Second Life has a rich, energetic music scene with independent artists thriving at live concerts, nightclubs, public houses, discotheques, concert halls and festivals. The virtual world provides a stage where these aspiring performers can be discovered by otherwise unreachable people around the globe. This collection recognizes the most popular artists performing an array of genres live in the virtual world.
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Soleil
Soleil: Ever Long, 5:28
Soleil's Band Camp
iTunes previews:
Soleil
Soleil
Soleil
Notes: Created in collaboration with Second Life musician Tasuku Ghost, Soleil is her first album. Soleil has been a graphic designer, studio musician, and solo artist who performed at Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles and the Apollo in Manhattan.
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Skye Galaxy
Skye Galaxy, Better Left Unsaid, 5:54, video by Toxic Menges
Also by Skye Galaxy, Joga, 8:42, from Bjork
Web
Twitter
YouTube
Notes: Second Life pop star Skye Galaxy is Sean Ryan of Dallas, Texas.
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Chouchou
Chouchou: eclipse, 3:52
anemone, 5:21
vinculum, 2:43
Chouchou's Band Camp
Chouchou's blog
Notes: Chouchou is a Japanese ambient combo searching for new music possibilities in the virtual world Second Life. Music by arabesque Choche with vocal by juliet Heberle.
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Winston Ackland
Winston Ackland: All The Little Fishies, 3:58
Bandcamp: Annabel Waiting, 1:11
Koinup
SLMC
Belfast
Notes: A veteran Second Life musician, Winston Ackland plays originals and great covers. Toxic Menges is his machinimist.
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Von Johin
Von Johin: Mississippi Delta-style blues, 5:37, at HoboWeen
Web
Wired
About
Interview
Notes: Nashville bluesman Von Johin plays Mississippi Delta-style blues across the country and weekly shows in Second Life. His record deal was a first for a Second Life performer.
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Komuso Tokugawa
Komuso Tokugawa: Komuso Tokugawa (live) , 7:10
St James Infirmary, 0:14
Song With No Name, 9:24
K.C. Blues, 6:19
Metaverse Guide
Sonicviz
Notes: The "Sim Killer" blues master, Komuso Tokugawa, an Australian living in Japan, "bringing the boogie to the bit stream" live in Second Life.
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JueL Resistance
JueL Resistance: Suzen Juel Resistance live in Secondlife , 6:01
JueL Resistance: Live In Second Live, 4:15
SL Profile
Blog
Fan Blog
Notes: Suzen Juel Resistance performs her original songs live at Second Life venues
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Grace McDunnough
Grace McDunnough: Wish For You, 2:26, Chantal Harvey machinima
Grace McDunnough: Fallen State of Grace, 2:26, and other songs
Blog
Weebly
Facebook
SL Wiki
Notes: Grace McDunnough – artist, poet, live musician and virtual world developer, creator of Musimmersion, founder of the Mill Pond Folk Festival – combines emotional audio and visual immersion into unique virtual world experiences.
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Cypress Rosewood
Cypress Rosewood: Live in Second Life, 4:45
Cypress Rosewood: At the Odd Ball, 1:00, Chantal Harvey machinima
Web
Concerts
Media
Facebook
SL Newspaper
Notes: Tony Gerber performs two dozen Internet radio broadcasts a month as Cypress Rosewood in Second Life.
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Cosmic Haystack
Cosmic Haystack: At The Gaslight, 7:50
Cosmic Haystack: The Bluegrass Band, 3:30
Cosmic Haystack: The Mountain Song, 4:19
Facebook
Jwheels
Thinkerer
CSI
Notes: From Louisville, Kentucky, Cosmic Haystack on banjo, Dennis Tally on bass, Matt Phelps on guitar, Tony Meyers on mandolin, Andy Ruff on dobro.
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The Black Stripes
The Black Stripes: The Black Stripes in Asakusa, 4:13
The Black Stripes: Pray, 3:33
The Black Stripes: Will Tell, 3:27
The Black Stripes: Stop Suicide Bomb, 3:29
MySpace
Notes: The Black Stripes at Taiji Juran in Asakusa
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Rich Desoto
Rich Desoto: Avatar Girl, 4:03, Kaneva audio
Rich Desoto: Avatar Girl, 4:03, STO video
Rich Desoto: I Used To Sleep, 2:48, MySpace audio
Rich Desoto: I Used To Sleep, 2:48, STO video
website
MySpace
blog
Notes: Rich Desoto is Rich Palmer in real life.
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Forsythe Whitfield
Forsythe Whitfield: Poulet Shack, 4:02, doin' a gig at Fishbelly's Juke Joint with college students as extras, YouTube
Forsythe Whitfield: Poulet Shack, 4:02, STO dupe
Manitoba Hal/Hal Brolund: Poulet Shack, 3:27
Forsythe Whitfield: 30 Odd Days, 3:50
Forsythe Whitfield: Steam Punk Guitar, 4:39
Forsythe Whitfield: Make A Wish, 4:30
website
blog
South Shore Life
SL Profile
Songster
Pipl
Pipl 2
ReverbNation
DesignKitten
Notes: Forsythe Whitfield (a.k.a. Hal Brolund/Manitoba Hal/Nova Scotia Hal) is a blues troubadour from the Canadian prairie.
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About live music in Second Life:
Music is a social art form, created and enjoyed by people alone and in groups. People want to share music and virtual environments are 3D spaces on the Internet where they can share the experience of music together.
The technology replicates the experience of going to see and hear a live musical performance in the company of others. People at a musical event in Second Life can talk with each other about the music, express their feelings about it, and react to it together.
Second Life residents not only can find shared social experiences, but they can search for a musical subculture that matches their tastes. For instance, a Second Life resident in North Carolina can experience a live performance by an artist in Tokyo at the same moment as other persons scattered around the world experience it.
Second Life live music performances are social events with music played live and streamed in experienced simultaneously all by those gathered at a venue. As a musician is performing, the audience is experiencing and sharing the performance together.
While a person's avatar is dancing in the virtual world, the person behind that avatar could be speaking to others attending the same performance from all over the world. Conversations can occur even more readily than they might at a real life music venue.
The artist also can chat easily with the audience. During a performance, the audience often will react verbally to a striking part of a song. Whether at a virtual nightclub, public house, discotheque, concert hall or festival, a live performance becomes interactive and participatory.
Distance to a music venue is not a barrier. A Second Life resident can move from one club to another simply by using the search index, finding a place offering a desired music genre, and clicking the teleport button. At the destination, the resident will share the musical experience there with others who are engaged at the new location.
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Second Life artists have been recognized in:
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YouTube
MySpace
Facebook
Flickr
SL Music
Wikipedia
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Wired magazine
New World Notes
CNN iReports
The Gardian U.K.
The Los Angeles Times
The New York Times
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How to perform as a musician in Second Life:
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Second Life Wiki – Overview of Music in Second Life
Second Life Wiki – Outfitting Your Virtual Live Musician
Second Life Wiki – Streaming Your Music Into Second Life
Second Life Wiki – Live Performances
Second Life Wiki – Promoting Your Music
Second Life Wiki – Music Streams Genres
Second Life Wiki – Destination Guide
Live Music in SL
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