourage him to write a symphony

Boondoggle Gruppman What would you say to someone to inspire them to create and share what they create with others

Rene Bechard Artistic creativity is a divine experience and a wonderful communicator When you create and share your creativity you set in motion a ripple that will hopefully bring happiness beauty andor a message into someonersquos life

Boondoggle Gruppman What are you hoping you and others will gain from the live listening party at Red Rock in Second Life

Rene Bechard Well I guess for one we can all be Red Rock rockstars And I also hope everyone realizes that we all have something worthy to offer and yes we are worth listening to

There is definitely something amiss at

Erie Isle Itrsquos not the name of the place

as heaven knows SecondLife is full of

strange names There is something in the

air a funny smell an eerie light

We are near the sea but therersquos no

sunshine no refreshing ocean breezes

Someone told me the sun never shines

here and I believe it I heard another

reporter disappeared hmmm

I was under the impression this was

going to be dinner and a show but had

no idea the menu included the star

Winston Ackland being served up on a

silver platter with the infamous side of

fava beans and a good Chianti

By Bibi Ballinger

Terror and mysTery show a role playing musical event

The only place he had never dared go

was the cellar which had been sealed

off decades ago One night Gaston tore

off the seals to the cellar door and went

inside Whatever happened inside has

never been known but when Gaston

came out he went upstairs and killed

his wife and children In a brief moment

of clarity following the murders Gaston

took his own life Following the killings

the few remaining residents divided into

two factions Some went to the dark

side in unspeakable ways and the rest

banded together for protection and to try

to make some semblance of life on

the island

Itrsquos the evening of Winstonrsquos show Itrsquos

hot and sticky and not a breath of air

Erie Isle is a small sparsely populated

island off the east coast It was once

home to wealthy entrepreneur Frederik

Muircastle and his family who settled

there in 1907 Mrs Muricastle became

a social leader organizing events and

festivals to bring the islands folk together

The town grew and became a popular

tourist attraction Then something

terrible happened

In August of 1914 Frederikrsquos beloved

wife Eleanor was found murdered in the

bedroom of Muircastle Manor Frederik

was devastated He wanted to turn back

the clock and have his lovely Eleanor

alive caring for the home children and

himself again He began to pursue ways

to raise her from the dead He spent

a fortune on rare books and searched

around the world for people who might

be able to achieve such a task

He experimented

Spirited away to the mainland to live

with relatives the children were too

young to realize what had happened

save one Gaston was the oldest son

and at 8 years of age witnessed strange

events that would haunt him all his life

He returned to Erie Isle after ten years

to claim his birthright Muircastle Manor

Gaston came with enthusiasm and wor-

ked to reinvigorate the island by having

social events as his mother had

He married and had five children and for

several years peace and prosperity ruled

Erie Isle

Then depression and war killed tourism

Weather wreaked havoc on the land and

without the financial means to return

the island to its former glory bleakness

took over Gaston no longer found joy in

ownership of his family home Spending

more and more time inside the Manor

he became depressed and wandered the

many rooms again and again

tory comments Among them was a

provocative looking woman named

Omen Valeska I noticed her from the

balcony when the light hit her metal

bracelets Knives adorned her bracelets

appearing to be more than decorative

I wondered how she got past security

and why no one was doing anything

I learned later that she was a member

of the Dreadshift faction an otherworldly

element that makes Erie Isle its sanctuary

Ninety minutes into the show chaos

struck In a split second several of

those unworldly people were on the

stage surrounding Winston who was

now on his knees with a chain wrapped

around his neckThe startled audience

let out screams and some tried to get on

stage but were quickly pushed away

and left to stand and watch in horror

There was a brief skirmish between the

anywhere Therersquos no sound of crickets

or frogs just the incessant howling of a

dog or wolf or whatever it was There are

a few people standing around outside

the Phantom Theater They are in small

groups talking in low tones avoiding

eye contact Winstonrsquos publicist Jura

Shepherd came and quickly went inside

Clearly she was concerned

I waited outside for Winstonrsquos arrival and

was surprised to see a police escort with

sirens cutting the night air like screaming

banshees This was not going to be any

ordinary gig A popular and busy mu-

sician why would Winston choose to

do this particular show if it required this

kind of security

I climbed the stairs to an empty balcony

to watch the show Winstonrsquos family and

friends along with bodyguards stood

between the stage and theater seats

It was a full house and the first few rows

had been taken by some oddly unmusic-

like people Donrsquot get me wrong music

attracts all kinds of people but these

folks were uncharacteristically quiet see-

mingly here for something other than this

popular musician

As hot and uncomfortable as it was and

with the air full of foreboding Winston

put on a wonderful show He was the

vision of a true busker a character in an

ill-fitting suit wearing a steam engine

top hat that belched steam throughout

the show His guitar appeared to be

made of cheap plywood and at his feet

lay a battered guitar case He sang a

mix of original and cover tunes that he

and his fans enjoy The audience was on

their feet much of the time dancing and

having fun well most of them anyway

There was still that bunch of oddly dark

people in the first few rows who just sat

and smirked making occasional deroga-

attackers who seemed to be fighting over

Winston for what reason I donrsquot know

Omen Valeska assumed leadership and

dared anyone to get in her way

She dragged Winston off the stage and

they disappeared

After a quick search of the theater

people went outside to see what was

happening I followed a group running

towards the lighthouse People gathered

at the bridge to the lighthouse only to

be held back by the Dreadshift who

were now pointing their weapons at

the growing crowd There were shouts

and pleas to Omen to not harm Winston

and let him go It wasnrsquot long before the

Dreadshift lowered their weapons and

disappeared A few brave souls in the

crowd made their way inside to save

Winston but were horrified to find only

fresh blood on the floor Where was

Winston A search of the lighthouse

revealed nothing but the traces of

blood and an oddly cryptic drawing

on the floor

After what seemed forever the crowd

broke up some gathering clues at the

scene others were going back to the

theater and around the island to search

for Winston I decided to leave It was a

long curious evening with a terribly

mysterious outcome Winston has

been seen since that night and is still

performing but they say something is

very different about him I wonder if it

is not really him but a stand in If it is

him what does he say happened to him

and why is no one talking Itrsquos curious

why he chose to do that particular show

knowing the risk Itrsquos all very strange but

then again itrsquos Erie Isle so why wouldnrsquot

it be

likely be released on his label Life in

Music in March of 2009

(httplifeinmusicorg)

Kourosh performs dark wave ambient

piano and electronica His music is heard

regularly in Second Life Kourosh is a

musicianartist working in the medium

of piano and synthesizer The music he

creates has been described as relaxing

and soothing yet gripping and hypnotic

Performed in a state of concentration

Kourosh invites the listener to participate

in a meditative mind-state to reflect upon

the nature of the mindrsquos natural ebbs and

flows His studies began at five years of

age and progressed by way of individual

tutoring of the classical composers Influ-

ences during this early period of musical

Kourosh Eusebio aka Kourosh Dini in

RL is re-releasing his acclaimed album

Legends After a year of its retirement

Kourosh has worked tirelessly in re-

mastering the album to perfection

After 3 plus years as a musician in SL

Kourosh has honed his carefully crafted

meditation music and has become a

staple in the SL music scene

rdquoLegends was never quite what I wanted

of it The sounds didnlsquot quite have the

cohesive nature I wanted Its story is now

more readily apparent Nowsbquo Village Lost

Legendslsquo associates to the mythology

that develops in any community Second

Life is a community and develops its

own legends This is a way of reflecting

similar notionsrdquo Village Lost Legends will

Kourosh Eusebio creating Legends

ldquohellipKourosh has the ability to create an atmosphere a feelingmdasha place of contentment with his musichellip rdquo

Get a free mp3

at httplifeinmusicorg

development included Chopin Bach

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff He would

also listen to and improvise around the

music of the Beatles Metallica and Mike

Patton Later influences included Phish

Tool Simon Posford Bill Laswell Pete

Namlook James Bernard among others

Kourosh is also a practicing psychiatrist

The pursuit of under-standing the mind

language and communication by way of

sounds symbols and words is reflected

in both his music as well as his psychi-

atric vocation His medical degree and

residency in adult psychiatry were ob-

tained through the University of Illinois

at Chicago He pursued further studies

in child and adolescent psychiatry at the

University of Chicago Presently he

continues to work and learn at the

Institute for Psychoanalysis and main-

tains a private practice seeing clients in

therapy and medication management

In April of 2008 he published a book

describing the benefits and potential

detriments of video games and virtual

space called Video Game Play and

Addiction A Guide for Parents silver

winner of Momlsquos Choice Awards

Kourosh also maintains a blog

(httpkouroshdinicom) titled Mind

Music and Technology reflecting his

thoughts of this unique intersection as

he continues his path of artistry and he-

aling through these media He has done

score for short films both recorded and

live and has collaborated on work pre-

sented at the 4Arts Gallery Landmark Art

Gallery the Fast Forward Film Festival

and Chicago Indymedia

Music videomachinima collaborations

with SLrsquos Sitearm Madonna include

the tracks ldquoBeastrdquo and ldquoImpartrdquo Albums

written and produced include Turn of

the Year EP (2008) Live at Red Rock

(2007) Sky Lily (2007) Live at Bliss

Garden (2007) Ontogeny (2005)

Fidelio (2003) The Color of Tea in

Sunlight (1999) and The Beckoning

of Agora (1998)

Video Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere QuanRL artist Houmllli Vals aka Sphere Quan in

SL just released a new song on YouTube

called Remember The Boy

You can hear and view it here

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=e_

BqxnNFBNs

If you enjoy this valued production

and feel that the music of Houmllli Vals

should be heard more by all means

do share this with everyone you know

in SL and RL

CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander NichtingOn Saturday April 4th Xander Nichting

will release his debut CD

ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo

Cafeacute de Noot Hamseweg 31

3828 AA Hoogland (Netherlands)

(wwwdenootnl)

Will host this exciting release party

The event begins at 8 PM with the

official unveiling at 9 PM

Xander will perform a few choice

compositions from Out of the Blue

There will be opportunity to purchase

the album have a chat with Xander

have pictures taken with him take

pictures and have your copy of the

album signed

REMEMBER THE BOY OUT OF THE BLUE

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

As millions watched the tragedy of the

Australian bushfires unfold on their

screens the world seemed a smaller

place Collective waves of compassion

and a feeling of hopelessness was felt

across the continents The song ldquoToo

Many Tearsrdquo was born in SL among the

ashes when two Australians and an

American worked together to try to

put the words to feelings to bring a

community together to write a song

about compassion and of being united

citizens of the world

Now if you were expecting a sad song

yoursquod be wrong While this is a song that

tells a horrific tale it also sings of hope

for the future The piece captures and

exults in the indomitable Australian spirit

and that of mankind in general The over-

whelming message is that of optimism

and love

Too Many TearsBy Angharad Catteneo

Experiment Rhode

Mariposa Upshaw

Bright Oh

A random spark from the devillsquos hand

Brought destruction on our beautiful land

No time to escape the smoke filled skies

Hundreds of lives in the blink of an eye

No stars in the sky an orange moon

Looks down on the townships now barren and doomed

Acres of vineyards for miles around

Now acres of memories burned to the ground

Too many tears to heal all the pain

If only if only these tears would fall like rain

If only the wind had been quiet that day

No angels no angels would take them all away

Why does the wind blow

Why does the sky glow

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

Why does my heartache

Why do I hate to wake

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

Lyrics by Mariposa Upshaw and Experiment Rhode

Music composed and performed by Bright Oh

Too Many Tears

Upon meeting with the two lyricists

towards the end of February I was

immediately struck by their sincerity

and humility Mariposa Upshaw (Mari) is

better known as the curator of the Angel

Dorei Museum and the Museum of SL

Photography Mari is a writer musician

and self-confessed all around girl of

the arts from Houston Texas with a

vivacious and dynamic personality

Marirsquos philosophy is that Art whether

it be music dance or visual can change

the world She is passionate about music

and appreciates musicians of any

style whose music comes from within

She feels that far more important

than expert technique is the ability

to transport the listener on a musical

journey through song

This philosophy is certainly shared by her

co-writer Experiment Rhode Ex is the

keyboard player in the Somerset Oh and

Rhode trio who are currently making the

transition from RL to SL Ex is a musician

author and journalist from Sydney a shy

Huddled forever in the dark of a room

Hearing the sound of the devilrsquos monsoon

Destroying all things that lie in its way

So many good people were taken that day

Frightened no longer away from all harm

All now embraced in gods open arms

So many were lost and taken away

Never forgotten in our hearts they will stay

Landscapes so vibrant now turned into dust

Consumed in the nightmare of flames so unjust

And through this wasteland we will find a way

To rebuild our lives from this terrible day

And out of the darkness comes a flicker of light

For the human spirit is still shining bright

With hearts united rebuilding the old

The future will rise from the ashes now cold

and unassuming character who obviously

shares a close artistic bond with his

fellow writer

The couple met just last Boxing Day

and this is their very first song It was

inspired composed and recorded

within three days Having finished 90

of the lyrics they shared the work with

Bright Oh of Somerset Oh and

Rhode Brightrsquos polishing contribution

was to add the music and the middle 8

The collaboration complete Too Many

Tears already a classic was born

Listening to Bright performing the piece

with its poignant lyrics and haunting

melody I was struck by the simple

beauty of the sentiment behind the

words which were highlighted by the

choice of chords and cleverly pared

down accompaniment

The song had its debut at the Angel

Dorei Museum which hosted the

Bushfire Benefit on Sunday February

15th Mari and Ex were gratefully over-

whelmed by the relief funds raised

that night

The Art of Australia exhibit is a colossal display of the works of 15 artists from all over the worlds most unique continent proudly displayed through Australia Day January 26th Just about a week later on February 7 the city of Victoria went up in flames

A great thanks to the help of Joaquin Gustav Jubal Enyo

Mash Rhode Russell Eponym MichelleD Ecksol Charles Somerset

Quinton Whitman Jessy Sommer and Jackdog Snook who freely shared

of their time and talent in support All the proceeds have been delivered

to Red Cross Australia

SL Artistrsquos welcome RPMrsquoers

Sat March 28

1 pm - 11 pm

RPM Challenge 09 Listening Party

Sun March 29

3 am - 9 pm

Live amp Recorded Originals

All times PDT

Red Rock- Canyon Stage click info for details

The 2009-RPM ChallengeInterview with participating musician Rene BechardBy Boondoggle Gruppman

The RPM Challenge is a February long song writing and recording event The challenge which is poin-tedly not a competition is to record an album in 28 days just because you can The RPM Challenge invites all types of musicians to participate - and hundreds upon hundreds do

Each year on February 1st partici-pants begin their creative process to produce original and very diverse music up to the end-of-month dead-line on the 28th At that time RPM Challenge organizers must receive the final 10 songs or 35 minutes of each artistrsquos efforts Cataloging takes a few weeks then the public is

invited to hear this new music during listening parties in select cities around the world private living rooms and thanks to RPM Challenge in cooperation with the FCMC and Red Rock this completely independent music event can be experienced in Second Life This year the third annual RPM Challenge Listening Party in Second Life will culminate on March 29th 3am-9pm PDT in a celebratory listening party at the Canyon Stage Red Rock in the Native Lands sim of Second Life Many of the SL artists who met the challenge and a few veteran RPMrsquoers will take to stage to present their works live

Recently Red Rock owner Boondoggle Gruppman chatted with musician Rene Bechard fresh off her creative rush with the 2009-RPM Challengehellip

Listen to the 2009 submissions and find out more about the RPM Chall-enge Click the info tab and link to the website at rpmchallengecom

Boondoggle Gruppman How long have you been creating your own music and what style(s) or mode do you feel allows you to express your creative spirit

Rene Bechard I started playing guitar at 13 or 14 and writing since I was 17 I like to be alone and my surroundings quiet I try to quiet my mind and feel myself (sounds so corny ndash lol) Then I start creating music and then the words comehellip

Boondoggle Gruppman How many songs did you create for the challenge and which one do you hope the world will hear and why

Rene Bechard I wrote 10 songs which is more than I have written in the past 10 years On The Ocean is the song I think would be best for me because it illustrates getting away from the pressures and madness of the world and finding serenityhellip which I believe is the state most of us are reaching for

Boondoggle Gruppman The RPM Challenge guidelines give you February to create and record What day did you begin Did you follow a daily songwriting ritual What day was your final submission

Rene Bechard I began on February 1st and wrote and recorded every moment I had free I would write a song and then record it and then move on to the next I mailed my CD on February 28th which incidentally was the day I wrote and recorded my final song This challenge was very hard for me but very rewarding

Boondoggle Gruppman Did you have to learn any new technical skills or adapt your creative process to complete the RPM Challenge If so how did this affect the overall process and your music

Rene Bechard My engineering skills are pretty much non-existent I had to do my best trying to balance the sound going in and then in mixing the tracks

Boondoggle Gruppman When and where did you first encounter the RPM Challenge and how did this lead to you being inspired to do this yearlsquos challenge

Rene Bechard My hubby and his friend have participated in this challenge a few times in the past They both encouraged me to take it on this year since in the past I was reluctant afraid to do sohellip So I bit in and I am so glad that I did

Boondoggle Gruppman In your creative process what inspires you to write a song and how do you sculpt that initial inspiration into its final form as a song

Rene Bechard For me it most always begins with music ndash sometimes even a drum beat I will start to play a melody and most times immediately a melody and words magically appear in my mind

Rene Bechard - UNO

1 UnfinishedFebruarysongIwishIlsquodfinishedintime A Blues song ndash untitled

2FavoriteRPMChallengeartistampsong Canrsquot remember RPM Challenge Name ndash Song = Blind In One Eye The RPM Challenge Artists name is Gumbo

3FavoriteSecondLifelivemusicianorband Monte Montgomery

4Favoriteplacetowritesongs In the bedroomstudio

5Asongeveryoneshouldlistentois Patheacutetique Movement - Beethoven

6InmymusicthethingIstrugglethemostwithis Playing instruments

7 InmymusicthethingIexcelinis Singing

8ThefirstthingIdidwhenmylastRPMChallengesong wasdonewas Open a bottle of Chardonnay

9WhenIencounterbdquowriterlsquosblockldquomyremedyis To watch South Park

10Ifeelasongcomingtomeanditlsquosabout My cat Memphis Bean

101010 Ten questions for ten answers in ten words or less

Rene BechardBoondoggle Gruppman What has been the most rewarding and challenging aspect(s) of the challenge

Rene Bechard Writing and Recording 10 songs in 28 days This challenge was very hard for mehellip And I am thrilled that I completed it Yeah

Boondoggle Gruppman If you could have dinner with three musicians who would they be and what would you hope to learn from each

Rene Bechard Beethoven ndash My favorite composer To learn whom he was how he felt about life and music and then how he manifested his orchestral brilliance Sineacutead OrsquoConnor ndash Love Her ndash To learn how to carry on creating ndash putting yourself out there and how to remain brave in the midst of intense negativity Trent Reznor ndash Love Him ndash To learn about layering and to encourage him to write a symphony

Boondoggle Gruppman What would you say to someone to inspire them to create and share what they create with others

Rene Bechard Artistic creativity is a divine experience and a wonderful communicator When you create and share your creativity you set in motion a ripple that will hopefully bring happiness beauty andor a message into someonersquos life

Boondoggle Gruppman What are you hoping you and others will gain from the live listening party at Red Rock in Second Life

Rene Bechard Well I guess for one we can all be Red Rock rockstars And I also hope everyone realizes that we all have something worthy to offer and yes we are worth listening to

