Live musicians: what do they get out of it?

Nance Brody. Been to at least three performances now. Did not get to be at all three for full performance. Warning: She would probably be banned from SL if she played a PG venue. Or not, so confused about PG/mature.

And I've also seen Kim Seifert live, several times. Good.

Yep, exactly. You would make far more $ in RL than in SL. That's my only point. Now if you DID have a desire to make hair in SL - it would probably be because you loved doing it, not because you wanted to get rich. Anyways, I meant no harm, Ma'am.

Hey All. Norris Shepherd here, SL 'musician' (feels funny calling myselft that). Play guitar and sing in SL.

VERY interesting thread. Here is my 5000L worth.

Can't answer for everyone, but can tell you why I do it?

Ever lose something and not know you missed it until you found it, then can't understand how you lived without it?

I stopped playing / gigging in RL 10 years ago. Thought I grew out of it. Found SL, then found music in it, then played once, now play every week.

Why?

1. Love of music/performing. I live in a pretty rural part of Canada. I could play in my little town, and might get 10 or 20 people there... but they wouldn't come to see me several times a week. In SL i can play 5 times a week, and never see the same people in the crowd. In RL to play different towns would require hours of travel to and from gigs. RL gigging is a pain. Rent equipment, install, soundcheck, play, tear down gear at 2h00 AM ... yuk. In SL, i wander to my basement, plug in and play. Then shut off the computer and shut out the light when I am done.

2. Intimacy of shows. In RL, .. if you are in a new town.. you don't recognize anyone in the crowd. In SL... geez.. their name tag is right over their head. I get to say hi, and i might see them again at another show.

Also, there is something special about being able to read what people are saying. Allows for an interaction that you would not have in RL. If someone yells at you onstage in RL.. you won't hear them. But in SL, it's fun to read stuff scroll by when playing... makes me laugh, and i like to laugh.

And you get to know people who come to the shows. New friends. Yay!

3. A reason to start writing again. Haven't written a song in 10 years. Why would I? Who wants to write songs and record them and have them sit in the sock drawer? I now have a venue where there are a lot of cool people who enjoy listening to music and appreciate new songs and material.

4. Chicks dig musicians. So I'm told. I'm still waiting for confirmation of this rumor... hasn't materialized yet.... maybe Nad can tell me what I'm doing wrong...

5. Money. this is a very small part. But it is still a part. I had to buy a bunch of gear (which I'm still trying to learn how to use) to try and sound as good as possible. The money is not to make a living, just to help pay off this stuff, and hopefully buy some more stuff down the road.

I would still be playing even if i didn't make any money. I'm still a LONG way off from breaking even, but I look at it as being the cost of my hobby.

Don't make much. From 0 US$ to 20 US$ on a REALLY good night. But if you are playing 5 shows a week... it adds up. And it's a hobby for me. How much do you make with your hobby?

How much would i make sitting on me rear-end for an hour watching the hockey game instead?

...wow long post. Hope that helps answer the question.

Glad you have this opportunity. What is SLMC?

Second Life Music Community

http://slmc.myfastforum.org/index.php

All these great musicians to search for And to answer your question - it depends on how much you have on it. And if you win. Sorry, looked like it was sitting there waiting . . ..

And for the unasked question, I have my real life art up in SL because otherwise it would only be the kitties that would see it. Nothing to do with money.

Thank-you. Um . . there are no posts in "About SLMC" nor in "RULES* READ".

Neat, there is an artist one also, but I lost the url long ago.

Thank-you. Um . . there are no posts in "About SLMC" nor in "RULES* READ".

Prolly because there don't seem to be many rules

And the description under the "About SLMC" says it pretty much I think.

Whatever they get out of it, I'm glad they do it. I've just started to go to a few live performances and I swear the first one I went to, I was certain it was recorded. Nobody could sound that good live. Then the artist addressed the crowd and personalized the song a little, just to prove me wrong. I could easily get hooked on live music in SL. I wish I had some sort of musical talent.

