Music Island: Five Years of “Virtual Concerts in the Park”
An article I recently published in my default identity in H+ magazine.
Posts
Getting it Right: Consulting Projects
12 years ago
Monday, September 24, 2012
Saturday, December 3, 2011
A vibrant and busy December Schedule
For the latest schedule and information on the web visit http://musicisland.spruz.com
Sat Dec 3, 2 pm SLT
Voodoo Shilton, guitar
Wed Dec 7 6 pm SLT
Duo Appassionato, violins/viola
Winter holiday concert
Sat Dec 10 2 pm SLT
Tip Corbett, composer, pianist
Sun Dec 11 1 pm SLT
Kain Scalia, tenor
Once Upon a Winter
Sat Dec 17, 11 am SLT
Let's Talk Classical Music
A Classical Christmas
with host, Aelthing Aeon
Sun Dec 18, 2 pm SLTSchumann Duo
piano, oboe and surprises
Wed Dec 21, 1 pm SLT
Fingersatz Barbosa, classical guitar
Sat Dec 31 12 pm SLT
NEW YEARS REZZ-OLUTIONS
Cypress Rosewood, ambient music
Sunday, November 20, 2011
November 27 Women in SL Music
What's this?
No concert at Music Island this week?
Yes, but wait!
It's time for the annual festival of SL Women in Music offered in partnership with Ohio State University's Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies. This year the festival will be a kick off event for16 Days of Action against Gender Violence with events in RL and SL both.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Minerva/10/10/29/
11 am Cindy Ecksol, folk
Cindy Ecksol has been making and teaching music with voice, autoharp, fiddle and a variety of other instruments for as long as she can remember. She is particularly interested in traditional music of many varieties, and her repertoire includes everything from Irish tunes and Israeli dance music played on autoharp to dark Appalachian fiddle tunes from the mountains of West Virginia. But her playful side can't resist amusing modern songs about real life, which somehow co-exist with folk songs from long ago.
12 pm AMForte Clarity - Rock and Blues
Driven to succeed, A.M.Forte has sought out different avenues for exposure. As a singer/songwriter, she will never give up in her dreams . With Punk/Rock/Pop flairs, this artist has influences that include, U2, Nirvana, RadioHead, Alanis Morrissette, Coldplay, MCR, AAR, The Cranberries, Our Lady Peace and Elliott Smith. She WON the Best of SL Magazine Musician of 2009 Ministry of Motion Contest!
Visit her at the following Websites:
http://www.amforte.com
http://www.myspace.com/amforte
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFMvM0JSOXc
1 pm Prowess Rayna, piano
Prowess Rayna, a true artist on the piano, began playing at 3, composing at 7 & performing professionally by 14. Countless souls have been uplifted by her sensuous, passionate expression, fluid technique & beautiful melodies. Her reputation flourishes as she shares her evolving talents with live music lovers in SL
2 pm SonyaJevette Charisma
The words sultry, cool, and eccentric best describe the singer, songwriter, and musician Sonya Jevette. She grew up singing to the great R&B tunes that dominated the airwaves in the seventies. As a teen she honed her vocal talent through the church choir. Winning a talent contest at the age of seventeen was the beginning of Jevette's journey. From there, she went on to win dozens of competitions. These successes translated into media attention from radio & newspaper with appearances at over one hundred festivals.
Jevette combines her rich, passionate voice and her gut-wrenching lyrics with classical, latin and jazz style guitar. Jevette's configuration produces a style that can only be described as unique.
http://www.iTunes.com/sonyajevette
http://www.cdbaby.com/sonyajevette
3 pm The Choo Choo Chicks
The Choo Choo Chicks are sassy, sizzling jazz and blues live from Red Lotus Records in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Tight harmonies and a kickin' rhythm section are the hallmarks of this group, who perform original music written by lead singer Angua Ashbourne and cover the classics from Robert Johnson to Lady Day.