There is definitely something amiss at

Erie Isle Itrsquos not the name of the place

as heaven knows SecondLife is full of

strange names There is something in the

air a funny smell an eerie light

We are near the sea but therersquos no

sunshine no refreshing ocean breezes

Someone told me the sun never shines

here and I believe it I heard another

reporter disappeared hmmm

I was under the impression this was

going to be dinner and a show but had

no idea the menu included the star

Winston Ackland being served up on a

silver platter with the infamous side of

fava beans and a good Chianti

By Bibi Ballinger

Terror and mysTery show a role playing musical event

The only place he had never dared go

was the cellar which had been sealed

off decades ago One night Gaston tore

off the seals to the cellar door and went

inside Whatever happened inside has

never been known but when Gaston

came out he went upstairs and killed

his wife and children In a brief moment

of clarity following the murders Gaston

took his own life Following the killings

the few remaining residents divided into

two factions Some went to the dark

side in unspeakable ways and the rest

banded together for protection and to try

to make some semblance of life on

the island

Itrsquos the evening of Winstonrsquos show Itrsquos

hot and sticky and not a breath of air

Erie Isle is a small sparsely populated

island off the east coast It was once

home to wealthy entrepreneur Frederik

Muircastle and his family who settled

there in 1907 Mrs Muricastle became

a social leader organizing events and

festivals to bring the islands folk together

The town grew and became a popular

tourist attraction Then something

terrible happened

In August of 1914 Frederikrsquos beloved

wife Eleanor was found murdered in the

bedroom of Muircastle Manor Frederik

was devastated He wanted to turn back

the clock and have his lovely Eleanor

alive caring for the home children and

himself again He began to pursue ways

to raise her from the dead He spent

a fortune on rare books and searched

around the world for people who might

be able to achieve such a task

He experimented

Spirited away to the mainland to live

with relatives the children were too

young to realize what had happened

save one Gaston was the oldest son

and at 8 years of age witnessed strange

events that would haunt him all his life

He returned to Erie Isle after ten years

to claim his birthright Muircastle Manor

Gaston came with enthusiasm and wor-

ked to reinvigorate the island by having

social events as his mother had

He married and had five children and for

several years peace and prosperity ruled

Erie Isle

Then depression and war killed tourism

Weather wreaked havoc on the land and

without the financial means to return

the island to its former glory bleakness

took over Gaston no longer found joy in

ownership of his family home Spending

more and more time inside the Manor

he became depressed and wandered the

many rooms again and again

tory comments Among them was a

provocative looking woman named

Omen Valeska I noticed her from the

balcony when the light hit her metal

bracelets Knives adorned her bracelets

appearing to be more than decorative

I wondered how she got past security

and why no one was doing anything

I learned later that she was a member

of the Dreadshift faction an otherworldly

element that makes Erie Isle its sanctuary

Ninety minutes into the show chaos

struck In a split second several of

those unworldly people were on the

stage surrounding Winston who was

now on his knees with a chain wrapped

around his neckThe startled audience

let out screams and some tried to get on

stage but were quickly pushed away

and left to stand and watch in horror

There was a brief skirmish between the

anywhere Therersquos no sound of crickets

or frogs just the incessant howling of a

dog or wolf or whatever it was There are

a few people standing around outside

the Phantom Theater They are in small

groups talking in low tones avoiding

eye contact Winstonrsquos publicist Jura

Shepherd came and quickly went inside

Clearly she was concerned

I waited outside for Winstonrsquos arrival and

was surprised to see a police escort with

sirens cutting the night air like screaming

banshees This was not going to be any

ordinary gig A popular and busy mu-

sician why would Winston choose to

do this particular show if it required this

kind of security

I climbed the stairs to an empty balcony

to watch the show Winstonrsquos family and

friends along with bodyguards stood

between the stage and theater seats

It was a full house and the first few rows

had been taken by some oddly unmusic-

like people Donrsquot get me wrong music

attracts all kinds of people but these

folks were uncharacteristically quiet see-

mingly here for something other than this

popular musician

As hot and uncomfortable as it was and

with the air full of foreboding Winston

put on a wonderful show He was the

vision of a true busker a character in an

ill-fitting suit wearing a steam engine

top hat that belched steam throughout

the show His guitar appeared to be

made of cheap plywood and at his feet

lay a battered guitar case He sang a

mix of original and cover tunes that he

and his fans enjoy The audience was on

their feet much of the time dancing and

having fun well most of them anyway

There was still that bunch of oddly dark

people in the first few rows who just sat

and smirked making occasional deroga-

attackers who seemed to be fighting over

Winston for what reason I donrsquot know

Omen Valeska assumed leadership and

dared anyone to get in her way

She dragged Winston off the stage and

they disappeared

After a quick search of the theater

people went outside to see what was

happening I followed a group running

towards the lighthouse People gathered

at the bridge to the lighthouse only to

be held back by the Dreadshift who

were now pointing their weapons at

the growing crowd There were shouts

and pleas to Omen to not harm Winston

and let him go It wasnrsquot long before the

Dreadshift lowered their weapons and

disappeared A few brave souls in the

crowd made their way inside to save

Winston but were horrified to find only

fresh blood on the floor Where was

Winston A search of the lighthouse

revealed nothing but the traces of

blood and an oddly cryptic drawing

on the floor

After what seemed forever the crowd

broke up some gathering clues at the

scene others were going back to the

theater and around the island to search

for Winston I decided to leave It was a

long curious evening with a terribly

mysterious outcome Winston has

been seen since that night and is still

performing but they say something is

very different about him I wonder if it

is not really him but a stand in If it is

him what does he say happened to him

and why is no one talking Itrsquos curious

why he chose to do that particular show

knowing the risk Itrsquos all very strange but

then again itrsquos Erie Isle so why wouldnrsquot

it be

likely be released on his label Life in

Music in March of 2009

(httplifeinmusicorg)

Kourosh performs dark wave ambient

piano and electronica His music is heard

regularly in Second Life Kourosh is a

musicianartist working in the medium

of piano and synthesizer The music he

creates has been described as relaxing

and soothing yet gripping and hypnotic

Performed in a state of concentration

Kourosh invites the listener to participate

in a meditative mind-state to reflect upon

the nature of the mindrsquos natural ebbs and

flows His studies began at five years of

age and progressed by way of individual

tutoring of the classical composers Influ-

ences during this early period of musical

Kourosh Eusebio aka Kourosh Dini in

RL is re-releasing his acclaimed album

Legends After a year of its retirement

Kourosh has worked tirelessly in re-

mastering the album to perfection

After 3 plus years as a musician in SL

Kourosh has honed his carefully crafted

meditation music and has become a

staple in the SL music scene

rdquoLegends was never quite what I wanted

of it The sounds didnlsquot quite have the

cohesive nature I wanted Its story is now

more readily apparent Nowsbquo Village Lost

Legendslsquo associates to the mythology

that develops in any community Second

Life is a community and develops its

own legends This is a way of reflecting

similar notionsrdquo Village Lost Legends will

Kourosh Eusebio creating Legends

ldquohellipKourosh has the ability to create an atmosphere a feelingmdasha place of contentment with his musichellip rdquo

Get a free mp3

at httplifeinmusicorg

development included Chopin Bach

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff He would

also listen to and improvise around the

music of the Beatles Metallica and Mike

Patton Later influences included Phish

Tool Simon Posford Bill Laswell Pete

Namlook James Bernard among others

Kourosh is also a practicing psychiatrist

The pursuit of under-standing the mind

language and communication by way of

sounds symbols and words is reflected

in both his music as well as his psychi-

atric vocation His medical degree and

residency in adult psychiatry were ob-

tained through the University of Illinois

at Chicago He pursued further studies

in child and adolescent psychiatry at the

University of Chicago Presently he

continues to work and learn at the

Institute for Psychoanalysis and main-

tains a private practice seeing clients in

therapy and medication management

In April of 2008 he published a book

describing the benefits and potential

detriments of video games and virtual

space called Video Game Play and

Addiction A Guide for Parents silver

winner of Momlsquos Choice Awards

Kourosh also maintains a blog

(httpkouroshdinicom) titled Mind

Music and Technology reflecting his

thoughts of this unique intersection as

he continues his path of artistry and he-

aling through these media He has done

score for short films both recorded and

live and has collaborated on work pre-

sented at the 4Arts Gallery Landmark Art

Gallery the Fast Forward Film Festival

and Chicago Indymedia

Music videomachinima collaborations

with SLrsquos Sitearm Madonna include

the tracks ldquoBeastrdquo and ldquoImpartrdquo Albums

written and produced include Turn of

the Year EP (2008) Live at Red Rock

(2007) Sky Lily (2007) Live at Bliss

Garden (2007) Ontogeny (2005)

Fidelio (2003) The Color of Tea in

Sunlight (1999) and The Beckoning

of Agora (1998)

Video Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere QuanRL artist Houmllli Vals aka Sphere Quan in

SL just released a new song on YouTube

called Remember The Boy

You can hear and view it here

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=e_

BqxnNFBNs

If you enjoy this valued production

and feel that the music of Houmllli Vals

should be heard more by all means

do share this with everyone you know

in SL and RL

CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander NichtingOn Saturday April 4th Xander Nichting

will release his debut CD

ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo

Cafeacute de Noot Hamseweg 31

3828 AA Hoogland (Netherlands)

(wwwdenootnl)

Will host this exciting release party

The event begins at 8 PM with the

official unveiling at 9 PM

Xander will perform a few choice

compositions from Out of the Blue

There will be opportunity to purchase

the album have a chat with Xander

have pictures taken with him take

pictures and have your copy of the

album signed

REMEMBER THE BOY OUT OF THE BLUE

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

A random spark from the devillsquos hand

Brought destruction on our beautiful land

No time to escape the smoke filled skies

Hundreds of lives in the blink of an eye

No stars in the sky an orange moon

Looks down on the townships now barren and doomed

Acres of vineyards for miles around

Now acres of memories burned to the ground

Too many tears to heal all the pain

If only if only these tears would fall like rain

If only the wind had been quiet that day

No angels no angels would take them all away

Why does the wind blow

Why does the sky glow

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

Why does my heartache

Why do I hate to wake

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

I donlsquot know I donlsquot know

Lyrics by Mariposa Upshaw and Experiment Rhode

Music composed and performed by Bright Oh

Too Many Tears

Upon meeting with the two lyricists

towards the end of February I was

immediately struck by their sincerity

and humility Mariposa Upshaw (Mari) is

better known as the curator of the Angel

Dorei Museum and the Museum of SL

Photography Mari is a writer musician

and self-confessed all around girl of

the arts from Houston Texas with a

vivacious and dynamic personality

Marirsquos philosophy is that Art whether

it be music dance or visual can change

the world She is passionate about music

and appreciates musicians of any

style whose music comes from within

She feels that far more important

than expert technique is the ability

to transport the listener on a musical

journey through song

This philosophy is certainly shared by her

co-writer Experiment Rhode Ex is the

keyboard player in the Somerset Oh and

Rhode trio who are currently making the

transition from RL to SL Ex is a musician

author and journalist from Sydney a shy

Huddled forever in the dark of a room

Hearing the sound of the devilrsquos monsoon

Destroying all things that lie in its way

So many good people were taken that day

Frightened no longer away from all harm

All now embraced in gods open arms

So many were lost and taken away

Never forgotten in our hearts they will stay

Landscapes so vibrant now turned into dust

Consumed in the nightmare of flames so unjust

And through this wasteland we will find a way

To rebuild our lives from this terrible day

And out of the darkness comes a flicker of light

For the human spirit is still shining bright

With hearts united rebuilding the old

The future will rise from the ashes now cold

and unassuming character who obviously

shares a close artistic bond with his

fellow writer

The couple met just last Boxing Day

and this is their very first song It was

inspired composed and recorded

within three days Having finished 90

of the lyrics they shared the work with

Bright Oh of Somerset Oh and

Rhode Brightrsquos polishing contribution

was to add the music and the middle 8

The collaboration complete Too Many

Tears already a classic was born

Listening to Bright performing the piece

with its poignant lyrics and haunting

melody I was struck by the simple

beauty of the sentiment behind the

words which were highlighted by the

choice of chords and cleverly pared

down accompaniment

The song had its debut at the Angel

Dorei Museum which hosted the

Bushfire Benefit on Sunday February

15th Mari and Ex were gratefully over-

whelmed by the relief funds raised

that night

The Art of Australia exhibit is a colossal display of the works of 15 artists from all over the worlds most unique continent proudly displayed through Australia Day January 26th Just about a week later on February 7 the city of Victoria went up in flames

A great thanks to the help of Joaquin Gustav Jubal Enyo

Mash Rhode Russell Eponym MichelleD Ecksol Charles Somerset

Quinton Whitman Jessy Sommer and Jackdog Snook who freely shared

of their time and talent in support All the proceeds have been delivered

to Red Cross Australia

SL Artistrsquos welcome RPMrsquoers

Sat March 28

1 pm - 11 pm

RPM Challenge 09 Listening Party

Sun March 29

3 am - 9 pm

Live amp Recorded Originals

All times PDT

Red Rock- Canyon Stage click info for details

The 2009-RPM ChallengeInterview with participating musician Rene BechardBy Boondoggle Gruppman

The RPM Challenge is a February long song writing and recording event The challenge which is poin-tedly not a competition is to record an album in 28 days just because you can The RPM Challenge invites all types of musicians to participate - and hundreds upon hundreds do

Each year on February 1st partici-pants begin their creative process to produce original and very diverse music up to the end-of-month dead-line on the 28th At that time RPM Challenge organizers must receive the final 10 songs or 35 minutes of each artistrsquos efforts Cataloging takes a few weeks then the public is

invited to hear this new music during listening parties in select cities around the world private living rooms and thanks to RPM Challenge in cooperation with the FCMC and Red Rock this completely independent music event can be experienced in Second Life This year the third annual RPM Challenge Listening Party in Second Life will culminate on March 29th 3am-9pm PDT in a celebratory listening party at the Canyon Stage Red Rock in the Native Lands sim of Second Life Many of the SL artists who met the challenge and a few veteran RPMrsquoers will take to stage to present their works live

Recently Red Rock owner Boondoggle Gruppman chatted with musician Rene Bechard fresh off her creative rush with the 2009-RPM Challengehellip

Listen to the 2009 submissions and find out more about the RPM Chall-enge Click the info tab and link to the website at rpmchallengecom

Boondoggle Gruppman How long have you been creating your own music and what style(s) or mode do you feel allows you to express your creative spirit

Rene Bechard I started playing guitar at 13 or 14 and writing since I was 17 I like to be alone and my surroundings quiet I try to quiet my mind and feel myself (sounds so corny ndash lol) Then I start creating music and then the words comehellip

Boondoggle Gruppman How many songs did you create for the challenge and which one do you hope the world will hear and why

Rene Bechard I wrote 10 songs which is more than I have written in the past 10 years On The Ocean is the song I think would be best for me because it illustrates getting away from the pressures and madness of the world and finding serenityhellip which I believe is the state most of us are reaching for

Boondoggle Gruppman The RPM Challenge guidelines give you February to create and record What day did you begin Did you follow a daily songwriting ritual What day was your final submission

Rene Bechard I began on February 1st and wrote and recorded every moment I had free I would write a song and then record it and then move on to the next I mailed my CD on February 28th which incidentally was the day I wrote and recorded my final song This challenge was very hard for me but very rewarding

Boondoggle Gruppman Did you have to learn any new technical skills or adapt your creative process to complete the RPM Challenge If so how did this affect the overall process and your music

Rene Bechard My engineering skills are pretty much non-existent I had to do my best trying to balance the sound going in and then in mixing the tracks

Boondoggle Gruppman When and where did you first encounter the RPM Challenge and how did this lead to you being inspired to do this yearlsquos challenge

Rene Bechard My hubby and his friend have participated in this challenge a few times in the past They both encouraged me to take it on this year since in the past I was reluctant afraid to do sohellip So I bit in and I am so glad that I did

Boondoggle Gruppman In your creative process what inspires you to write a song and how do you sculpt that initial inspiration into its final form as a song

Rene Bechard For me it most always begins with music ndash sometimes even a drum beat I will start to play a melody and most times immediately a melody and words magically appear in my mind

Rene Bechard - UNO

1 UnfinishedFebruarysongIwishIlsquodfinishedintime A Blues song ndash untitled

2FavoriteRPMChallengeartistampsong Canrsquot remember RPM Challenge Name ndash Song = Blind In One Eye The RPM Challenge Artists name is Gumbo

3FavoriteSecondLifelivemusicianorband Monte Montgomery

4Favoriteplacetowritesongs In the bedroomstudio

5Asongeveryoneshouldlistentois Patheacutetique Movement - Beethoven

6InmymusicthethingIstrugglethemostwithis Playing instruments

7 InmymusicthethingIexcelinis Singing

8ThefirstthingIdidwhenmylastRPMChallengesong wasdonewas Open a bottle of Chardonnay

9WhenIencounterbdquowriterlsquosblockldquomyremedyis To watch South Park

10Ifeelasongcomingtomeanditlsquosabout My cat Memphis Bean

101010 Ten questions for ten answers in ten words or less

Rene BechardBoondoggle Gruppman What has been the most rewarding and challenging aspect(s) of the challenge

Rene Bechard Writing and Recording 10 songs in 28 days This challenge was very hard for mehellip And I am thrilled that I completed it Yeah

Boondoggle Gruppman If you could have dinner with three musicians who would they be and what would you hope to learn from each

Rene Bechard Beethoven ndash My favorite composer To learn whom he was how he felt about life and music and then how he manifested his orchestral brilliance Sineacutead OrsquoConnor ndash Love Her ndash To learn how to carry on creating ndash putting yourself out there and how to remain brave in the midst of intense negativity Trent Reznor ndash Love Him ndash To learn about layering and to encourage him to write a symphony

Boondoggle Gruppman What would you say to someone to inspire them to create and share what they create with others

Rene Bechard Artistic creativity is a divine experience and a wonderful communicator When you create and share your creativity you set in motion a ripple that will hopefully bring happiness beauty andor a message into someonersquos life

Boondoggle Gruppman What are you hoping you and others will gain from the live listening party at Red Rock in Second Life

Rene Bechard Well I guess for one we can all be Red Rock rockstars And I also hope everyone realizes that we all have something worthy to offer and yes we are worth listening to