Hehe. Thanks. Needed a small laugh just then. Wanted to specifically prove you wrong. hehe.

Careful..... it's very very easy indeed

And yes there are some amazingly talented people playing in SL. I've been to gigs and have been blown away by the music.

If you want tips, give me a shout sometime

Hi Folks... another SL musician chipping in here with some perspective.

My real life musical career has seen me performing as an in-demand session musician and vocalist; as a typical bar-band rocker; as an audio engineer and producer of some mildly well-known artists; and as a live musician whose crowds have ranged from 20 people to 20,000 people. I have no qualms about saying I'm a real, professional musician who LOVES to play in SL.

No, it's not for the money. But let's take the emphasis away from the vocation of being a musician and put it on the avocation. I play music for the same reason I have for the past 30+ years, and that's because I love to play. These days, due to career and family commitments, my ability to perform in gigging bands is limited. However, performing in SL from the comfort of my own home allows me to satisfy my jones to play music in front of people without all the hassles that go along with doing the band thing. So there's that.

I am also playing my original music to people from around the world, something that I couldn't do in my relatively small world of playing shows in my hometown. With an album coming out in 2008, and with the state of the recording industry being what it is, I need every fan I can get.

But at the end of the day, I love SL, and I love music. Why shouldn't I want to play there? It's a more natural question, in my opinion, to ask, "Why wouldn't a musician want to play in SL?"

It's great fun for both me and my audience, and if something in life is more important than that, then I must have a really different way of thinking than other folks.

Heh - yep - he was out to get me by proving he was live. I was there with a friend and no sooner had I IM'ed her with, "If he's live, I'm the Pope" when he proved he was live. Sigh. I'm glad there was no betting involved.

Sally - tips are gladly accepted. I'm broke.

Ohhhh...you meant the other kind of tips. Sure! If you've got a line on some great music, send it my way. I'd love to check it out.

NAD FOR PRESIDENT!!


I think Norris mentioned the most important reasons already. I'll just highlight a couple he mentioned:

1. Ease of performing in SL. RL gig - Get Dressed, pack equipment, haul equipment to location, unpack and setup equipment, test sound, play show, break down, pack up equipment, haul home, unpack car.
SL gig - start computer, start up sound gear, and start streaming your show. No Clothing required! Occasional SL reboot needed, this gets less stressful after the first couple times.

2. FUN "If someone yells at you onstage in RL.. you won't hear them. But in SL, it's fun to read stuff scroll by when playing... makes me laugh, and i like to laugh."

3. An appreciative audience. The music community is second to none. Outstanding people are involved. "A reason to start writing again. I now have a venue where there are a lot of cool people who enjoy listening to music and appreciate new songs and material."

4. "Chicks dig musicians. ... maybe Nad can tell me what I'm doing wrong"
Nad is definitely a chick magnet an stuff. Most likely you are forgetting the all important stuff, and stuff.

5. Is making minimum wage ($5-6 per hour) for a HOBBY really bad? It's gotta beat flippin burgers at McDonalds. "Money. Don't make much. From 0 US$ to 20 US$ on a REALLY good night. But if you are playing 5 shows a week... it adds up. And it's a hobby for me. How much do you make with your hobby?"


If there was no live music in SL, I would not be here. At all.

Hopefully I can say this without offending. Um . . . I'm now going to picture SL musicians performing nude. hehe. Sorry.

Oh I am for sure going to live performances now!!

People say Nad plays a mean belly-drum.

As far as you know, we do.

None of the musicians here have said it, but I suspect this is on all of their lists of why they play live music on SL.

Love of music
Exposure
Make great friend
Practice for RL performances
Get to play the guitar naked
It's a fun hobby
etc...

Well, I don't care if you're naked or not, I'm glad there's live music in SL. Even genere's I don't usually enjoy are a blast when they are live!

Don't apologize - we SAID it was for exposure.