There is definitely something amiss at

Erie Isle Itrsquos not the name of the place

as heaven knows SecondLife is full of

strange names There is something in the

air a funny smell an eerie light

We are near the sea but therersquos no

sunshine no refreshing ocean breezes

Someone told me the sun never shines

here and I believe it I heard another

reporter disappeared hmmm

I was under the impression this was

going to be dinner and a show but had

no idea the menu included the star

Winston Ackland being served up on a

silver platter with the infamous side of

fava beans and a good Chianti

By Bibi Ballinger

Terror and mysTery show a role playing musical event

The only place he had never dared go

was the cellar which had been sealed

off decades ago One night Gaston tore

off the seals to the cellar door and went

inside Whatever happened inside has

never been known but when Gaston

came out he went upstairs and killed

his wife and children In a brief moment

of clarity following the murders Gaston

took his own life Following the killings

the few remaining residents divided into

two factions Some went to the dark

side in unspeakable ways and the rest

banded together for protection and to try

to make some semblance of life on

the island

Itrsquos the evening of Winstonrsquos show Itrsquos

hot and sticky and not a breath of air

Erie Isle is a small sparsely populated

island off the east coast It was once

home to wealthy entrepreneur Frederik

Muircastle and his family who settled

there in 1907 Mrs Muricastle became

a social leader organizing events and

festivals to bring the islands folk together

The town grew and became a popular

tourist attraction Then something

terrible happened

In August of 1914 Frederikrsquos beloved

wife Eleanor was found murdered in the

bedroom of Muircastle Manor Frederik

was devastated He wanted to turn back

the clock and have his lovely Eleanor

alive caring for the home children and

himself again He began to pursue ways

to raise her from the dead He spent

a fortune on rare books and searched

around the world for people who might

be able to achieve such a task

He experimented

Spirited away to the mainland to live

with relatives the children were too

young to realize what had happened

save one Gaston was the oldest son

and at 8 years of age witnessed strange

events that would haunt him all his life

He returned to Erie Isle after ten years

to claim his birthright Muircastle Manor

Gaston came with enthusiasm and wor-

ked to reinvigorate the island by having

social events as his mother had

He married and had five children and for

several years peace and prosperity ruled

Erie Isle

Then depression and war killed tourism

Weather wreaked havoc on the land and

without the financial means to return

the island to its former glory bleakness

took over Gaston no longer found joy in

ownership of his family home Spending

more and more time inside the Manor

he became depressed and wandered the

many rooms again and again

tory comments Among them was a

provocative looking woman named

Omen Valeska I noticed her from the

balcony when the light hit her metal

bracelets Knives adorned her bracelets

appearing to be more than decorative

I wondered how she got past security

and why no one was doing anything

I learned later that she was a member

of the Dreadshift faction an otherworldly

element that makes Erie Isle its sanctuary

Ninety minutes into the show chaos

struck In a split second several of

those unworldly people were on the

stage surrounding Winston who was

now on his knees with a chain wrapped

around his neckThe startled audience

let out screams and some tried to get on

stage but were quickly pushed away

and left to stand and watch in horror

There was a brief skirmish between the

anywhere Therersquos no sound of crickets

or frogs just the incessant howling of a

dog or wolf or whatever it was There are

a few people standing around outside

the Phantom Theater They are in small

groups talking in low tones avoiding

eye contact Winstonrsquos publicist Jura

Shepherd came and quickly went inside

Clearly she was concerned

I waited outside for Winstonrsquos arrival and

was surprised to see a police escort with

sirens cutting the night air like screaming

banshees This was not going to be any

ordinary gig A popular and busy mu-

sician why would Winston choose to

do this particular show if it required this

kind of security

I climbed the stairs to an empty balcony

to watch the show Winstonrsquos family and

friends along with bodyguards stood

between the stage and theater seats

It was a full house and the first few rows

had been taken by some oddly unmusic-

like people Donrsquot get me wrong music

attracts all kinds of people but these

folks were uncharacteristically quiet see-

mingly here for something other than this

popular musician

As hot and uncomfortable as it was and

with the air full of foreboding Winston

put on a wonderful show He was the

vision of a true busker a character in an

ill-fitting suit wearing a steam engine

top hat that belched steam throughout

the show His guitar appeared to be

made of cheap plywood and at his feet

lay a battered guitar case He sang a

mix of original and cover tunes that he

and his fans enjoy The audience was on

their feet much of the time dancing and

having fun well most of them anyway

There was still that bunch of oddly dark

people in the first few rows who just sat

and smirked making occasional deroga-

attackers who seemed to be fighting over

Winston for what reason I donrsquot know

Omen Valeska assumed leadership and

dared anyone to get in her way

She dragged Winston off the stage and

they disappeared

After a quick search of the theater

people went outside to see what was

happening I followed a group running

towards the lighthouse People gathered

at the bridge to the lighthouse only to

be held back by the Dreadshift who

were now pointing their weapons at

the growing crowd There were shouts

and pleas to Omen to not harm Winston

and let him go It wasnrsquot long before the

Dreadshift lowered their weapons and

disappeared A few brave souls in the

crowd made their way inside to save

Winston but were horrified to find only

fresh blood on the floor Where was

Winston A search of the lighthouse

revealed nothing but the traces of

blood and an oddly cryptic drawing

on the floor

After what seemed forever the crowd

broke up some gathering clues at the

scene others were going back to the

theater and around the island to search

for Winston I decided to leave It was a

long curious evening with a terribly

mysterious outcome Winston has

been seen since that night and is still

performing but they say something is

very different about him I wonder if it

is not really him but a stand in If it is

him what does he say happened to him

and why is no one talking Itrsquos curious

why he chose to do that particular show

knowing the risk Itrsquos all very strange but

then again itrsquos Erie Isle so why wouldnrsquot

it be

likely be released on his label Life in

Music in March of 2009

(httplifeinmusicorg)

Kourosh performs dark wave ambient

piano and electronica His music is heard

regularly in Second Life Kourosh is a

musicianartist working in the medium

of piano and synthesizer The music he

creates has been described as relaxing

and soothing yet gripping and hypnotic

Performed in a state of concentration

Kourosh invites the listener to participate

in a meditative mind-state to reflect upon

the nature of the mindrsquos natural ebbs and

flows His studies began at five years of

age and progressed by way of individual

tutoring of the classical composers Influ-

ences during this early period of musical

Kourosh Eusebio aka Kourosh Dini in

RL is re-releasing his acclaimed album

Legends After a year of its retirement

Kourosh has worked tirelessly in re-

mastering the album to perfection

After 3 plus years as a musician in SL

Kourosh has honed his carefully crafted

meditation music and has become a

staple in the SL music scene

rdquoLegends was never quite what I wanted

of it The sounds didnlsquot quite have the

cohesive nature I wanted Its story is now

more readily apparent Nowsbquo Village Lost

Legendslsquo associates to the mythology

that develops in any community Second

Life is a community and develops its

own legends This is a way of reflecting

similar notionsrdquo Village Lost Legends will

Kourosh Eusebio creating Legends

ldquohellipKourosh has the ability to create an atmosphere a feelingmdasha place of contentment with his musichellip rdquo

Get a free mp3

at httplifeinmusicorg

development included Chopin Bach

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff He would

also listen to and improvise around the

music of the Beatles Metallica and Mike

Patton Later influences included Phish

Tool Simon Posford Bill Laswell Pete

Namlook James Bernard among others

Kourosh is also a practicing psychiatrist

The pursuit of under-standing the mind

language and communication by way of

sounds symbols and words is reflected

in both his music as well as his psychi-

atric vocation His medical degree and

residency in adult psychiatry were ob-

tained through the University of Illinois

at Chicago He pursued further studies

in child and adolescent psychiatry at the

University of Chicago Presently he

continues to work and learn at the

Institute for Psychoanalysis and main-

tains a private practice seeing clients in

therapy and medication management

In April of 2008 he published a book

describing the benefits and potential

detriments of video games and virtual

space called Video Game Play and

Addiction A Guide for Parents silver

winner of Momlsquos Choice Awards

Kourosh also maintains a blog

(httpkouroshdinicom) titled Mind

Music and Technology reflecting his

thoughts of this unique intersection as

he continues his path of artistry and he-

aling through these media He has done

score for short films both recorded and

live and has collaborated on work pre-

sented at the 4Arts Gallery Landmark Art

Gallery the Fast Forward Film Festival

and Chicago Indymedia

Music videomachinima collaborations

with SLrsquos Sitearm Madonna include

the tracks ldquoBeastrdquo and ldquoImpartrdquo Albums

written and produced include Turn of

the Year EP (2008) Live at Red Rock

(2007) Sky Lily (2007) Live at Bliss

Garden (2007) Ontogeny (2005)

Fidelio (2003) The Color of Tea in

Sunlight (1999) and The Beckoning

of Agora (1998)

Video Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere QuanRL artist Houmllli Vals aka Sphere Quan in

SL just released a new song on YouTube

called Remember The Boy

You can hear and view it here

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=e_

BqxnNFBNs

If you enjoy this valued production

and feel that the music of Houmllli Vals

should be heard more by all means

do share this with everyone you know

in SL and RL

CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander NichtingOn Saturday April 4th Xander Nichting

will release his debut CD

ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo

Cafeacute de Noot Hamseweg 31

3828 AA Hoogland (Netherlands)

(wwwdenootnl)

Will host this exciting release party

The event begins at 8 PM with the

official unveiling at 9 PM

Xander will perform a few choice

compositions from Out of the Blue

There will be opportunity to purchase

the album have a chat with Xander

have pictures taken with him take

pictures and have your copy of the

album signed

REMEMBER THE BOY OUT OF THE BLUE

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

Huddled forever in the dark of a room

Hearing the sound of the devilrsquos monsoon

Destroying all things that lie in its way

So many good people were taken that day

Frightened no longer away from all harm

All now embraced in gods open arms

So many were lost and taken away

Never forgotten in our hearts they will stay

Landscapes so vibrant now turned into dust

Consumed in the nightmare of flames so unjust

And through this wasteland we will find a way

To rebuild our lives from this terrible day

And out of the darkness comes a flicker of light

For the human spirit is still shining bright

With hearts united rebuilding the old

The future will rise from the ashes now cold

and unassuming character who obviously

shares a close artistic bond with his

fellow writer

The couple met just last Boxing Day

and this is their very first song It was

inspired composed and recorded

within three days Having finished 90

of the lyrics they shared the work with

Bright Oh of Somerset Oh and

Rhode Brightrsquos polishing contribution

was to add the music and the middle 8

The collaboration complete Too Many

Tears already a classic was born

Listening to Bright performing the piece

with its poignant lyrics and haunting

melody I was struck by the simple

beauty of the sentiment behind the

words which were highlighted by the

choice of chords and cleverly pared

down accompaniment

The song had its debut at the Angel

Dorei Museum which hosted the

Bushfire Benefit on Sunday February

15th Mari and Ex were gratefully over-

whelmed by the relief funds raised

that night

The Art of Australia exhibit is a colossal display of the works of 15 artists from all over the worlds most unique continent proudly displayed through Australia Day January 26th Just about a week later on February 7 the city of Victoria went up in flames

A great thanks to the help of Joaquin Gustav Jubal Enyo

Mash Rhode Russell Eponym MichelleD Ecksol Charles Somerset

Quinton Whitman Jessy Sommer and Jackdog Snook who freely shared

of their time and talent in support All the proceeds have been delivered

to Red Cross Australia

SL Artistrsquos welcome RPMrsquoers

Sat March 28

1 pm - 11 pm

RPM Challenge 09 Listening Party

Sun March 29

3 am - 9 pm

Live amp Recorded Originals

All times PDT

Red Rock- Canyon Stage click info for details

The 2009-RPM ChallengeInterview with participating musician Rene BechardBy Boondoggle Gruppman

The RPM Challenge is a February long song writing and recording event The challenge which is poin-tedly not a competition is to record an album in 28 days just because you can The RPM Challenge invites all types of musicians to participate - and hundreds upon hundreds do

Each year on February 1st partici-pants begin their creative process to produce original and very diverse music up to the end-of-month dead-line on the 28th At that time RPM Challenge organizers must receive the final 10 songs or 35 minutes of each artistrsquos efforts Cataloging takes a few weeks then the public is

invited to hear this new music during listening parties in select cities around the world private living rooms and thanks to RPM Challenge in cooperation with the FCMC and Red Rock this completely independent music event can be experienced in Second Life This year the third annual RPM Challenge Listening Party in Second Life will culminate on March 29th 3am-9pm PDT in a celebratory listening party at the Canyon Stage Red Rock in the Native Lands sim of Second Life Many of the SL artists who met the challenge and a few veteran RPMrsquoers will take to stage to present their works live

Recently Red Rock owner Boondoggle Gruppman chatted with musician Rene Bechard fresh off her creative rush with the 2009-RPM Challengehellip

Listen to the 2009 submissions and find out more about the RPM Chall-enge Click the info tab and link to the website at rpmchallengecom

Boondoggle Gruppman How long have you been creating your own music and what style(s) or mode do you feel allows you to express your creative spirit

Rene Bechard I started playing guitar at 13 or 14 and writing since I was 17 I like to be alone and my surroundings quiet I try to quiet my mind and feel myself (sounds so corny ndash lol) Then I start creating music and then the words comehellip

Boondoggle Gruppman How many songs did you create for the challenge and which one do you hope the world will hear and why

Rene Bechard I wrote 10 songs which is more than I have written in the past 10 years On The Ocean is the song I think would be best for me because it illustrates getting away from the pressures and madness of the world and finding serenityhellip which I believe is the state most of us are reaching for

Boondoggle Gruppman The RPM Challenge guidelines give you February to create and record What day did you begin Did you follow a daily songwriting ritual What day was your final submission

Rene Bechard I began on February 1st and wrote and recorded every moment I had free I would write a song and then record it and then move on to the next I mailed my CD on February 28th which incidentally was the day I wrote and recorded my final song This challenge was very hard for me but very rewarding

Boondoggle Gruppman Did you have to learn any new technical skills or adapt your creative process to complete the RPM Challenge If so how did this affect the overall process and your music

Rene Bechard My engineering skills are pretty much non-existent I had to do my best trying to balance the sound going in and then in mixing the tracks

Boondoggle Gruppman When and where did you first encounter the RPM Challenge and how did this lead to you being inspired to do this yearlsquos challenge

Rene Bechard My hubby and his friend have participated in this challenge a few times in the past They both encouraged me to take it on this year since in the past I was reluctant afraid to do sohellip So I bit in and I am so glad that I did

Boondoggle Gruppman In your creative process what inspires you to write a song and how do you sculpt that initial inspiration into its final form as a song

Rene Bechard For me it most always begins with music ndash sometimes even a drum beat I will start to play a melody and most times immediately a melody and words magically appear in my mind

Rene Bechard - UNO

1 UnfinishedFebruarysongIwishIlsquodfinishedintime A Blues song ndash untitled

2FavoriteRPMChallengeartistampsong Canrsquot remember RPM Challenge Name ndash Song = Blind In One Eye The RPM Challenge Artists name is Gumbo

3FavoriteSecondLifelivemusicianorband Monte Montgomery

4Favoriteplacetowritesongs In the bedroomstudio

5Asongeveryoneshouldlistentois Patheacutetique Movement - Beethoven

6InmymusicthethingIstrugglethemostwithis Playing instruments

7 InmymusicthethingIexcelinis Singing

8ThefirstthingIdidwhenmylastRPMChallengesong wasdonewas Open a bottle of Chardonnay

9WhenIencounterbdquowriterlsquosblockldquomyremedyis To watch South Park

10Ifeelasongcomingtomeanditlsquosabout My cat Memphis Bean

101010 Ten questions for ten answers in ten words or less

Rene BechardBoondoggle Gruppman What has been the most rewarding and challenging aspect(s) of the challenge

Rene Bechard Writing and Recording 10 songs in 28 days This challenge was very hard for mehellip And I am thrilled that I completed it Yeah

Boondoggle Gruppman If you could have dinner with three musicians who would they be and what would you hope to learn from each

Rene Bechard Beethoven ndash My favorite composer To learn whom he was how he felt about life and music and then how he manifested his orchestral brilliance Sineacutead OrsquoConnor ndash Love Her ndash To learn how to carry on creating ndash putting yourself out there and how to remain brave in the midst of intense negativity Trent Reznor ndash Love Him ndash To learn about layering and to encourage him to write a symphony

Boondoggle Gruppman What would you say to someone to inspire them to create and share what they create with others

Rene Bechard Artistic creativity is a divine experience and a wonderful communicator When you create and share your creativity you set in motion a ripple that will hopefully bring happiness beauty andor a message into someonersquos life

Boondoggle Gruppman What are you hoping you and others will gain from the live listening party at Red Rock in Second Life

Rene Bechard Well I guess for one we can all be Red Rock rockstars And I also hope everyone realizes that we all have something worthy to offer and yes we are worth listening to

There is definitely something amiss at

Erie Isle Itrsquos not the name of the place

as heaven knows SecondLife is full of

strange names There is something in the

air a funny smell an eerie light

We are near the sea but therersquos no

sunshine no refreshing ocean breezes

Someone told me the sun never shines

here and I believe it I heard another

reporter disappeared hmmm

I was under the impression this was

going to be dinner and a show but had

no idea the menu included the star

Winston Ackland being served up on a

silver platter with the infamous side of

fava beans and a good Chianti

By Bibi Ballinger

Terror and mysTery show a role playing musical event

The only place he had never dared go

was the cellar which had been sealed

off decades ago One night Gaston tore

off the seals to the cellar door and went

inside Whatever happened inside has

never been known but when Gaston

came out he went upstairs and killed

his wife and children In a brief moment

of clarity following the murders Gaston

took his own life Following the killings

the few remaining residents divided into

two factions Some went to the dark

side in unspeakable ways and the rest

banded together for protection and to try

to make some semblance of life on

the island

Itrsquos the evening of Winstonrsquos show Itrsquos

hot and sticky and not a breath of air

Erie Isle is a small sparsely populated

island off the east coast It was once

home to wealthy entrepreneur Frederik

Muircastle and his family who settled

there in 1907 Mrs Muricastle became

a social leader organizing events and

festivals to bring the islands folk together

The town grew and became a popular

tourist attraction Then something

terrible happened

In August of 1914 Frederikrsquos beloved

wife Eleanor was found murdered in the

bedroom of Muircastle Manor Frederik

was devastated He wanted to turn back

the clock and have his lovely Eleanor

alive caring for the home children and

himself again He began to pursue ways

to raise her from the dead He spent

a fortune on rare books and searched

around the world for people who might

be able to achieve such a task

He experimented

Spirited away to the mainland to live

with relatives the children were too

young to realize what had happened

save one Gaston was the oldest son

and at 8 years of age witnessed strange

events that would haunt him all his life

He returned to Erie Isle after ten years

to claim his birthright Muircastle Manor

Gaston came with enthusiasm and wor-

ked to reinvigorate the island by having

social events as his mother had

He married and had five children and for

several years peace and prosperity ruled

Erie Isle

Then depression and war killed tourism

Weather wreaked havoc on the land and

without the financial means to return

the island to its former glory bleakness

took over Gaston no longer found joy in

ownership of his family home Spending

more and more time inside the Manor

he became depressed and wandered the

many rooms again and again

tory comments Among them was a

provocative looking woman named

Omen Valeska I noticed her from the

balcony when the light hit her metal

bracelets Knives adorned her bracelets

appearing to be more than decorative

I wondered how she got past security

and why no one was doing anything

I learned later that she was a member

of the Dreadshift faction an otherworldly

element that makes Erie Isle its sanctuary

Ninety minutes into the show chaos

struck In a split second several of

those unworldly people were on the

stage surrounding Winston who was

now on his knees with a chain wrapped

around his neckThe startled audience

let out screams and some tried to get on

stage but were quickly pushed away

and left to stand and watch in horror

There was a brief skirmish between the

anywhere Therersquos no sound of crickets

or frogs just the incessant howling of a

dog or wolf or whatever it was There are

a few people standing around outside

the Phantom Theater They are in small

groups talking in low tones avoiding

eye contact Winstonrsquos publicist Jura

Shepherd came and quickly went inside

Clearly she was concerned

I waited outside for Winstonrsquos arrival and

was surprised to see a police escort with

sirens cutting the night air like screaming

banshees This was not going to be any

ordinary gig A popular and busy mu-

sician why would Winston choose to

do this particular show if it required this

kind of security

I climbed the stairs to an empty balcony

to watch the show Winstonrsquos family and

friends along with bodyguards stood

between the stage and theater seats

It was a full house and the first few rows

had been taken by some oddly unmusic-

like people Donrsquot get me wrong music

attracts all kinds of people but these

folks were uncharacteristically quiet see-

mingly here for something other than this

popular musician

As hot and uncomfortable as it was and

with the air full of foreboding Winston

put on a wonderful show He was the

vision of a true busker a character in an

ill-fitting suit wearing a steam engine

top hat that belched steam throughout

the show His guitar appeared to be

made of cheap plywood and at his feet

lay a battered guitar case He sang a

mix of original and cover tunes that he

and his fans enjoy The audience was on

their feet much of the time dancing and

having fun well most of them anyway

There was still that bunch of oddly dark

people in the first few rows who just sat

and smirked making occasional deroga-

attackers who seemed to be fighting over

Winston for what reason I donrsquot know

Omen Valeska assumed leadership and

dared anyone to get in her way

She dragged Winston off the stage and

they disappeared

After a quick search of the theater

people went outside to see what was

happening I followed a group running

towards the lighthouse People gathered

at the bridge to the lighthouse only to

be held back by the Dreadshift who

were now pointing their weapons at

the growing crowd There were shouts

and pleas to Omen to not harm Winston

and let him go It wasnrsquot long before the

Dreadshift lowered their weapons and

disappeared A few brave souls in the

crowd made their way inside to save

Winston but were horrified to find only

fresh blood on the floor Where was

Winston A search of the lighthouse

revealed nothing but the traces of

blood and an oddly cryptic drawing

on the floor

After what seemed forever the crowd

broke up some gathering clues at the

scene others were going back to the

theater and around the island to search

for Winston I decided to leave It was a

long curious evening with a terribly

mysterious outcome Winston has

been seen since that night and is still

performing but they say something is

very different about him I wonder if it

is not really him but a stand in If it is

him what does he say happened to him

and why is no one talking Itrsquos curious

why he chose to do that particular show

knowing the risk Itrsquos all very strange but

then again itrsquos Erie Isle so why wouldnrsquot

it be

likely be released on his label Life in

Music in March of 2009

(httplifeinmusicorg)

Kourosh performs dark wave ambient

piano and electronica His music is heard

regularly in Second Life Kourosh is a

musicianartist working in the medium

of piano and synthesizer The music he

creates has been described as relaxing

and soothing yet gripping and hypnotic

Performed in a state of concentration

Kourosh invites the listener to participate

in a meditative mind-state to reflect upon

the nature of the mindrsquos natural ebbs and

flows His studies began at five years of

age and progressed by way of individual

tutoring of the classical composers Influ-

ences during this early period of musical

Kourosh Eusebio aka Kourosh Dini in

RL is re-releasing his acclaimed album

Legends After a year of its retirement

Kourosh has worked tirelessly in re-

mastering the album to perfection

After 3 plus years as a musician in SL

Kourosh has honed his carefully crafted

meditation music and has become a

staple in the SL music scene

rdquoLegends was never quite what I wanted

of it The sounds didnlsquot quite have the

cohesive nature I wanted Its story is now

more readily apparent Nowsbquo Village Lost

Legendslsquo associates to the mythology

that develops in any community Second

Life is a community and develops its

own legends This is a way of reflecting

similar notionsrdquo Village Lost Legends will

Kourosh Eusebio creating Legends

ldquohellipKourosh has the ability to create an atmosphere a feelingmdasha place of contentment with his musichellip rdquo

Get a free mp3

at httplifeinmusicorg

development included Chopin Bach

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff He would

also listen to and improvise around the

music of the Beatles Metallica and Mike

Patton Later influences included Phish

Tool Simon Posford Bill Laswell Pete

Namlook James Bernard among others

Kourosh is also a practicing psychiatrist

The pursuit of under-standing the mind

language and communication by way of

sounds symbols and words is reflected

in both his music as well as his psychi-

atric vocation His medical degree and

residency in adult psychiatry were ob-

tained through the University of Illinois

at Chicago He pursued further studies

in child and adolescent psychiatry at the

University of Chicago Presently he

continues to work and learn at the

Institute for Psychoanalysis and main-

tains a private practice seeing clients in

therapy and medication management

In April of 2008 he published a book

describing the benefits and potential

detriments of video games and virtual

space called Video Game Play and

Addiction A Guide for Parents silver

winner of Momlsquos Choice Awards

Kourosh also maintains a blog

(httpkouroshdinicom) titled Mind

Music and Technology reflecting his

thoughts of this unique intersection as

he continues his path of artistry and he-

aling through these media He has done

score for short films both recorded and

live and has collaborated on work pre-

sented at the 4Arts Gallery Landmark Art

Gallery the Fast Forward Film Festival

and Chicago Indymedia

Music videomachinima collaborations

with SLrsquos Sitearm Madonna include

the tracks ldquoBeastrdquo and ldquoImpartrdquo Albums

written and produced include Turn of

the Year EP (2008) Live at Red Rock

(2007) Sky Lily (2007) Live at Bliss

Garden (2007) Ontogeny (2005)

Fidelio (2003) The Color of Tea in

Sunlight (1999) and The Beckoning

of Agora (1998)

Video Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere QuanRL artist Houmllli Vals aka Sphere Quan in

SL just released a new song on YouTube

called Remember The Boy

You can hear and view it here

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=e_

BqxnNFBNs

If you enjoy this valued production

and feel that the music of Houmllli Vals

should be heard more by all means

do share this with everyone you know

in SL and RL

CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander NichtingOn Saturday April 4th Xander Nichting

will release his debut CD

ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo

Cafeacute de Noot Hamseweg 31

3828 AA Hoogland (Netherlands)

(wwwdenootnl)

Will host this exciting release party

The event begins at 8 PM with the

official unveiling at 9 PM

Xander will perform a few choice

compositions from Out of the Blue

There will be opportunity to purchase

the album have a chat with Xander

have pictures taken with him take

pictures and have your copy of the

album signed

REMEMBER THE BOY OUT OF THE BLUE

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

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Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

SL Artistrsquos welcome RPMrsquoers

Sat March 28

1 pm - 11 pm

RPM Challenge 09 Listening Party

Sun March 29

3 am - 9 pm

Live amp Recorded Originals

All times PDT

Red Rock- Canyon Stage click info for details

The 2009-RPM ChallengeInterview with participating musician Rene BechardBy Boondoggle Gruppman

The RPM Challenge is a February long song writing and recording event The challenge which is poin-tedly not a competition is to record an album in 28 days just because you can The RPM Challenge invites all types of musicians to participate - and hundreds upon hundreds do

Each year on February 1st partici-pants begin their creative process to produce original and very diverse music up to the end-of-month dead-line on the 28th At that time RPM Challenge organizers must receive the final 10 songs or 35 minutes of each artistrsquos efforts Cataloging takes a few weeks then the public is

invited to hear this new music during listening parties in select cities around the world private living rooms and thanks to RPM Challenge in cooperation with the FCMC and Red Rock this completely independent music event can be experienced in Second Life This year the third annual RPM Challenge Listening Party in Second Life will culminate on March 29th 3am-9pm PDT in a celebratory listening party at the Canyon Stage Red Rock in the Native Lands sim of Second Life Many of the SL artists who met the challenge and a few veteran RPMrsquoers will take to stage to present their works live

Recently Red Rock owner Boondoggle Gruppman chatted with musician Rene Bechard fresh off her creative rush with the 2009-RPM Challengehellip

Listen to the 2009 submissions and find out more about the RPM Chall-enge Click the info tab and link to the website at rpmchallengecom

Boondoggle Gruppman How long have you been creating your own music and what style(s) or mode do you feel allows you to express your creative spirit

Rene Bechard I started playing guitar at 13 or 14 and writing since I was 17 I like to be alone and my surroundings quiet I try to quiet my mind and feel myself (sounds so corny ndash lol) Then I start creating music and then the words comehellip

Boondoggle Gruppman How many songs did you create for the challenge and which one do you hope the world will hear and why

Rene Bechard I wrote 10 songs which is more than I have written in the past 10 years On The Ocean is the song I think would be best for me because it illustrates getting away from the pressures and madness of the world and finding serenityhellip which I believe is the state most of us are reaching for

Boondoggle Gruppman The RPM Challenge guidelines give you February to create and record What day did you begin Did you follow a daily songwriting ritual What day was your final submission

Rene Bechard I began on February 1st and wrote and recorded every moment I had free I would write a song and then record it and then move on to the next I mailed my CD on February 28th which incidentally was the day I wrote and recorded my final song This challenge was very hard for me but very rewarding

Boondoggle Gruppman Did you have to learn any new technical skills or adapt your creative process to complete the RPM Challenge If so how did this affect the overall process and your music

Rene Bechard My engineering skills are pretty much non-existent I had to do my best trying to balance the sound going in and then in mixing the tracks

Boondoggle Gruppman When and where did you first encounter the RPM Challenge and how did this lead to you being inspired to do this yearlsquos challenge

Rene Bechard My hubby and his friend have participated in this challenge a few times in the past They both encouraged me to take it on this year since in the past I was reluctant afraid to do sohellip So I bit in and I am so glad that I did

Boondoggle Gruppman In your creative process what inspires you to write a song and how do you sculpt that initial inspiration into its final form as a song

Rene Bechard For me it most always begins with music ndash sometimes even a drum beat I will start to play a melody and most times immediately a melody and words magically appear in my mind

Rene Bechard - UNO

1 UnfinishedFebruarysongIwishIlsquodfinishedintime A Blues song ndash untitled

2FavoriteRPMChallengeartistampsong Canrsquot remember RPM Challenge Name ndash Song = Blind In One Eye The RPM Challenge Artists name is Gumbo

3FavoriteSecondLifelivemusicianorband Monte Montgomery

4Favoriteplacetowritesongs In the bedroomstudio

5Asongeveryoneshouldlistentois Patheacutetique Movement - Beethoven

6InmymusicthethingIstrugglethemostwithis Playing instruments

7 InmymusicthethingIexcelinis Singing

8ThefirstthingIdidwhenmylastRPMChallengesong wasdonewas Open a bottle of Chardonnay

9WhenIencounterbdquowriterlsquosblockldquomyremedyis To watch South Park

10Ifeelasongcomingtomeanditlsquosabout My cat Memphis Bean

101010 Ten questions for ten answers in ten words or less

Rene BechardBoondoggle Gruppman What has been the most rewarding and challenging aspect(s) of the challenge

Rene Bechard Writing and Recording 10 songs in 28 days This challenge was very hard for mehellip And I am thrilled that I completed it Yeah

Boondoggle Gruppman If you could have dinner with three musicians who would they be and what would you hope to learn from each

Rene Bechard Beethoven ndash My favorite composer To learn whom he was how he felt about life and music and then how he manifested his orchestral brilliance Sineacutead OrsquoConnor ndash Love Her ndash To learn how to carry on creating ndash putting yourself out there and how to remain brave in the midst of intense negativity Trent Reznor ndash Love Him ndash To learn about layering and to encourage him to write a symphony

Boondoggle Gruppman What would you say to someone to inspire them to create and share what they create with others

Rene Bechard Artistic creativity is a divine experience and a wonderful communicator When you create and share your creativity you set in motion a ripple that will hopefully bring happiness beauty andor a message into someonersquos life

Boondoggle Gruppman What are you hoping you and others will gain from the live listening party at Red Rock in Second Life

Rene Bechard Well I guess for one we can all be Red Rock rockstars And I also hope everyone realizes that we all have something worthy to offer and yes we are worth listening to

There is definitely something amiss at

Erie Isle Itrsquos not the name of the place

as heaven knows SecondLife is full of

strange names There is something in the

air a funny smell an eerie light

We are near the sea but therersquos no

sunshine no refreshing ocean breezes

Someone told me the sun never shines

here and I believe it I heard another

reporter disappeared hmmm

I was under the impression this was

going to be dinner and a show but had

no idea the menu included the star

Winston Ackland being served up on a

silver platter with the infamous side of

fava beans and a good Chianti

By Bibi Ballinger

Terror and mysTery show a role playing musical event

The only place he had never dared go

was the cellar which had been sealed

off decades ago One night Gaston tore

off the seals to the cellar door and went

inside Whatever happened inside has

never been known but when Gaston

came out he went upstairs and killed

his wife and children In a brief moment

of clarity following the murders Gaston

took his own life Following the killings

the few remaining residents divided into

two factions Some went to the dark

side in unspeakable ways and the rest

banded together for protection and to try

to make some semblance of life on

the island

Itrsquos the evening of Winstonrsquos show Itrsquos

hot and sticky and not a breath of air

Erie Isle is a small sparsely populated

island off the east coast It was once

home to wealthy entrepreneur Frederik

Muircastle and his family who settled

there in 1907 Mrs Muricastle became

a social leader organizing events and

festivals to bring the islands folk together

The town grew and became a popular

tourist attraction Then something

terrible happened

In August of 1914 Frederikrsquos beloved

wife Eleanor was found murdered in the

bedroom of Muircastle Manor Frederik

was devastated He wanted to turn back

the clock and have his lovely Eleanor

alive caring for the home children and

himself again He began to pursue ways

to raise her from the dead He spent

a fortune on rare books and searched

around the world for people who might

be able to achieve such a task

He experimented

Spirited away to the mainland to live

with relatives the children were too

young to realize what had happened

save one Gaston was the oldest son

and at 8 years of age witnessed strange

events that would haunt him all his life

He returned to Erie Isle after ten years

to claim his birthright Muircastle Manor

Gaston came with enthusiasm and wor-

ked to reinvigorate the island by having

social events as his mother had

He married and had five children and for

several years peace and prosperity ruled

Erie Isle

Then depression and war killed tourism

Weather wreaked havoc on the land and

without the financial means to return

the island to its former glory bleakness

took over Gaston no longer found joy in

ownership of his family home Spending

more and more time inside the Manor

he became depressed and wandered the

many rooms again and again

tory comments Among them was a

provocative looking woman named

Omen Valeska I noticed her from the

balcony when the light hit her metal

bracelets Knives adorned her bracelets

appearing to be more than decorative

I wondered how she got past security

and why no one was doing anything

I learned later that she was a member

of the Dreadshift faction an otherworldly

element that makes Erie Isle its sanctuary

Ninety minutes into the show chaos

struck In a split second several of

those unworldly people were on the

stage surrounding Winston who was

now on his knees with a chain wrapped

around his neckThe startled audience

let out screams and some tried to get on

stage but were quickly pushed away

and left to stand and watch in horror

There was a brief skirmish between the

anywhere Therersquos no sound of crickets

or frogs just the incessant howling of a

dog or wolf or whatever it was There are

a few people standing around outside

the Phantom Theater They are in small

groups talking in low tones avoiding

eye contact Winstonrsquos publicist Jura

Shepherd came and quickly went inside

Clearly she was concerned

I waited outside for Winstonrsquos arrival and

was surprised to see a police escort with

sirens cutting the night air like screaming

banshees This was not going to be any

ordinary gig A popular and busy mu-

sician why would Winston choose to

do this particular show if it required this

kind of security

I climbed the stairs to an empty balcony

to watch the show Winstonrsquos family and

friends along with bodyguards stood

between the stage and theater seats

It was a full house and the first few rows

had been taken by some oddly unmusic-

like people Donrsquot get me wrong music

attracts all kinds of people but these

folks were uncharacteristically quiet see-

mingly here for something other than this

popular musician

As hot and uncomfortable as it was and

with the air full of foreboding Winston

put on a wonderful show He was the

vision of a true busker a character in an

ill-fitting suit wearing a steam engine

top hat that belched steam throughout

the show His guitar appeared to be

made of cheap plywood and at his feet

lay a battered guitar case He sang a

mix of original and cover tunes that he

and his fans enjoy The audience was on

their feet much of the time dancing and

having fun well most of them anyway

There was still that bunch of oddly dark

people in the first few rows who just sat

and smirked making occasional deroga-

attackers who seemed to be fighting over

Winston for what reason I donrsquot know

Omen Valeska assumed leadership and

dared anyone to get in her way

She dragged Winston off the stage and

they disappeared

After a quick search of the theater

people went outside to see what was

happening I followed a group running

towards the lighthouse People gathered

at the bridge to the lighthouse only to

be held back by the Dreadshift who

were now pointing their weapons at

the growing crowd There were shouts

and pleas to Omen to not harm Winston

and let him go It wasnrsquot long before the

Dreadshift lowered their weapons and

disappeared A few brave souls in the

crowd made their way inside to save

Winston but were horrified to find only

fresh blood on the floor Where was

Winston A search of the lighthouse

revealed nothing but the traces of

blood and an oddly cryptic drawing

on the floor

After what seemed forever the crowd

broke up some gathering clues at the

scene others were going back to the

theater and around the island to search

for Winston I decided to leave It was a

long curious evening with a terribly

mysterious outcome Winston has

been seen since that night and is still

performing but they say something is

very different about him I wonder if it

is not really him but a stand in If it is

him what does he say happened to him

and why is no one talking Itrsquos curious

why he chose to do that particular show

knowing the risk Itrsquos all very strange but

then again itrsquos Erie Isle so why wouldnrsquot

it be

likely be released on his label Life in

Music in March of 2009

(httplifeinmusicorg)

Kourosh performs dark wave ambient

piano and electronica His music is heard

regularly in Second Life Kourosh is a

musicianartist working in the medium

of piano and synthesizer The music he

creates has been described as relaxing

and soothing yet gripping and hypnotic

Performed in a state of concentration

Kourosh invites the listener to participate

in a meditative mind-state to reflect upon

the nature of the mindrsquos natural ebbs and

flows His studies began at five years of

age and progressed by way of individual

tutoring of the classical composers Influ-

ences during this early period of musical

Kourosh Eusebio aka Kourosh Dini in

RL is re-releasing his acclaimed album

Legends After a year of its retirement

Kourosh has worked tirelessly in re-

mastering the album to perfection

After 3 plus years as a musician in SL

Kourosh has honed his carefully crafted

meditation music and has become a

staple in the SL music scene

rdquoLegends was never quite what I wanted

of it The sounds didnlsquot quite have the

cohesive nature I wanted Its story is now

more readily apparent Nowsbquo Village Lost

Legendslsquo associates to the mythology

that develops in any community Second

Life is a community and develops its

own legends This is a way of reflecting

similar notionsrdquo Village Lost Legends will

Kourosh Eusebio creating Legends

ldquohellipKourosh has the ability to create an atmosphere a feelingmdasha place of contentment with his musichellip rdquo

Get a free mp3

at httplifeinmusicorg

development included Chopin Bach

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff He would

also listen to and improvise around the

music of the Beatles Metallica and Mike

Patton Later influences included Phish

Tool Simon Posford Bill Laswell Pete

Namlook James Bernard among others

Kourosh is also a practicing psychiatrist

The pursuit of under-standing the mind

language and communication by way of

sounds symbols and words is reflected

in both his music as well as his psychi-

atric vocation His medical degree and

residency in adult psychiatry were ob-

tained through the University of Illinois

at Chicago He pursued further studies

in child and adolescent psychiatry at the

University of Chicago Presently he

continues to work and learn at the

Institute for Psychoanalysis and main-

tains a private practice seeing clients in

therapy and medication management

In April of 2008 he published a book

describing the benefits and potential

detriments of video games and virtual

space called Video Game Play and

Addiction A Guide for Parents silver

winner of Momlsquos Choice Awards

Kourosh also maintains a blog

(httpkouroshdinicom) titled Mind

Music and Technology reflecting his

thoughts of this unique intersection as

he continues his path of artistry and he-

aling through these media He has done

score for short films both recorded and

live and has collaborated on work pre-

sented at the 4Arts Gallery Landmark Art

Gallery the Fast Forward Film Festival

and Chicago Indymedia

Music videomachinima collaborations

with SLrsquos Sitearm Madonna include

the tracks ldquoBeastrdquo and ldquoImpartrdquo Albums

written and produced include Turn of

the Year EP (2008) Live at Red Rock

(2007) Sky Lily (2007) Live at Bliss

Garden (2007) Ontogeny (2005)

Fidelio (2003) The Color of Tea in

Sunlight (1999) and The Beckoning

of Agora (1998)

Video Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere QuanRL artist Houmllli Vals aka Sphere Quan in

SL just released a new song on YouTube

called Remember The Boy

You can hear and view it here

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=e_

BqxnNFBNs

If you enjoy this valued production

and feel that the music of Houmllli Vals

should be heard more by all means

do share this with everyone you know

in SL and RL

CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander NichtingOn Saturday April 4th Xander Nichting

will release his debut CD

ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo

Cafeacute de Noot Hamseweg 31

3828 AA Hoogland (Netherlands)

(wwwdenootnl)

Will host this exciting release party

The event begins at 8 PM with the

official unveiling at 9 PM

Xander will perform a few choice

compositions from Out of the Blue

There will be opportunity to purchase

the album have a chat with Xander

have pictures taken with him take

pictures and have your copy of the

album signed

REMEMBER THE BOY OUT OF THE BLUE

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

Boondoggle Gruppman How long have you been creating your own music and what style(s) or mode do you feel allows you to express your creative spirit