Hello,
Just to add another SL musician's perspective I explain about my SL Music beginnings and motivations in this interview here: http://slebs.wordpress.com/2007/11/16/sleb-interview-komuso-tokugawa-sl-king-of-the-blues/

[I'll blame vj for the "king of the blues" title For the record, I actually hate it when promoters or artists label themselves as "best" or "top" or whatever in the relatively small fishpond of SL (or even RL for that matter) The true essence of music is celebration of diversity not competing for "kudo's". I stick more to Louis Armstrong's quote of "There is two kinds of music the good and bad."]

I play electric guitar, harmonica, shakuhachi and sing/scream...backed up by an AI rhythm section of bass/drums. Sometimes I play without the backing, most times with as I just like rhythms to play off, and currently (for me at least) it is not practical for a number of reasons to play live in sl with a RL rhythm section.

I also collaborate with other musicians from time to time in rl and sl, and have some new projects for SL Music 2008 in the works.

More info on some of these in the first two blog posts here, particularly the "Ambient Trance Blues" project: http://www.sonicviz.com/music/index.php?t=blogs_newest

Primarily I see virtual live music as a PERFORMANCE medium as valid as playing live in rl.
The metaverse music scene will expand rapidly from here on in, as technologies mature and become more reliable and easier to use.

cu in the bitstream, kt

ps: sorry about the hyperlinks not working, can't seem to get the vB code happening!

Without reading all of the many posts I will assume that many musicians love their music and play it in SL for that reason and not for any monetary gain. Not everything done in first or second life has to be done for a profit but who am I to argue with capitalism.

It took my friend Jamey Sismondi and Heath Elvehjiem about 6 months to get me online to perform. I thought it was insane. I thought.. no way in HELL am I gonna do that.

I took the plunge in Sept 2006... and had my first concert at the end of October. I've been living on the "bleeding edge" of technology ever since. I love it that I perform in my pj's, jeans or sweats! lol. I also perform in RL. Take down of the stage in SL is quicker.

Why don't others come and perform? I don't know.. maybe they think its just too weird. ME? I just love to perform for a worldwide audience. How can one do that if you are sitting around and don't try it. You gotta try it!!!! I did.. and here I am.

Peace in Music,


Kori Travanti in world
Kori Linae Carothers in RL

I perform live in SL for 2 reasons.

The money, even tho I'm quite a cheap performer compared to the others. I usually make around US$20 a gig. That is actually (on average) more than what I get performing live here in Canberra, Australia. We have no decent music scene so I'm usually playing for tips or free. After the money is divided up and P.A, petrol, etc.. has been paid, I end up with close to nothing. and like I said, the live music scene here is small. Same deal for the other musos around these parts. The money you earn in SL playing shows can really add up. A 1hr show takes about 2 hours (preparation, mingling afterwards) but in RL it can take 3 or 4hrs. Why do I perform in RL then? Its fun, you get free drinks, you can go nuts on stage, people shaking your hand, chicks chasing you, etc...

2nd reason is no one likes my music here in Canberra. The main style I play in SL is dance/metal fusion on guitar with backing tracks. The Europeans seem to love it. In my hometown, they hate it. I've had bad reviews and one club even pulled the plug on me half-way thru my set. So yeah, I'm playing to people that like it without having to leave my studio.

OK, I think I need to weigh in now after reading through the thread. I don't think I need to rehash a lot of the motivation stuff - it's about love and about getting your music in front of people and about the logistics nightmare that gigging IRL is for most of us (esp. w/ kids).

I will say that currently I do all performances "unplugged" well, OK plugged in, but just me on an acoustic. I occasionally pull out the electric, but always a fully live show. I used to use the backing tracks - actually the live multi-track projects files w/ an emptied out vocal track, but it took too long and the live acoustic just feels better.

I've been doing it about as long as anyone in SL (w/ the exception of Astrin, Moe, Frog/Jay, Star and few others that were playing when I started) and it's the immediacy and direct connection w/ the audience that keeps me coming back for more all the time - if you audience members think the Live music scene is addictive for you...

SL has even inspired 3 of my songs, maybe one or 2 others a bit less directly, and certainly got me writing more.