Rene Bechard I started playing guitar at 13 or 14 and writing since I was 17 I like to be alone and my surroundings quiet I try to quiet my mind and feel myself (sounds so corny ndash lol) Then I start creating music and then the words comehellip

Boondoggle Gruppman How many songs did you create for the challenge and which one do you hope the world will hear and why

Rene Bechard I wrote 10 songs which is more than I have written in the past 10 years On The Ocean is the song I think would be best for me because it illustrates getting away from the pressures and madness of the world and finding serenityhellip which I believe is the state most of us are reaching for

Boondoggle Gruppman The RPM Challenge guidelines give you February to create and record What day did you begin Did you follow a daily songwriting ritual What day was your final submission

Rene Bechard I began on February 1st and wrote and recorded every moment I had free I would write a song and then record it and then move on to the next I mailed my CD on February 28th which incidentally was the day I wrote and recorded my final song This challenge was very hard for me but very rewarding

Boondoggle Gruppman Did you have to learn any new technical skills or adapt your creative process to complete the RPM Challenge If so how did this affect the overall process and your music

Rene Bechard My engineering skills are pretty much non-existent I had to do my best trying to balance the sound going in and then in mixing the tracks

Boondoggle Gruppman When and where did you first encounter the RPM Challenge and how did this lead to you being inspired to do this yearlsquos challenge

Rene Bechard My hubby and his friend have participated in this challenge a few times in the past They both encouraged me to take it on this year since in the past I was reluctant afraid to do sohellip So I bit in and I am so glad that I did

Boondoggle Gruppman In your creative process what inspires you to write a song and how do you sculpt that initial inspiration into its final form as a song

Rene Bechard For me it most always begins with music ndash sometimes even a drum beat I will start to play a melody and most times immediately a melody and words magically appear in my mind

Rene Bechard - UNO

1 UnfinishedFebruarysongIwishIlsquodfinishedintime A Blues song ndash untitled

2FavoriteRPMChallengeartistampsong Canrsquot remember RPM Challenge Name ndash Song = Blind In One Eye The RPM Challenge Artists name is Gumbo

3FavoriteSecondLifelivemusicianorband Monte Montgomery

4Favoriteplacetowritesongs In the bedroomstudio

5Asongeveryoneshouldlistentois Patheacutetique Movement - Beethoven

6InmymusicthethingIstrugglethemostwithis Playing instruments

7 InmymusicthethingIexcelinis Singing

8ThefirstthingIdidwhenmylastRPMChallengesong wasdonewas Open a bottle of Chardonnay

9WhenIencounterbdquowriterlsquosblockldquomyremedyis To watch South Park

10Ifeelasongcomingtomeanditlsquosabout My cat Memphis Bean

101010 Ten questions for ten answers in ten words or less

Rene BechardBoondoggle Gruppman What has been the most rewarding and challenging aspect(s) of the challenge

Rene Bechard Writing and Recording 10 songs in 28 days This challenge was very hard for mehellip And I am thrilled that I completed it Yeah

Boondoggle Gruppman If you could have dinner with three musicians who would they be and what would you hope to learn from each

Rene Bechard Beethoven ndash My favorite composer To learn whom he was how he felt about life and music and then how he manifested his orchestral brilliance Sineacutead OrsquoConnor ndash Love Her ndash To learn how to carry on creating ndash putting yourself out there and how to remain brave in the midst of intense negativity Trent Reznor ndash Love Him ndash To learn about layering and to encourage him to write a symphony

Boondoggle Gruppman What would you say to someone to inspire them to create and share what they create with others

Rene Bechard Artistic creativity is a divine experience and a wonderful communicator When you create and share your creativity you set in motion a ripple that will hopefully bring happiness beauty andor a message into someonersquos life

Boondoggle Gruppman What are you hoping you and others will gain from the live listening party at Red Rock in Second Life

Rene Bechard Well I guess for one we can all be Red Rock rockstars And I also hope everyone realizes that we all have something worthy to offer and yes we are worth listening to

There is definitely something amiss at

Erie Isle Itrsquos not the name of the place

as heaven knows SecondLife is full of

strange names There is something in the

air a funny smell an eerie light

We are near the sea but therersquos no

sunshine no refreshing ocean breezes

Someone told me the sun never shines

here and I believe it I heard another

reporter disappeared hmmm

I was under the impression this was

going to be dinner and a show but had

no idea the menu included the star

Winston Ackland being served up on a

silver platter with the infamous side of

fava beans and a good Chianti

By Bibi Ballinger

Terror and mysTery show a role playing musical event

The only place he had never dared go

was the cellar which had been sealed

off decades ago One night Gaston tore

off the seals to the cellar door and went

inside Whatever happened inside has

never been known but when Gaston

came out he went upstairs and killed

his wife and children In a brief moment

of clarity following the murders Gaston

took his own life Following the killings

the few remaining residents divided into

two factions Some went to the dark

side in unspeakable ways and the rest

banded together for protection and to try

to make some semblance of life on

the island

Itrsquos the evening of Winstonrsquos show Itrsquos

hot and sticky and not a breath of air

Erie Isle is a small sparsely populated

island off the east coast It was once

home to wealthy entrepreneur Frederik

Muircastle and his family who settled

there in 1907 Mrs Muricastle became

a social leader organizing events and

festivals to bring the islands folk together

The town grew and became a popular

tourist attraction Then something

terrible happened

In August of 1914 Frederikrsquos beloved

wife Eleanor was found murdered in the

bedroom of Muircastle Manor Frederik

was devastated He wanted to turn back

the clock and have his lovely Eleanor

alive caring for the home children and

himself again He began to pursue ways

to raise her from the dead He spent

a fortune on rare books and searched

around the world for people who might

be able to achieve such a task

He experimented

Spirited away to the mainland to live

with relatives the children were too

young to realize what had happened

save one Gaston was the oldest son

and at 8 years of age witnessed strange

events that would haunt him all his life

He returned to Erie Isle after ten years

to claim his birthright Muircastle Manor

Gaston came with enthusiasm and wor-

ked to reinvigorate the island by having

social events as his mother had

He married and had five children and for

several years peace and prosperity ruled

Erie Isle

Then depression and war killed tourism

Weather wreaked havoc on the land and

without the financial means to return

the island to its former glory bleakness

took over Gaston no longer found joy in

ownership of his family home Spending

more and more time inside the Manor

he became depressed and wandered the

many rooms again and again

tory comments Among them was a

provocative looking woman named

Omen Valeska I noticed her from the

balcony when the light hit her metal

bracelets Knives adorned her bracelets

appearing to be more than decorative

I wondered how she got past security

and why no one was doing anything

I learned later that she was a member

of the Dreadshift faction an otherworldly

element that makes Erie Isle its sanctuary

Ninety minutes into the show chaos

struck In a split second several of

those unworldly people were on the

stage surrounding Winston who was

now on his knees with a chain wrapped

around his neckThe startled audience

let out screams and some tried to get on

stage but were quickly pushed away

and left to stand and watch in horror

There was a brief skirmish between the

anywhere Therersquos no sound of crickets

or frogs just the incessant howling of a

dog or wolf or whatever it was There are

a few people standing around outside

the Phantom Theater They are in small

groups talking in low tones avoiding

eye contact Winstonrsquos publicist Jura

Shepherd came and quickly went inside

Clearly she was concerned

I waited outside for Winstonrsquos arrival and

was surprised to see a police escort with

sirens cutting the night air like screaming

banshees This was not going to be any

ordinary gig A popular and busy mu-

sician why would Winston choose to

do this particular show if it required this

kind of security

I climbed the stairs to an empty balcony

to watch the show Winstonrsquos family and

friends along with bodyguards stood

between the stage and theater seats

It was a full house and the first few rows

had been taken by some oddly unmusic-

like people Donrsquot get me wrong music

attracts all kinds of people but these

folks were uncharacteristically quiet see-

mingly here for something other than this

popular musician

As hot and uncomfortable as it was and

with the air full of foreboding Winston

put on a wonderful show He was the

vision of a true busker a character in an

ill-fitting suit wearing a steam engine

top hat that belched steam throughout

the show His guitar appeared to be

made of cheap plywood and at his feet

lay a battered guitar case He sang a

mix of original and cover tunes that he

and his fans enjoy The audience was on

their feet much of the time dancing and

having fun well most of them anyway

There was still that bunch of oddly dark

people in the first few rows who just sat

and smirked making occasional deroga-

attackers who seemed to be fighting over

Winston for what reason I donrsquot know

Omen Valeska assumed leadership and

dared anyone to get in her way

She dragged Winston off the stage and

they disappeared

After a quick search of the theater

people went outside to see what was

happening I followed a group running

towards the lighthouse People gathered

at the bridge to the lighthouse only to

be held back by the Dreadshift who

were now pointing their weapons at

the growing crowd There were shouts

and pleas to Omen to not harm Winston

and let him go It wasnrsquot long before the

Dreadshift lowered their weapons and

disappeared A few brave souls in the

crowd made their way inside to save

Winston but were horrified to find only

fresh blood on the floor Where was

Winston A search of the lighthouse

revealed nothing but the traces of

blood and an oddly cryptic drawing

on the floor

After what seemed forever the crowd

broke up some gathering clues at the

scene others were going back to the

theater and around the island to search

for Winston I decided to leave It was a

long curious evening with a terribly

mysterious outcome Winston has

been seen since that night and is still

performing but they say something is

very different about him I wonder if it

is not really him but a stand in If it is

him what does he say happened to him

and why is no one talking Itrsquos curious

why he chose to do that particular show

knowing the risk Itrsquos all very strange but

then again itrsquos Erie Isle so why wouldnrsquot

it be

likely be released on his label Life in

Music in March of 2009

(httplifeinmusicorg)

Kourosh performs dark wave ambient

piano and electronica His music is heard

regularly in Second Life Kourosh is a

musicianartist working in the medium

of piano and synthesizer The music he

creates has been described as relaxing

and soothing yet gripping and hypnotic

Performed in a state of concentration

Kourosh invites the listener to participate

in a meditative mind-state to reflect upon

the nature of the mindrsquos natural ebbs and

flows His studies began at five years of

age and progressed by way of individual

tutoring of the classical composers Influ-

ences during this early period of musical

Kourosh Eusebio aka Kourosh Dini in

RL is re-releasing his acclaimed album

Legends After a year of its retirement

Kourosh has worked tirelessly in re-

mastering the album to perfection

After 3 plus years as a musician in SL

Kourosh has honed his carefully crafted

meditation music and has become a

staple in the SL music scene

rdquoLegends was never quite what I wanted

of it The sounds didnlsquot quite have the

cohesive nature I wanted Its story is now

more readily apparent Nowsbquo Village Lost

Legendslsquo associates to the mythology

that develops in any community Second

Life is a community and develops its

own legends This is a way of reflecting

similar notionsrdquo Village Lost Legends will

Kourosh Eusebio creating Legends

ldquohellipKourosh has the ability to create an atmosphere a feelingmdasha place of contentment with his musichellip rdquo

Get a free mp3

at httplifeinmusicorg

development included Chopin Bach

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff He would

also listen to and improvise around the

music of the Beatles Metallica and Mike

Patton Later influences included Phish

Tool Simon Posford Bill Laswell Pete

Namlook James Bernard among others

Kourosh is also a practicing psychiatrist

The pursuit of under-standing the mind

language and communication by way of

sounds symbols and words is reflected

in both his music as well as his psychi-

atric vocation His medical degree and

residency in adult psychiatry were ob-

tained through the University of Illinois

at Chicago He pursued further studies

in child and adolescent psychiatry at the

University of Chicago Presently he

continues to work and learn at the

Institute for Psychoanalysis and main-

tains a private practice seeing clients in

therapy and medication management

In April of 2008 he published a book

describing the benefits and potential

detriments of video games and virtual

space called Video Game Play and

Addiction A Guide for Parents silver

winner of Momlsquos Choice Awards

Kourosh also maintains a blog

(httpkouroshdinicom) titled Mind

Music and Technology reflecting his

thoughts of this unique intersection as

he continues his path of artistry and he-

aling through these media He has done

score for short films both recorded and

live and has collaborated on work pre-

sented at the 4Arts Gallery Landmark Art

Gallery the Fast Forward Film Festival

and Chicago Indymedia

Music videomachinima collaborations

with SLrsquos Sitearm Madonna include

the tracks ldquoBeastrdquo and ldquoImpartrdquo Albums

written and produced include Turn of

the Year EP (2008) Live at Red Rock

(2007) Sky Lily (2007) Live at Bliss

Garden (2007) Ontogeny (2005)

Fidelio (2003) The Color of Tea in

Sunlight (1999) and The Beckoning

of Agora (1998)

Video Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere QuanRL artist Houmllli Vals aka Sphere Quan in

SL just released a new song on YouTube

called Remember The Boy

You can hear and view it here

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=e_

BqxnNFBNs

If you enjoy this valued production

and feel that the music of Houmllli Vals

should be heard more by all means

do share this with everyone you know

in SL and RL

CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander NichtingOn Saturday April 4th Xander Nichting

will release his debut CD

ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo

Cafeacute de Noot Hamseweg 31

3828 AA Hoogland (Netherlands)

(wwwdenootnl)

Will host this exciting release party

The event begins at 8 PM with the

official unveiling at 9 PM

Xander will perform a few choice

compositions from Out of the Blue

There will be opportunity to purchase

the album have a chat with Xander

have pictures taken with him take

pictures and have your copy of the

album signed

REMEMBER THE BOY OUT OF THE BLUE

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

1 UnfinishedFebruarysongIwishIlsquodfinishedintime A Blues song ndash untitled

2FavoriteRPMChallengeartistampsong Canrsquot remember RPM Challenge Name ndash Song = Blind In One Eye The RPM Challenge Artists name is Gumbo

3FavoriteSecondLifelivemusicianorband Monte Montgomery

4Favoriteplacetowritesongs In the bedroomstudio

5Asongeveryoneshouldlistentois Patheacutetique Movement - Beethoven

6InmymusicthethingIstrugglethemostwithis Playing instruments

7 InmymusicthethingIexcelinis Singing

8ThefirstthingIdidwhenmylastRPMChallengesong wasdonewas Open a bottle of Chardonnay

9WhenIencounterbdquowriterlsquosblockldquomyremedyis To watch South Park

10Ifeelasongcomingtomeanditlsquosabout My cat Memphis Bean

101010 Ten questions for ten answers in ten words or less

Rene BechardBoondoggle Gruppman What has been the most rewarding and challenging aspect(s) of the challenge

Rene Bechard Writing and Recording 10 songs in 28 days This challenge was very hard for mehellip And I am thrilled that I completed it Yeah

Boondoggle Gruppman If you could have dinner with three musicians who would they be and what would you hope to learn from each

Rene Bechard Beethoven ndash My favorite composer To learn whom he was how he felt about life and music and then how he manifested his orchestral brilliance Sineacutead OrsquoConnor ndash Love Her ndash To learn how to carry on creating ndash putting yourself out there and how to remain brave in the midst of intense negativity Trent Reznor ndash Love Him ndash To learn about layering and to encourage him to write a symphony

Boondoggle Gruppman What would you say to someone to inspire them to create and share what they create with others

Rene Bechard Artistic creativity is a divine experience and a wonderful communicator When you create and share your creativity you set in motion a ripple that will hopefully bring happiness beauty andor a message into someonersquos life

Boondoggle Gruppman What are you hoping you and others will gain from the live listening party at Red Rock in Second Life

Rene Bechard Well I guess for one we can all be Red Rock rockstars And I also hope everyone realizes that we all have something worthy to offer and yes we are worth listening to

There is definitely something amiss at

Erie Isle Itrsquos not the name of the place

as heaven knows SecondLife is full of

strange names There is something in the

air a funny smell an eerie light

We are near the sea but therersquos no

sunshine no refreshing ocean breezes

Someone told me the sun never shines

here and I believe it I heard another

reporter disappeared hmmm

I was under the impression this was

going to be dinner and a show but had

no idea the menu included the star

Winston Ackland being served up on a

silver platter with the infamous side of

fava beans and a good Chianti

By Bibi Ballinger

Terror and mysTery show a role playing musical event

The only place he had never dared go

was the cellar which had been sealed

off decades ago One night Gaston tore

off the seals to the cellar door and went

inside Whatever happened inside has

never been known but when Gaston

came out he went upstairs and killed

his wife and children In a brief moment

of clarity following the murders Gaston

took his own life Following the killings

the few remaining residents divided into

two factions Some went to the dark

side in unspeakable ways and the rest

banded together for protection and to try

to make some semblance of life on

the island

Itrsquos the evening of Winstonrsquos show Itrsquos

hot and sticky and not a breath of air

Erie Isle is a small sparsely populated

island off the east coast It was once

home to wealthy entrepreneur Frederik

Muircastle and his family who settled

there in 1907 Mrs Muricastle became

a social leader organizing events and

festivals to bring the islands folk together

The town grew and became a popular

tourist attraction Then something

terrible happened

In August of 1914 Frederikrsquos beloved

wife Eleanor was found murdered in the

bedroom of Muircastle Manor Frederik

was devastated He wanted to turn back

the clock and have his lovely Eleanor

alive caring for the home children and

himself again He began to pursue ways

to raise her from the dead He spent

a fortune on rare books and searched

around the world for people who might

be able to achieve such a task

He experimented

Spirited away to the mainland to live

with relatives the children were too

young to realize what had happened

save one Gaston was the oldest son

and at 8 years of age witnessed strange

events that would haunt him all his life

He returned to Erie Isle after ten years

to claim his birthright Muircastle Manor

Gaston came with enthusiasm and wor-

ked to reinvigorate the island by having

social events as his mother had

He married and had five children and for

several years peace and prosperity ruled

Erie Isle

Then depression and war killed tourism

Weather wreaked havoc on the land and

without the financial means to return

the island to its former glory bleakness

took over Gaston no longer found joy in

ownership of his family home Spending

more and more time inside the Manor

he became depressed and wandered the

many rooms again and again

tory comments Among them was a

provocative looking woman named

Omen Valeska I noticed her from the

balcony when the light hit her metal

bracelets Knives adorned her bracelets

appearing to be more than decorative

I wondered how she got past security

and why no one was doing anything

I learned later that she was a member

of the Dreadshift faction an otherworldly

element that makes Erie Isle its sanctuary

Ninety minutes into the show chaos

struck In a split second several of

those unworldly people were on the

stage surrounding Winston who was

now on his knees with a chain wrapped

around his neckThe startled audience

let out screams and some tried to get on

stage but were quickly pushed away

and left to stand and watch in horror

There was a brief skirmish between the

anywhere Therersquos no sound of crickets

or frogs just the incessant howling of a

dog or wolf or whatever it was There are

a few people standing around outside

the Phantom Theater They are in small

groups talking in low tones avoiding

eye contact Winstonrsquos publicist Jura

Shepherd came and quickly went inside

Clearly she was concerned

I waited outside for Winstonrsquos arrival and

was surprised to see a police escort with

sirens cutting the night air like screaming

banshees This was not going to be any

ordinary gig A popular and busy mu-

sician why would Winston choose to

do this particular show if it required this

kind of security

I climbed the stairs to an empty balcony

to watch the show Winstonrsquos family and

friends along with bodyguards stood

between the stage and theater seats

It was a full house and the first few rows

had been taken by some oddly unmusic-

like people Donrsquot get me wrong music

attracts all kinds of people but these

folks were uncharacteristically quiet see-

mingly here for something other than this

popular musician

As hot and uncomfortable as it was and

with the air full of foreboding Winston

put on a wonderful show He was the

vision of a true busker a character in an

ill-fitting suit wearing a steam engine

top hat that belched steam throughout

the show His guitar appeared to be

made of cheap plywood and at his feet

lay a battered guitar case He sang a

mix of original and cover tunes that he

and his fans enjoy The audience was on

their feet much of the time dancing and

having fun well most of them anyway

There was still that bunch of oddly dark

people in the first few rows who just sat

and smirked making occasional deroga-

attackers who seemed to be fighting over

Winston for what reason I donrsquot know

Omen Valeska assumed leadership and

dared anyone to get in her way

She dragged Winston off the stage and

they disappeared

After a quick search of the theater

people went outside to see what was

happening I followed a group running

towards the lighthouse People gathered

at the bridge to the lighthouse only to

be held back by the Dreadshift who

were now pointing their weapons at

the growing crowd There were shouts

and pleas to Omen to not harm Winston

and let him go It wasnrsquot long before the

Dreadshift lowered their weapons and

disappeared A few brave souls in the

crowd made their way inside to save

Winston but were horrified to find only

fresh blood on the floor Where was

Winston A search of the lighthouse

revealed nothing but the traces of

blood and an oddly cryptic drawing

on the floor

After what seemed forever the crowd

broke up some gathering clues at the

scene others were going back to the

theater and around the island to search

for Winston I decided to leave It was a

long curious evening with a terribly

mysterious outcome Winston has

been seen since that night and is still

performing but they say something is

very different about him I wonder if it

is not really him but a stand in If it is

him what does he say happened to him

and why is no one talking Itrsquos curious

why he chose to do that particular show

knowing the risk Itrsquos all very strange but

then again itrsquos Erie Isle so why wouldnrsquot

it be

likely be released on his label Life in

Music in March of 2009

(httplifeinmusicorg)

Kourosh performs dark wave ambient

piano and electronica His music is heard

regularly in Second Life Kourosh is a

musicianartist working in the medium

of piano and synthesizer The music he

creates has been described as relaxing

and soothing yet gripping and hypnotic

Performed in a state of concentration

Kourosh invites the listener to participate

in a meditative mind-state to reflect upon

the nature of the mindrsquos natural ebbs and

flows His studies began at five years of

age and progressed by way of individual

tutoring of the classical composers Influ-

ences during this early period of musical

Kourosh Eusebio aka Kourosh Dini in

RL is re-releasing his acclaimed album

Legends After a year of its retirement

Kourosh has worked tirelessly in re-

mastering the album to perfection

After 3 plus years as a musician in SL

Kourosh has honed his carefully crafted

meditation music and has become a

staple in the SL music scene

rdquoLegends was never quite what I wanted

of it The sounds didnlsquot quite have the

cohesive nature I wanted Its story is now

more readily apparent Nowsbquo Village Lost

Legendslsquo associates to the mythology

that develops in any community Second

Life is a community and develops its

own legends This is a way of reflecting

similar notionsrdquo Village Lost Legends will

Kourosh Eusebio creating Legends

ldquohellipKourosh has the ability to create an atmosphere a feelingmdasha place of contentment with his musichellip rdquo

Get a free mp3

at httplifeinmusicorg

development included Chopin Bach

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff He would

also listen to and improvise around the

music of the Beatles Metallica and Mike

Patton Later influences included Phish

Tool Simon Posford Bill Laswell Pete

Namlook James Bernard among others

Kourosh is also a practicing psychiatrist

The pursuit of under-standing the mind

language and communication by way of

sounds symbols and words is reflected

in both his music as well as his psychi-

atric vocation His medical degree and

residency in adult psychiatry were ob-

tained through the University of Illinois

at Chicago He pursued further studies

in child and adolescent psychiatry at the

University of Chicago Presently he

continues to work and learn at the

Institute for Psychoanalysis and main-

tains a private practice seeing clients in

therapy and medication management

In April of 2008 he published a book

describing the benefits and potential

detriments of video games and virtual

space called Video Game Play and

Addiction A Guide for Parents silver

winner of Momlsquos Choice Awards

Kourosh also maintains a blog

(httpkouroshdinicom) titled Mind

Music and Technology reflecting his

thoughts of this unique intersection as

he continues his path of artistry and he-

aling through these media He has done

score for short films both recorded and

live and has collaborated on work pre-

sented at the 4Arts Gallery Landmark Art

Gallery the Fast Forward Film Festival

and Chicago Indymedia

Music videomachinima collaborations

with SLrsquos Sitearm Madonna include

the tracks ldquoBeastrdquo and ldquoImpartrdquo Albums

written and produced include Turn of

the Year EP (2008) Live at Red Rock

(2007) Sky Lily (2007) Live at Bliss

Garden (2007) Ontogeny (2005)

Fidelio (2003) The Color of Tea in

Sunlight (1999) and The Beckoning

of Agora (1998)

Video Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere QuanRL artist Houmllli Vals aka Sphere Quan in

SL just released a new song on YouTube

called Remember The Boy

You can hear and view it here

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=e_

BqxnNFBNs

If you enjoy this valued production

and feel that the music of Houmllli Vals

should be heard more by all means

do share this with everyone you know

in SL and RL

CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander NichtingOn Saturday April 4th Xander Nichting

will release his debut CD

ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo

Cafeacute de Noot Hamseweg 31

3828 AA Hoogland (Netherlands)

(wwwdenootnl)

Will host this exciting release party

The event begins at 8 PM with the

official unveiling at 9 PM

Xander will perform a few choice

compositions from Out of the Blue

There will be opportunity to purchase

the album have a chat with Xander

have pictures taken with him take

pictures and have your copy of the

album signed

REMEMBER THE BOY OUT OF THE BLUE

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

There is definitely something amiss at

Erie Isle Itrsquos not the name of the place

as heaven knows SecondLife is full of

strange names There is something in the

air a funny smell an eerie light

We are near the sea but therersquos no

sunshine no refreshing ocean breezes

Someone told me the sun never shines

here and I believe it I heard another

reporter disappeared hmmm

I was under the impression this was

going to be dinner and a show but had

no idea the menu included the star

Winston Ackland being served up on a

silver platter with the infamous side of

fava beans and a good Chianti

By Bibi Ballinger

Terror and mysTery show a role playing musical event

The only place he had never dared go

was the cellar which had been sealed

off decades ago One night Gaston tore

off the seals to the cellar door and went

inside Whatever happened inside has

never been known but when Gaston

came out he went upstairs and killed

his wife and children In a brief moment

of clarity following the murders Gaston

took his own life Following the killings

the few remaining residents divided into

two factions Some went to the dark

side in unspeakable ways and the rest

banded together for protection and to try

to make some semblance of life on

the island

Itrsquos the evening of Winstonrsquos show Itrsquos

hot and sticky and not a breath of air

Erie Isle is a small sparsely populated

island off the east coast It was once

home to wealthy entrepreneur Frederik

Muircastle and his family who settled

there in 1907 Mrs Muricastle became

a social leader organizing events and

festivals to bring the islands folk together

The town grew and became a popular

tourist attraction Then something

terrible happened

In August of 1914 Frederikrsquos beloved

wife Eleanor was found murdered in the

bedroom of Muircastle Manor Frederik

was devastated He wanted to turn back

the clock and have his lovely Eleanor

alive caring for the home children and

himself again He began to pursue ways

to raise her from the dead He spent

a fortune on rare books and searched

around the world for people who might

be able to achieve such a task

He experimented

Spirited away to the mainland to live

with relatives the children were too

young to realize what had happened

save one Gaston was the oldest son

and at 8 years of age witnessed strange

events that would haunt him all his life

He returned to Erie Isle after ten years

to claim his birthright Muircastle Manor

Gaston came with enthusiasm and wor-

ked to reinvigorate the island by having

social events as his mother had

He married and had five children and for

several years peace and prosperity ruled

Erie Isle

Then depression and war killed tourism

Weather wreaked havoc on the land and

without the financial means to return

the island to its former glory bleakness

took over Gaston no longer found joy in

ownership of his family home Spending

more and more time inside the Manor

he became depressed and wandered the

many rooms again and again

tory comments Among them was a

provocative looking woman named

Omen Valeska I noticed her from the

balcony when the light hit her metal

bracelets Knives adorned her bracelets

appearing to be more than decorative

I wondered how she got past security

and why no one was doing anything

I learned later that she was a member

of the Dreadshift faction an otherworldly

element that makes Erie Isle its sanctuary

Ninety minutes into the show chaos

struck In a split second several of

those unworldly people were on the

stage surrounding Winston who was

now on his knees with a chain wrapped

around his neckThe startled audience

let out screams and some tried to get on

stage but were quickly pushed away

and left to stand and watch in horror

There was a brief skirmish between the

anywhere Therersquos no sound of crickets

or frogs just the incessant howling of a

dog or wolf or whatever it was There are

a few people standing around outside

the Phantom Theater They are in small

groups talking in low tones avoiding

eye contact Winstonrsquos publicist Jura

Shepherd came and quickly went inside

Clearly she was concerned

I waited outside for Winstonrsquos arrival and

was surprised to see a police escort with

sirens cutting the night air like screaming

banshees This was not going to be any

ordinary gig A popular and busy mu-

sician why would Winston choose to

do this particular show if it required this

kind of security

I climbed the stairs to an empty balcony

to watch the show Winstonrsquos family and

friends along with bodyguards stood

between the stage and theater seats

It was a full house and the first few rows

had been taken by some oddly unmusic-

like people Donrsquot get me wrong music

attracts all kinds of people but these

folks were uncharacteristically quiet see-

mingly here for something other than this

popular musician

As hot and uncomfortable as it was and

with the air full of foreboding Winston

put on a wonderful show He was the

vision of a true busker a character in an

ill-fitting suit wearing a steam engine

top hat that belched steam throughout

the show His guitar appeared to be

made of cheap plywood and at his feet

lay a battered guitar case He sang a

mix of original and cover tunes that he

and his fans enjoy The audience was on

their feet much of the time dancing and

having fun well most of them anyway

There was still that bunch of oddly dark

people in the first few rows who just sat

and smirked making occasional deroga-

attackers who seemed to be fighting over

Winston for what reason I donrsquot know

Omen Valeska assumed leadership and

dared anyone to get in her way

She dragged Winston off the stage and

they disappeared

After a quick search of the theater

people went outside to see what was

happening I followed a group running

towards the lighthouse People gathered

at the bridge to the lighthouse only to

be held back by the Dreadshift who

were now pointing their weapons at

the growing crowd There were shouts

and pleas to Omen to not harm Winston

and let him go It wasnrsquot long before the

Dreadshift lowered their weapons and

disappeared A few brave souls in the

crowd made their way inside to save

Winston but were horrified to find only

fresh blood on the floor Where was

Winston A search of the lighthouse

revealed nothing but the traces of

blood and an oddly cryptic drawing

on the floor

After what seemed forever the crowd

broke up some gathering clues at the

scene others were going back to the

theater and around the island to search

for Winston I decided to leave It was a

long curious evening with a terribly

mysterious outcome Winston has

been seen since that night and is still

performing but they say something is

very different about him I wonder if it

is not really him but a stand in If it is

him what does he say happened to him

and why is no one talking Itrsquos curious

why he chose to do that particular show

knowing the risk Itrsquos all very strange but

then again itrsquos Erie Isle so why wouldnrsquot

it be

likely be released on his label Life in

Music in March of 2009

(httplifeinmusicorg)

Kourosh performs dark wave ambient

piano and electronica His music is heard

regularly in Second Life Kourosh is a

musicianartist working in the medium

of piano and synthesizer The music he

creates has been described as relaxing

and soothing yet gripping and hypnotic

Performed in a state of concentration

Kourosh invites the listener to participate

in a meditative mind-state to reflect upon

the nature of the mindrsquos natural ebbs and

flows His studies began at five years of

age and progressed by way of individual

tutoring of the classical composers Influ-

ences during this early period of musical

Kourosh Eusebio aka Kourosh Dini in

RL is re-releasing his acclaimed album

Legends After a year of its retirement

Kourosh has worked tirelessly in re-

mastering the album to perfection

After 3 plus years as a musician in SL

Kourosh has honed his carefully crafted

meditation music and has become a

staple in the SL music scene

rdquoLegends was never quite what I wanted

of it The sounds didnlsquot quite have the

cohesive nature I wanted Its story is now

more readily apparent Nowsbquo Village Lost

Legendslsquo associates to the mythology

that develops in any community Second

Life is a community and develops its

own legends This is a way of reflecting

similar notionsrdquo Village Lost Legends will

Kourosh Eusebio creating Legends

ldquohellipKourosh has the ability to create an atmosphere a feelingmdasha place of contentment with his musichellip rdquo

Get a free mp3

at httplifeinmusicorg

development included Chopin Bach

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff He would

also listen to and improvise around the

music of the Beatles Metallica and Mike

Patton Later influences included Phish

Tool Simon Posford Bill Laswell Pete

Namlook James Bernard among others

Kourosh is also a practicing psychiatrist

The pursuit of under-standing the mind

language and communication by way of

sounds symbols and words is reflected

in both his music as well as his psychi-

atric vocation His medical degree and

residency in adult psychiatry were ob-

tained through the University of Illinois

at Chicago He pursued further studies

in child and adolescent psychiatry at the

University of Chicago Presently he

continues to work and learn at the

Institute for Psychoanalysis and main-

tains a private practice seeing clients in

therapy and medication management

In April of 2008 he published a book

describing the benefits and potential

detriments of video games and virtual

space called Video Game Play and

Addiction A Guide for Parents silver

winner of Momlsquos Choice Awards

Kourosh also maintains a blog

(httpkouroshdinicom) titled Mind

Music and Technology reflecting his

thoughts of this unique intersection as

he continues his path of artistry and he-

aling through these media He has done

score for short films both recorded and

live and has collaborated on work pre-

sented at the 4Arts Gallery Landmark Art

Gallery the Fast Forward Film Festival

and Chicago Indymedia

Music videomachinima collaborations

with SLrsquos Sitearm Madonna include

the tracks ldquoBeastrdquo and ldquoImpartrdquo Albums

written and produced include Turn of

the Year EP (2008) Live at Red Rock

(2007) Sky Lily (2007) Live at Bliss

Garden (2007) Ontogeny (2005)

Fidelio (2003) The Color of Tea in

Sunlight (1999) and The Beckoning

of Agora (1998)

Video Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere QuanRL artist Houmllli Vals aka Sphere Quan in

SL just released a new song on YouTube

called Remember The Boy

You can hear and view it here

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=e_

BqxnNFBNs

If you enjoy this valued production

and feel that the music of Houmllli Vals

should be heard more by all means

do share this with everyone you know

in SL and RL

CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander NichtingOn Saturday April 4th Xander Nichting

will release his debut CD

ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo

Cafeacute de Noot Hamseweg 31

3828 AA Hoogland (Netherlands)

(wwwdenootnl)

Will host this exciting release party

The event begins at 8 PM with the

official unveiling at 9 PM

Xander will perform a few choice

compositions from Out of the Blue

There will be opportunity to purchase

the album have a chat with Xander

have pictures taken with him take

pictures and have your copy of the

album signed

REMEMBER THE BOY OUT OF THE BLUE

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

The only place he had never dared go

was the cellar which had been sealed

off decades ago One night Gaston tore

off the seals to the cellar door and went

inside Whatever happened inside has

never been known but when Gaston

came out he went upstairs and killed

his wife and children In a brief moment

of clarity following the murders Gaston

took his own life Following the killings

the few remaining residents divided into

two factions Some went to the dark

side in unspeakable ways and the rest

banded together for protection and to try

to make some semblance of life on

the island

Itrsquos the evening of Winstonrsquos show Itrsquos

hot and sticky and not a breath of air

Erie Isle is a small sparsely populated

island off the east coast It was once

home to wealthy entrepreneur Frederik

Muircastle and his family who settled

there in 1907 Mrs Muricastle became

a social leader organizing events and

festivals to bring the islands folk together

The town grew and became a popular

tourist attraction Then something

terrible happened

In August of 1914 Frederikrsquos beloved

wife Eleanor was found murdered in the

bedroom of Muircastle Manor Frederik

was devastated He wanted to turn back

the clock and have his lovely Eleanor

alive caring for the home children and

himself again He began to pursue ways

to raise her from the dead He spent

a fortune on rare books and searched

around the world for people who might

be able to achieve such a task

He experimented

Spirited away to the mainland to live

with relatives the children were too

young to realize what had happened

save one Gaston was the oldest son

and at 8 years of age witnessed strange

events that would haunt him all his life

He returned to Erie Isle after ten years

to claim his birthright Muircastle Manor

Gaston came with enthusiasm and wor-

ked to reinvigorate the island by having

social events as his mother had

He married and had five children and for

several years peace and prosperity ruled

Erie Isle

Then depression and war killed tourism

Weather wreaked havoc on the land and

without the financial means to return

the island to its former glory bleakness

took over Gaston no longer found joy in

ownership of his family home Spending

more and more time inside the Manor

he became depressed and wandered the

many rooms again and again

tory comments Among them was a

provocative looking woman named

Omen Valeska I noticed her from the

balcony when the light hit her metal

bracelets Knives adorned her bracelets

appearing to be more than decorative

I wondered how she got past security

and why no one was doing anything

I learned later that she was a member

of the Dreadshift faction an otherworldly

element that makes Erie Isle its sanctuary

Ninety minutes into the show chaos

struck In a split second several of

those unworldly people were on the

stage surrounding Winston who was

now on his knees with a chain wrapped

around his neckThe startled audience

let out screams and some tried to get on

stage but were quickly pushed away

and left to stand and watch in horror

There was a brief skirmish between the

anywhere Therersquos no sound of crickets

or frogs just the incessant howling of a

dog or wolf or whatever it was There are

a few people standing around outside

the Phantom Theater They are in small

groups talking in low tones avoiding

eye contact Winstonrsquos publicist Jura

Shepherd came and quickly went inside

Clearly she was concerned

I waited outside for Winstonrsquos arrival and

was surprised to see a police escort with

sirens cutting the night air like screaming

banshees This was not going to be any

ordinary gig A popular and busy mu-

sician why would Winston choose to

do this particular show if it required this

kind of security

I climbed the stairs to an empty balcony

to watch the show Winstonrsquos family and

friends along with bodyguards stood

between the stage and theater seats

It was a full house and the first few rows

had been taken by some oddly unmusic-

like people Donrsquot get me wrong music

attracts all kinds of people but these

folks were uncharacteristically quiet see-

mingly here for something other than this

popular musician

As hot and uncomfortable as it was and

with the air full of foreboding Winston

put on a wonderful show He was the

vision of a true busker a character in an

ill-fitting suit wearing a steam engine

top hat that belched steam throughout

the show His guitar appeared to be

made of cheap plywood and at his feet

lay a battered guitar case He sang a

mix of original and cover tunes that he

and his fans enjoy The audience was on

their feet much of the time dancing and

having fun well most of them anyway

There was still that bunch of oddly dark

people in the first few rows who just sat

and smirked making occasional deroga-

attackers who seemed to be fighting over

Winston for what reason I donrsquot know

Omen Valeska assumed leadership and

dared anyone to get in her way

She dragged Winston off the stage and

they disappeared

After a quick search of the theater

people went outside to see what was

happening I followed a group running

towards the lighthouse People gathered

at the bridge to the lighthouse only to

be held back by the Dreadshift who

were now pointing their weapons at

the growing crowd There were shouts

and pleas to Omen to not harm Winston

and let him go It wasnrsquot long before the

Dreadshift lowered their weapons and

disappeared A few brave souls in the

crowd made their way inside to save

Winston but were horrified to find only

fresh blood on the floor Where was

Winston A search of the lighthouse

revealed nothing but the traces of

blood and an oddly cryptic drawing

on the floor

After what seemed forever the crowd

broke up some gathering clues at the

scene others were going back to the

theater and around the island to search

for Winston I decided to leave It was a

long curious evening with a terribly

mysterious outcome Winston has

been seen since that night and is still

performing but they say something is

very different about him I wonder if it

is not really him but a stand in If it is

him what does he say happened to him

and why is no one talking Itrsquos curious

why he chose to do that particular show

knowing the risk Itrsquos all very strange but

then again itrsquos Erie Isle so why wouldnrsquot

it be

likely be released on his label Life in

Music in March of 2009

(httplifeinmusicorg)

Kourosh performs dark wave ambient

piano and electronica His music is heard

regularly in Second Life Kourosh is a

musicianartist working in the medium

of piano and synthesizer The music he

creates has been described as relaxing

and soothing yet gripping and hypnotic

Performed in a state of concentration

Kourosh invites the listener to participate

in a meditative mind-state to reflect upon

the nature of the mindrsquos natural ebbs and

flows His studies began at five years of

age and progressed by way of individual

tutoring of the classical composers Influ-

ences during this early period of musical

Kourosh Eusebio aka Kourosh Dini in

RL is re-releasing his acclaimed album

Legends After a year of its retirement

Kourosh has worked tirelessly in re-

mastering the album to perfection

After 3 plus years as a musician in SL

Kourosh has honed his carefully crafted

meditation music and has become a

staple in the SL music scene

rdquoLegends was never quite what I wanted

of it The sounds didnlsquot quite have the

cohesive nature I wanted Its story is now

more readily apparent Nowsbquo Village Lost

Legendslsquo associates to the mythology

that develops in any community Second

Life is a community and develops its

own legends This is a way of reflecting

similar notionsrdquo Village Lost Legends will

Kourosh Eusebio creating Legends

ldquohellipKourosh has the ability to create an atmosphere a feelingmdasha place of contentment with his musichellip rdquo

Get a free mp3

at httplifeinmusicorg

development included Chopin Bach

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff He would

also listen to and improvise around the

music of the Beatles Metallica and Mike

Patton Later influences included Phish

Tool Simon Posford Bill Laswell Pete

Namlook James Bernard among others

Kourosh is also a practicing psychiatrist

The pursuit of under-standing the mind

language and communication by way of

sounds symbols and words is reflected

in both his music as well as his psychi-

atric vocation His medical degree and

residency in adult psychiatry were ob-

tained through the University of Illinois

at Chicago He pursued further studies

in child and adolescent psychiatry at the

University of Chicago Presently he

continues to work and learn at the

Institute for Psychoanalysis and main-

tains a private practice seeing clients in

therapy and medication management

In April of 2008 he published a book

describing the benefits and potential

detriments of video games and virtual

space called Video Game Play and

Addiction A Guide for Parents silver

winner of Momlsquos Choice Awards

Kourosh also maintains a blog

(httpkouroshdinicom) titled Mind

Music and Technology reflecting his

thoughts of this unique intersection as

he continues his path of artistry and he-

aling through these media He has done

score for short films both recorded and

live and has collaborated on work pre-

sented at the 4Arts Gallery Landmark Art

Gallery the Fast Forward Film Festival

and Chicago Indymedia

Music videomachinima collaborations

with SLrsquos Sitearm Madonna include

the tracks ldquoBeastrdquo and ldquoImpartrdquo Albums

written and produced include Turn of

the Year EP (2008) Live at Red Rock

(2007) Sky Lily (2007) Live at Bliss

Garden (2007) Ontogeny (2005)

Fidelio (2003) The Color of Tea in

Sunlight (1999) and The Beckoning

of Agora (1998)

Video Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere QuanRL artist Houmllli Vals aka Sphere Quan in

SL just released a new song on YouTube

called Remember The Boy

You can hear and view it here

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=e_

BqxnNFBNs

If you enjoy this valued production

and feel that the music of Houmllli Vals

should be heard more by all means

do share this with everyone you know

in SL and RL

CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander NichtingOn Saturday April 4th Xander Nichting

will release his debut CD

ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo

Cafeacute de Noot Hamseweg 31

3828 AA Hoogland (Netherlands)

(wwwdenootnl)

Will host this exciting release party

The event begins at 8 PM with the

official unveiling at 9 PM

Xander will perform a few choice

compositions from Out of the Blue

There will be opportunity to purchase

the album have a chat with Xander

have pictures taken with him take

pictures and have your copy of the

album signed

REMEMBER THE BOY OUT OF THE BLUE

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

tory comments Among them was a

provocative looking woman named

Omen Valeska I noticed her from the

balcony when the light hit her metal

bracelets Knives adorned her bracelets

appearing to be more than decorative

I wondered how she got past security

and why no one was doing anything

I learned later that she was a member

of the Dreadshift faction an otherworldly

element that makes Erie Isle its sanctuary

Ninety minutes into the show chaos

struck In a split second several of

those unworldly people were on the

stage surrounding Winston who was

now on his knees with a chain wrapped

around his neckThe startled audience

let out screams and some tried to get on

stage but were quickly pushed away

and left to stand and watch in horror

There was a brief skirmish between the

anywhere Therersquos no sound of crickets

or frogs just the incessant howling of a

dog or wolf or whatever it was There are

a few people standing around outside

the Phantom Theater They are in small

groups talking in low tones avoiding

eye contact Winstonrsquos publicist Jura

Shepherd came and quickly went inside

Clearly she was concerned

I waited outside for Winstonrsquos arrival and

was surprised to see a police escort with

sirens cutting the night air like screaming

banshees This was not going to be any

ordinary gig A popular and busy mu-

sician why would Winston choose to

do this particular show if it required this

kind of security

I climbed the stairs to an empty balcony

to watch the show Winstonrsquos family and

friends along with bodyguards stood

between the stage and theater seats

It was a full house and the first few rows

had been taken by some oddly unmusic-

like people Donrsquot get me wrong music

attracts all kinds of people but these

folks were uncharacteristically quiet see-

mingly here for something other than this

popular musician

As hot and uncomfortable as it was and

with the air full of foreboding Winston

put on a wonderful show He was the

vision of a true busker a character in an

ill-fitting suit wearing a steam engine

top hat that belched steam throughout

the show His guitar appeared to be

made of cheap plywood and at his feet

lay a battered guitar case He sang a

mix of original and cover tunes that he

and his fans enjoy The audience was on

their feet much of the time dancing and

having fun well most of them anyway

There was still that bunch of oddly dark

people in the first few rows who just sat

and smirked making occasional deroga-

attackers who seemed to be fighting over

Winston for what reason I donrsquot know

Omen Valeska assumed leadership and

dared anyone to get in her way

She dragged Winston off the stage and

they disappeared

After a quick search of the theater

people went outside to see what was

happening I followed a group running

towards the lighthouse People gathered

at the bridge to the lighthouse only to

be held back by the Dreadshift who

were now pointing their weapons at

the growing crowd There were shouts

and pleas to Omen to not harm Winston

and let him go It wasnrsquot long before the

Dreadshift lowered their weapons and

disappeared A few brave souls in the

crowd made their way inside to save

Winston but were horrified to find only

fresh blood on the floor Where was

Winston A search of the lighthouse

revealed nothing but the traces of

blood and an oddly cryptic drawing

on the floor

After what seemed forever the crowd

broke up some gathering clues at the

scene others were going back to the

theater and around the island to search

for Winston I decided to leave It was a

long curious evening with a terribly

mysterious outcome Winston has

been seen since that night and is still

performing but they say something is

very different about him I wonder if it

is not really him but a stand in If it is

him what does he say happened to him

and why is no one talking Itrsquos curious

why he chose to do that particular show

knowing the risk Itrsquos all very strange but

then again itrsquos Erie Isle so why wouldnrsquot

it be

likely be released on his label Life in

Music in March of 2009

(httplifeinmusicorg)

Kourosh performs dark wave ambient

piano and electronica His music is heard

regularly in Second Life Kourosh is a

musicianartist working in the medium

of piano and synthesizer The music he

creates has been described as relaxing

and soothing yet gripping and hypnotic

Performed in a state of concentration

Kourosh invites the listener to participate

in a meditative mind-state to reflect upon

the nature of the mindrsquos natural ebbs and

flows His studies began at five years of

age and progressed by way of individual

tutoring of the classical composers Influ-

ences during this early period of musical

Kourosh Eusebio aka Kourosh Dini in

RL is re-releasing his acclaimed album

Legends After a year of its retirement

Kourosh has worked tirelessly in re-

mastering the album to perfection

After 3 plus years as a musician in SL

Kourosh has honed his carefully crafted

meditation music and has become a

staple in the SL music scene

rdquoLegends was never quite what I wanted

of it The sounds didnlsquot quite have the

cohesive nature I wanted Its story is now

more readily apparent Nowsbquo Village Lost

Legendslsquo associates to the mythology

that develops in any community Second

Life is a community and develops its

own legends This is a way of reflecting

similar notionsrdquo Village Lost Legends will

Kourosh Eusebio creating Legends

ldquohellipKourosh has the ability to create an atmosphere a feelingmdasha place of contentment with his musichellip rdquo

Get a free mp3

at httplifeinmusicorg

development included Chopin Bach

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff He would

also listen to and improvise around the

music of the Beatles Metallica and Mike

Patton Later influences included Phish

Tool Simon Posford Bill Laswell Pete

Namlook James Bernard among others

Kourosh is also a practicing psychiatrist

The pursuit of under-standing the mind

language and communication by way of

sounds symbols and words is reflected

in both his music as well as his psychi-

atric vocation His medical degree and

residency in adult psychiatry were ob-

tained through the University of Illinois

at Chicago He pursued further studies

in child and adolescent psychiatry at the

University of Chicago Presently he

continues to work and learn at the

Institute for Psychoanalysis and main-

tains a private practice seeing clients in

therapy and medication management

In April of 2008 he published a book

describing the benefits and potential

detriments of video games and virtual

space called Video Game Play and

Addiction A Guide for Parents silver

winner of Momlsquos Choice Awards

Kourosh also maintains a blog

(httpkouroshdinicom) titled Mind

Music and Technology reflecting his

thoughts of this unique intersection as

he continues his path of artistry and he-

aling through these media He has done

score for short films both recorded and

live and has collaborated on work pre-

sented at the 4Arts Gallery Landmark Art

Gallery the Fast Forward Film Festival

and Chicago Indymedia

Music videomachinima collaborations

with SLrsquos Sitearm Madonna include

the tracks ldquoBeastrdquo and ldquoImpartrdquo Albums

written and produced include Turn of

the Year EP (2008) Live at Red Rock

(2007) Sky Lily (2007) Live at Bliss

Garden (2007) Ontogeny (2005)

Fidelio (2003) The Color of Tea in

Sunlight (1999) and The Beckoning

of Agora (1998)

Video Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere QuanRL artist Houmllli Vals aka Sphere Quan in

SL just released a new song on YouTube

called Remember The Boy

You can hear and view it here

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=e_

BqxnNFBNs

If you enjoy this valued production

and feel that the music of Houmllli Vals

should be heard more by all means

do share this with everyone you know

in SL and RL

CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander NichtingOn Saturday April 4th Xander Nichting

will release his debut CD

ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo

Cafeacute de Noot Hamseweg 31

3828 AA Hoogland (Netherlands)

(wwwdenootnl)

Will host this exciting release party

The event begins at 8 PM with the

official unveiling at 9 PM

Xander will perform a few choice

compositions from Out of the Blue

There will be opportunity to purchase

the album have a chat with Xander

have pictures taken with him take

pictures and have your copy of the

album signed

REMEMBER THE BOY OUT OF THE BLUE

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

attackers who seemed to be fighting over

Winston for what reason I donrsquot know

Omen Valeska assumed leadership and

dared anyone to get in her way

She dragged Winston off the stage and

they disappeared

After a quick search of the theater

people went outside to see what was

happening I followed a group running

towards the lighthouse People gathered

at the bridge to the lighthouse only to

be held back by the Dreadshift who

were now pointing their weapons at

the growing crowd There were shouts

and pleas to Omen to not harm Winston

and let him go It wasnrsquot long before the

Dreadshift lowered their weapons and

disappeared A few brave souls in the

crowd made their way inside to save

Winston but were horrified to find only

fresh blood on the floor Where was

Winston A search of the lighthouse

revealed nothing but the traces of

blood and an oddly cryptic drawing

on the floor

After what seemed forever the crowd

broke up some gathering clues at the

scene others were going back to the

theater and around the island to search

for Winston I decided to leave It was a

long curious evening with a terribly

mysterious outcome Winston has

been seen since that night and is still

performing but they say something is

very different about him I wonder if it

is not really him but a stand in If it is

him what does he say happened to him

and why is no one talking Itrsquos curious

why he chose to do that particular show

knowing the risk Itrsquos all very strange but

then again itrsquos Erie Isle so why wouldnrsquot

it be

likely be released on his label Life in

Music in March of 2009

(httplifeinmusicorg)

Kourosh performs dark wave ambient

piano and electronica His music is heard

regularly in Second Life Kourosh is a

musicianartist working in the medium

of piano and synthesizer The music he

creates has been described as relaxing

and soothing yet gripping and hypnotic

Performed in a state of concentration

Kourosh invites the listener to participate

in a meditative mind-state to reflect upon

the nature of the mindrsquos natural ebbs and

flows His studies began at five years of

age and progressed by way of individual

tutoring of the classical composers Influ-

ences during this early period of musical

Kourosh Eusebio aka Kourosh Dini in

RL is re-releasing his acclaimed album

Legends After a year of its retirement

Kourosh has worked tirelessly in re-

mastering the album to perfection

After 3 plus years as a musician in SL

Kourosh has honed his carefully crafted

meditation music and has become a

staple in the SL music scene

rdquoLegends was never quite what I wanted

of it The sounds didnlsquot quite have the

cohesive nature I wanted Its story is now

more readily apparent Nowsbquo Village Lost

Legendslsquo associates to the mythology

that develops in any community Second

Life is a community and develops its

own legends This is a way of reflecting

similar notionsrdquo Village Lost Legends will

Kourosh Eusebio creating Legends

ldquohellipKourosh has the ability to create an atmosphere a feelingmdasha place of contentment with his musichellip rdquo

Get a free mp3

at httplifeinmusicorg

development included Chopin Bach

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff He would

also listen to and improvise around the

music of the Beatles Metallica and Mike

Patton Later influences included Phish

Tool Simon Posford Bill Laswell Pete

Namlook James Bernard among others

Kourosh is also a practicing psychiatrist

The pursuit of under-standing the mind

language and communication by way of

sounds symbols and words is reflected

in both his music as well as his psychi-

atric vocation His medical degree and

residency in adult psychiatry were ob-

tained through the University of Illinois

at Chicago He pursued further studies

in child and adolescent psychiatry at the

University of Chicago Presently he

continues to work and learn at the

Institute for Psychoanalysis and main-

tains a private practice seeing clients in

therapy and medication management

In April of 2008 he published a book

describing the benefits and potential

detriments of video games and virtual

space called Video Game Play and

Addiction A Guide for Parents silver

winner of Momlsquos Choice Awards

Kourosh also maintains a blog

(httpkouroshdinicom) titled Mind

Music and Technology reflecting his

thoughts of this unique intersection as

he continues his path of artistry and he-

aling through these media He has done

score for short films both recorded and

live and has collaborated on work pre-

sented at the 4Arts Gallery Landmark Art

Gallery the Fast Forward Film Festival

and Chicago Indymedia

Music videomachinima collaborations

with SLrsquos Sitearm Madonna include

the tracks ldquoBeastrdquo and ldquoImpartrdquo Albums

written and produced include Turn of

the Year EP (2008) Live at Red Rock

(2007) Sky Lily (2007) Live at Bliss

Garden (2007) Ontogeny (2005)

Fidelio (2003) The Color of Tea in

Sunlight (1999) and The Beckoning

of Agora (1998)

Video Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere QuanRL artist Houmllli Vals aka Sphere Quan in

SL just released a new song on YouTube

called Remember The Boy

You can hear and view it here

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=e_

BqxnNFBNs

If you enjoy this valued production

and feel that the music of Houmllli Vals

should be heard more by all means

do share this with everyone you know

in SL and RL

CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander NichtingOn Saturday April 4th Xander Nichting

will release his debut CD

ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo

Cafeacute de Noot Hamseweg 31

3828 AA Hoogland (Netherlands)

(wwwdenootnl)

Will host this exciting release party

The event begins at 8 PM with the

official unveiling at 9 PM

Xander will perform a few choice

compositions from Out of the Blue

There will be opportunity to purchase

the album have a chat with Xander

have pictures taken with him take

pictures and have your copy of the

album signed

REMEMBER THE BOY OUT OF THE BLUE

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

likely be released on his label Life in

Music in March of 2009

(httplifeinmusicorg)

Kourosh performs dark wave ambient

piano and electronica His music is heard

regularly in Second Life Kourosh is a

musicianartist working in the medium

of piano and synthesizer The music he

creates has been described as relaxing

and soothing yet gripping and hypnotic

Performed in a state of concentration

Kourosh invites the listener to participate

in a meditative mind-state to reflect upon

the nature of the mindrsquos natural ebbs and

flows His studies began at five years of

age and progressed by way of individual

tutoring of the classical composers Influ-

ences during this early period of musical

Kourosh Eusebio aka Kourosh Dini in

RL is re-releasing his acclaimed album

Legends After a year of its retirement

Kourosh has worked tirelessly in re-

mastering the album to perfection

After 3 plus years as a musician in SL

Kourosh has honed his carefully crafted

meditation music and has become a

staple in the SL music scene

rdquoLegends was never quite what I wanted

of it The sounds didnlsquot quite have the

cohesive nature I wanted Its story is now

more readily apparent Nowsbquo Village Lost

Legendslsquo associates to the mythology

that develops in any community Second

Life is a community and develops its

own legends This is a way of reflecting

similar notionsrdquo Village Lost Legends will

Kourosh Eusebio creating Legends

ldquohellipKourosh has the ability to create an atmosphere a feelingmdasha place of contentment with his musichellip rdquo

Get a free mp3

at httplifeinmusicorg

development included Chopin Bach

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff He would

also listen to and improvise around the

music of the Beatles Metallica and Mike

Patton Later influences included Phish

Tool Simon Posford Bill Laswell Pete

Namlook James Bernard among others

Kourosh is also a practicing psychiatrist

The pursuit of under-standing the mind

language and communication by way of

sounds symbols and words is reflected

in both his music as well as his psychi-

atric vocation His medical degree and

residency in adult psychiatry were ob-

tained through the University of Illinois

at Chicago He pursued further studies

in child and adolescent psychiatry at the

University of Chicago Presently he

continues to work and learn at the

Institute for Psychoanalysis and main-

tains a private practice seeing clients in

therapy and medication management

In April of 2008 he published a book

describing the benefits and potential

detriments of video games and virtual

space called Video Game Play and

Addiction A Guide for Parents silver

winner of Momlsquos Choice Awards

Kourosh also maintains a blog

(httpkouroshdinicom) titled Mind

Music and Technology reflecting his

thoughts of this unique intersection as

he continues his path of artistry and he-

aling through these media He has done

score for short films both recorded and

live and has collaborated on work pre-

sented at the 4Arts Gallery Landmark Art

Gallery the Fast Forward Film Festival

and Chicago Indymedia

Music videomachinima collaborations

with SLrsquos Sitearm Madonna include

the tracks ldquoBeastrdquo and ldquoImpartrdquo Albums

written and produced include Turn of

the Year EP (2008) Live at Red Rock

(2007) Sky Lily (2007) Live at Bliss

Garden (2007) Ontogeny (2005)

Fidelio (2003) The Color of Tea in

Sunlight (1999) and The Beckoning

of Agora (1998)

Video Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere QuanRL artist Houmllli Vals aka Sphere Quan in

SL just released a new song on YouTube

called Remember The Boy

You can hear and view it here

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=e_

BqxnNFBNs

If you enjoy this valued production

and feel that the music of Houmllli Vals

should be heard more by all means

do share this with everyone you know

in SL and RL

CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander NichtingOn Saturday April 4th Xander Nichting

will release his debut CD

ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo

Cafeacute de Noot Hamseweg 31

3828 AA Hoogland (Netherlands)

(wwwdenootnl)

Will host this exciting release party

The event begins at 8 PM with the

official unveiling at 9 PM

Xander will perform a few choice

compositions from Out of the Blue

There will be opportunity to purchase

the album have a chat with Xander

have pictures taken with him take

pictures and have your copy of the

album signed

REMEMBER THE BOY OUT OF THE BLUE

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

Get a free mp3

at httplifeinmusicorg

development included Chopin Bach

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff He would

also listen to and improvise around the

music of the Beatles Metallica and Mike

Patton Later influences included Phish

Tool Simon Posford Bill Laswell Pete

Namlook James Bernard among others

Kourosh is also a practicing psychiatrist

The pursuit of under-standing the mind

language and communication by way of

sounds symbols and words is reflected

in both his music as well as his psychi-

atric vocation His medical degree and

residency in adult psychiatry were ob-

tained through the University of Illinois

at Chicago He pursued further studies

in child and adolescent psychiatry at the

University of Chicago Presently he

continues to work and learn at the

Institute for Psychoanalysis and main-

tains a private practice seeing clients in

therapy and medication management

In April of 2008 he published a book

describing the benefits and potential

detriments of video games and virtual

space called Video Game Play and

Addiction A Guide for Parents silver

winner of Momlsquos Choice Awards

Kourosh also maintains a blog

(httpkouroshdinicom) titled Mind

Music and Technology reflecting his

thoughts of this unique intersection as

he continues his path of artistry and he-

aling through these media He has done

score for short films both recorded and

live and has collaborated on work pre-

sented at the 4Arts Gallery Landmark Art

Gallery the Fast Forward Film Festival

and Chicago Indymedia

Music videomachinima collaborations

with SLrsquos Sitearm Madonna include

the tracks ldquoBeastrdquo and ldquoImpartrdquo Albums

written and produced include Turn of

the Year EP (2008) Live at Red Rock

(2007) Sky Lily (2007) Live at Bliss

Garden (2007) Ontogeny (2005)

Fidelio (2003) The Color of Tea in

Sunlight (1999) and The Beckoning

of Agora (1998)

Video Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere QuanRL artist Houmllli Vals aka Sphere Quan in

SL just released a new song on YouTube

called Remember The Boy

You can hear and view it here

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=e_

BqxnNFBNs

If you enjoy this valued production

and feel that the music of Houmllli Vals

should be heard more by all means

do share this with everyone you know

in SL and RL

CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander NichtingOn Saturday April 4th Xander Nichting

will release his debut CD

ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo

Cafeacute de Noot Hamseweg 31

3828 AA Hoogland (Netherlands)

(wwwdenootnl)

Will host this exciting release party

The event begins at 8 PM with the

official unveiling at 9 PM

Xander will perform a few choice

compositions from Out of the Blue

There will be opportunity to purchase

the album have a chat with Xander

have pictures taken with him take

pictures and have your copy of the

album signed

REMEMBER THE BOY OUT OF THE BLUE

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

Video Release ldquoRemember the Boyrdquo Sphere QuanRL artist Houmllli Vals aka Sphere Quan in

SL just released a new song on YouTube

called Remember The Boy

You can hear and view it here

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=e_

BqxnNFBNs

If you enjoy this valued production

and feel that the music of Houmllli Vals

should be heard more by all means

do share this with everyone you know

in SL and RL

CD Release Debut Album ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo Xander NichtingOn Saturday April 4th Xander Nichting

will release his debut CD

ldquoOut Of The Bluerdquo

Cafeacute de Noot Hamseweg 31

3828 AA Hoogland (Netherlands)

(wwwdenootnl)

Will host this exciting release party

The event begins at 8 PM with the

official unveiling at 9 PM

Xander will perform a few choice

compositions from Out of the Blue

There will be opportunity to purchase

the album have a chat with Xander

have pictures taken with him take

pictures and have your copy of the

album signed

REMEMBER THE BOY OUT OF THE BLUE

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

When I began this album in 2005

I wanted to create something truly new

Inspired by documentary photographers

like Walker Evans amp Bill Brandt as well as

musicians with documentary tendencies

such as my friend Paul of Mocha Lab I

set about creating an album of what I like

to call docu-pop february is the result

I sat down with five friends all of whom

were in the place of reflection that comes

with leaving your twenties behind

without quite knowing what to do with

the unrealized dreams that accompanied

them The resulting dissonance was the

subject of our conversations which I

recorded at length and pored through

extensively in the following months

In doing so I found wisdom humor

insight and often very surprising

realizations We tackled the nature of

hope disappointment and ugly truth all

in the spirit of adapting George Orwelllsquos

ldquopower of facing unpleasant factsldquo for

the new millennium

The same sorts of thoughts were

shaping my songwriting at the time and

as I began recording the new songs

I matched them with pieces of the

aforementioned conversations

What emerged was a case study of five

people each at critical points in their

lives asking the old question Is that

all there is Accompanied by songs

exploring the same territory the album

is as much a documentary as it is a

collection of pop songs

You can buy or stream february for free

here httpfebruarythealbumcom

Thanks for your support and I hope you

enjoy the new music

february - the albumThe new album february by the artist known in SL as Matthew Perreault is now available on the venerable Wampus label

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

There are music fans and there are music

supporters and then there is Bringiton

Paine You would think being a busy wife

and mother of three young children in

Australia provides enough challenges

but not for her Bringiton became a fan

of the SL music community in 2007 but

that wasnrsquot enough She wanted to give

something to the community in return

for what it meant to her In July 2008 she

built a multi-storied hall to showcase the

many musicians who perform in SL

Raising awareness to live music was to

be her way of showing gratitude

A month later Bringiton felt compelled

to set up a benefit to raise money

for Make-A-Wish Australia With the

support of many musicians and

matching donations from the largest

Australian supermarket chain she

was able to donate over $100000L

With the recent wildfires in Australia

Bringiton stepped up again with

another music benefit Fundraising was

successful and continues for the victims

with pictures and links to news on one

wall of the Hall

Bringitonrsquos Hall of Fame is a beautifully

simple structure with several floors and

an atrium in the center The lobby area

has music related items for sale and ad

Bringitonrsquos Music Hall of Fame

By Skye Rudolf

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

provide assistance That may or may not

be a good thing but it has allowed indi-

viduals like Bringiton to step up and find

ways to help foster growth and creativity

Bringiton has been featured on Paisley

Beebersquos Tonight Live Perhaps weaving

all these resources together in a more

cohesive union will eventually happen but

in the meantime the music community

is the big winner when it comes to en-

joying the hard work and generosity of

people like Bringiton Paine

space is available for vendors There are

free Hall Of Fame t-shirts and a kiosk for

Music Matters Magazine You will also

see an area dedicated to the artist of the

month award All the walls are covered

with posters of over 350 SL performers

When you touch the artistrsquos profile

picture you see the musicianrsquos bio any

promotional items they have available

and have the opportunity to vote for

them as artist of the month Votes from

fans are tabulated once a month and an

award ceremony is planned for the artist

accumulating the most votes Friends and

fans are invited and a few songs are

played Artists receiving awards to date

are Artel Brando Pepsi Moon Ande

Foggarty Mar Biddle Mats Milev and

Jackdog Snook

On the first floor there are trophy cases

containing personal items of some of

the musicians The top floor has venue

information and links to open mics

The Hall is clean uncluttered and easy

to get around Posting information

musicians and venues is free and is

done by sending a picture and notecard

to Bringiton Not wanting to be in

the venue business she believes her

niche is to simply provide a resource

to the SL community and a place for

honoring performers

Linden Lab has designated Bringitonrsquos

Music Hall Of Fame as one of its mu-

sic location showcases As SL grows so

does the need for providing awareness

of the music community Linden Lab has

been slow to recognize what a valuable

resource the music community is and to

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

13

An interview with Silas Scarborough

In a community that is saturated with

acoustic music Silas Scarborough

continues to buck the trend by burning

up the atmosphere as he defies the laws

of gravity Playing his Godin xtSA MIDI

guitar within an inch of hellfire and

annihilation Silas bends and twists

sounds into submission with a snake pit

buttons pedals and electronic wizardry

Equally at home playing loud nuclear

rock or romantic lissome reveries

audiences are toyed with launched

into the stratosphere transported on

entrancing voyages or seduced into

quiet peaceful moments Many call him

a Rock God the Man With Fifty Fingers

irreverent rebellious phantasmic but

what he is NOT is guitar flash or macho

bluster He cares for most has disdain

for some but his passion is for the music

and his goddess is the Godin

I meet Silas at Eden his home and

venue he and longtime friend Telia

Soyer built for the enjoyment of second

lifers looking for a pretty environment

to spend romantic or quiet time in a park

setting There is a hidden stage that Silas

built to rise out of the ground on the rare

times when he plays at home More

often than not Silas performs around SL

at venues where he feels comfortable

being with audiences he knows will allow

him the freedom to explore his music

Give us a little background on

your music

It was many years before Irsquod join up with

a band and The Freezebirds lasted the

longest I met and jammed with some

incredible musicians back then I built a

THE Man WITH FIFTY FIngERS

By Bibi Ballinger

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

studio in my garage based on my guitars

computers and MIDI-driven keyboards

It was wild fun but there was a tragedy

and I didnrsquot play with anyone again for

years after that

What do you hope to get out of playing

your music in SL Are you realizing that

I love performing and entertaining

people and I would probably stand on

my head and wiggle my toes if it would

get a smile out of someone Musically

itrsquos validation that the stuff I create my-

self is something someone besides me

would ever want to hear The biggest

reason I donrsquot do covers is that I want to

survive or die on my own stuff Another

big thing I get out of performing in SL is

the drive to create more tunes so Irsquom not

just throwing the same playlist at you in

every set Practically everything I do is

material Irsquove worked up in the two years

or so Irsquove been in SL

Silas what brought you to Second Life

and why did you come

Slim Warrior kept badgering me to

come I might never have come to

Second Life if not for her encourage-

ment as my perception of SL wasnrsquot

too good Performing in SL has literally

changed my real life and Irsquoll always be

indebted for her help

Do you believe SL can be a vehicle to

RL success If so what are you doing to

achieve that

I believe it can but Irsquom not convinced

that itrsquos necessary Regardless of what

you believe about the future itrsquos vitally

important to focus on producing material

for CDs The reason is that it keeps you

producing and in realistic ways How you

choose to distribute the CDs if you even

choose to do it is simply a business

decision and the important thing is to

keep producing new material

What do you see as the future of

music in SL What will you do to

influence that

The future is largely determined by the

infrastructure to support it One hopes

that the focus will one day shift to

rebuilding American infrastructure such

as the power grid Web network and

Given a network with the speed to support it there will

be real-time performances with multiple performers

much like Virtual Live Band has pioneered

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

a crowd of twenty or thirty people is

a good show and thatrsquos probably the

most yoursquoll have any chance of addres-

sing individually during the course of

the gig Itrsquos much more difficult do-

ing that in a real-life gig as no one has

come up with a device yet that will put

peoplersquos names in neon letters over their

heads The advantage of playing in RL

is playing blow the walls down loud

There just ainrsquot no substitute for making

the floor shake

Does any part of your SL experience

influence your original music

It drives my original music Irsquove come up

with more material since coming to SL

than in quite a few years before that

It has influenced the music directly in

that I was surprised to find how hard

people want to rock in SL

Irsquod keep throwing it out harder and

the audience kept saying more so

therersquos been a very direct influence on

how I play Itrsquos not that SL is telling

me how to play but rather itrsquos giving

me the freedom to do things I didnrsquot

think people would accept

How do you approach creating a piece

of music

There is no process for me in making

music Irsquoll start playing the guitar or the

synthesizer and something good may

just for grins why not the air traffic

control system Given a network with

the speed to support it there will be

real-time performances with multiple

performers much like Virtual Live Band

has pioneered The software infrastruc-

ture has to improve as well as you canrsquot

very well throw a major-league concert

when the maximum attendance is about

a hundred people not and have it make

any kind of sense to business Ultimately

it will happen but what performers of

today need to ask is whether itrsquos some-

thing you really want Say there are a

thousand people in the online audience

You couldnrsquot sustain a one-to-one relati-

onship with that many people in a real-

life gig but it would be technically pos-

sible in a virtual world Therersquos no doubt

in my mind that things evolve farther and

faster than people ever

imagine so even our wildest dreams of

a virtual future will likely fall short of the

reality I donrsquot think holodeck kind of

stuff is all that far-fetched in which ho-

lograms of each of us interact within a

virtual world

Other than obvious differences between

performing in SL and RL what do you

see as the advantages and disadvan-

tages to performing in SL

One immediate advantage is the

intimacy For most performers getting

15

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

doing that sort of thing Taking stock

today I see they lost their shirts and I still

have my guitars so Irsquoll stick with being

a lunatic I suspect itrsquos a lot more fun

being a broke lunatic than a rich golfer

What is your favorite song that yoursquove

written Why Is it your fanrsquos favorite

My favorite is the latest one Irsquove written

and itrsquos fascinating to see if it becomes

a favorite with fans as well The fan

favorite is most likely ldquoToo Much or Not

Enoughrdquo and the most flattering thing

anyone ever said was when a lady asked

me who wrote it

emerge Irsquoll play with it for a while to

get a feel for it and will record a track if

it doesnrsquot fall apart That track will

usually be guitar chords and that will

serve as the foundation for the rest of

the tune Therersquos no particular pattern as

I may consider a tune finished pretty fast

or I may come back two years later and

change something The way I do it is like

a kid playing with plasticine sometimes

it will result in some good sculpture but

most times it just turns into an ashtray

Something that troubles many musicians

particularly in the early days is whether

dope will make you a better musician

The answer is that it wonrsquot make you a

better musician as nothing but putting

in the hours will do that

Who is your favorite RL musician Any

favorite SL musicians

Hendrix with ldquoLittle Wingrdquo gave us the

most beautifully lyrical guitar playing

Irsquove ever heard Genesis gave us thea-

ter rock of the finest kind in ldquoSupperrsquos

Readyrdquo and Andrew Lloyd Weber took

rock theater to a fantastic extreme in

ldquoPhantom of the Operardquo Within SL

Kim Seifert and Grateful Stryker are my

favorites for the lovely personalities they

bring to their shows and their continuing

creativity I particularly admire the way

Kim pioneered many things for SL per-

formers as she took enormous grief from

some hateful swine who set out literally

to torture her at every single gig and she

stood right up to them Yoursquove got to

love that lady

What are your favorite venues to

perform Why

The Tropics was a favorite for quite some

time Brian Brewster and Gina Goff ran

the place and they brought me in for

two-hour gigs without any expectation

I have to stop at the end of that time

It gave me a lot of freedom to kick out

everything Irsquove got plus they were also

very generous in letting hexx Triskaide-

kaphobia of the Born Again Pagans do

the fireworks show during the gig It

makes for a really spectacular event and

the Lady of the Fire is really good at it

What do your RL friends and family

think of you performing in SL

They think Irsquom a lunatic that I should

be investing in the stock market and

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

Dakota Skies

First Call Musicians Co-op

Gallery Diabolus

Hollywood Estates

Kaelaidoscope

Katacutes Connection

Advertiser IndexLittle Andalucia

Moonacy

RPM Challenge

Ravenlong Productions

SL Live Radio

The Stream Team

I want to play better than the last gig

to have it be more expressive and more

exciting than the last one

What is biggest influence on you

as a person

Unfortunately survival I resent how

much work can shape onersquos life and

I go to great lengths to keep that aspect

of my life as far from me as possible

The biggest personal influence was my

father as above everything else he was

a showman and I learned his joie de

vivre We fought for years over my

guitar-playing as I was supposed to be

the Great Scientist and follow him but he

finally came around to be one of the few

who understood why I kept doing it

Rock God or Old Guitar Bum whatrsquos

the truth

Both The virtual world is an amazing

thing and is no less ldquotruerdquo to me than

real life That itrsquos expressed in pixels is

trivial the truth in it is not diminished

I donrsquot have a problem reconciling that

both can be true at the same time

RL or SL (where do you feel

most comfortable)

Irsquom most comfortable onstage in RL

or SL Itrsquos the only time I feel like Irsquom

completely whatever I am For better

or worse this is Silas Hope you like

the show

Any regrets

Itrsquos a tie between smoking cigarettes and

not going out to LA with my keyboard-

playing friend Ophir Shur Those are by

far the biggest mistakes I ever made

Any RL heroes

Gandhirsquos life has been tremendously

inspirational to me as was that of Van

Gogh Irsquom a sucker for the fighting

against incredible odds story

What is your greatest achievement

Each gig is my greatest achievement or

at least thatrsquos what I seek to make it

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

Imagine that the backing is a band that you areplaying with not just a track and you

should sound as if the band are in the same studio as you

It is well worth recording one of your shows from the SL stream and listening to

it later There is a great little free utility that helps with this called SVrecorder it

records direct to MP3 on your hard drive so makes small but high quality files that

you can play back in media player

If you find that you need help in setting your sound up send a comment and we

will see what can done to help

GG

G G G

The Soundman a column dedicated to music production

over the internet If you have any questions or problems

setting up equipment to play live music in SL this is the

place to ask for help

httpmattersofmusiccomtheforums

Dance clubs are getting fewer and live music clubs are getting more popular again around the world

SL is a great training ground to hone your act for work in the real world and just as

in the real world your sound is just as important as the music that you play The old

adage that if the show was great the musician did a great job and if it was bad the

sound engineer was rubbish still holds true here the difference being that YOU are

your own sound engineer

It is always a good idea to talk to someone that knows how to set up a sound

system to get the best out of your music Get someone to listen to your stream

and tell you what needs changing usually more backing track and less vocal

You should remember that you are singing WITH a backing track not against it

THE SOUNDMAN

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

Open Mic DirectOry

SUNDAY

Substance Ampitheatre

Time 12pm -2 pm Run by Terese LattehttpslurlcomsecondlifeKeuka687261

Open Mic Venues listed by Day of the week All times areSecond Lifetrade Time

(SLT) This list is correct at time of printing and will be updated regularly

Contact us for sumissions corrections questions and forhellip Advertising

Arthuracutes Tavern

SATURDAY

Aquastar Lounge

Time 1130 am -230 pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900Open Mic Nights The PlaypenContact TERESE LATTEhttpslurlcomsecondlifeNovgorod1711156041048587

April 22 wednesday800830900 930

April 29No Show )

May 6800 Jerico Jaxxon900

May 13800830900930

May 20800 900

May 27800830900930

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

TUESDAY Aquastar Lounge Time 5-7 pm SLT Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Merry Prankster

Time 730 - 10 pm Genre All Run by Creola Deledda Zany Xevious

MONDAY Aquastar Lounge

Time 12-4 pm SLTGenre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Bravehearthttpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763

Mediaculture

Time 1 pm- 3 pmGenre all Run by AngleFireDaggerhttpslurlcomsecondlife mediaculture1572622

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global

FRIDAY U21 Global

Time 1 pm - 3pm Run by Keko Heckroth Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife U21Global20Campus145218103

Aquastar Lounge

Time 10am-3pm slt Genre All Run by Shellie Boucher Pheobee Braveheart httpslurlcomsecondlife Mephit16914763 Mc Coy

Time 5 pm - 8 pm Run by Laura Polke httpslurlcomsecondlifeMcCoy

THURSDAY The Hummingbird cafe

Time 4 pm - 6 pm Run by DimiVan Ludwig Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlife Menorca46724 The

Open Mic Live Poetry

Time 730 pm- 830 Griffin Westland httpslurlcomsecondlifeWestland20Point1648633

WEDNESDAY

Lil Slurgis

Time 400 - 6 pm Run by Sabby Whiplash Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeLIL 20Sturgis201489034

The Playpen

Time 800 pm - 930 pm Run by Terese Latte Genre All httpslurlcomsecondlifeNov-gorod171115604

U21 Global