Weblinks: www.redlotusrecords.net http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5V0F-9xMuo
No concert at Music Island this week?
Yes, but wait!
It's time for the annual festival of SL Women in Music offered in partnership with Ohio State University's Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies. This year the festival will be a kick off event for16 Days of Action against Gender Violence with events in RL and SL both.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Minerva/10/10/29/
11 am Cindy Ecksol, folk 12 noon AMFORTE Clarity, rock
1 pm Prowess Rayna, piano
2 pm SonyaJevette Charisma, blues
3 pm Choo Choo Chicks, vocal trio with live ensemble..DETAILS:
11 am Cindy Ecksol - American FolkCindy Ecksol has been making and teaching music with voice, autoharp, fiddle and a variety of other instruments for as long as she can remember. She is particularly interested in traditional music of many varieties, and her repertoire includes everything from Irish tunes and Israeli dance music played on autoharp to dark Appalachian fiddle tunes from the mountains of West Virginia. But her playful side can't resist amusing modern songs about real life, which somehow co-exist with folk songs from long ago.
12 pm AMForte Clarity - Rock and Blues
Driven to succeed, A.M.Forte has sought out different avenues for exposure. As a singer/songwriter, she will never give up in her dreams . With Punk/Rock/Pop flairs, this artist has influences that include, U2, Nirvana, RadioHead, Alanis Morrissette, Coldplay, MCR, AAR, The Cranberries, Our Lady Peace and Elliott Smith. She WON the Best of SL Magazine Musician of 2009 Ministry of Motion Contest!
Visit her at the following Websites:
http://www.amforte.com
http://www.myspace.com/amforte
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFMvM0JSOXc
1 pm Prowess Rayna, piano
Prowess Rayna, a true artist on the piano, began playing at 3, composing at 7 & performing professionally by 14. Countless souls have been uplifted by her sensuous, passionate expression, fluid technique & beautiful melodies. Her reputation flourishes as she shares her evolving talents with live music lovers in SL
2 pm SonyaJevette Charisma
The words sultry, cool, and eccentric best describe the singer, songwriter, and musician Sonya Jevette. She grew up singing to the great R&B tunes that dominated the airwaves in the seventies. As a teen she honed her vocal talent through the church choir. Winning a talent contest at the age of seventeen was the beginning of Jevette's journey. From there, she went on to win dozens of competitions. These successes translated into media attention from radio & newspaper with appearances at over one hundred festivals.
Jevette combines her rich, passionate voice and her gut-wrenching lyrics with classical, latin and jazz style guitar. Jevette's configuration produces a style that can only be described as unique.
http://www.iTunes.com/sonyajevette
http://www.cdbaby.com/sonyajevette
3 pm The Choo Choo Chicks
The Choo Choo Chicks are sassy, sizzling jazz and blues live from Red Lotus Records in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Tight harmonies and a kickin' rhythm section are the hallmarks of this group, who perform original music written by lead singer Angua Ashbourne and cover the classics from Robert Johnson to Lady Day.
Weblinks: www.redlotusrecords.net http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5V0F-9xMuo
Friday, November 18, 2011
Nov 19 "Let's Talk Classical Music" with Aelthing Aeon
Let's Talk Classical Music
November 19 @ 11 am SLT
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island
Like to listen and learn about classical music? Aelthing Aeon, a guest lecturer with the National Federation of Recorded Music Societies (UK) will present an informative talk on selected classical recordings. This month's topic "Innovation and Conservation in Early Music".The format for this series is selected recordings on the SL music stream accompanied by informative text chat by the host. Questions and comments from the audience in text are welcome during the presentation.
Nov. 20 Atheene Dodonpa: Songs of the Anunciation & Advent Season
Atheene Dodonpa, soprano
Early Songs of the Anunciation & Advent Season
(live concert in 3D virtual reality)
Sunday November 20, 2011
12 noon SLT (Pacific Time)
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island
Early Songs of the Anunciation & Advent Season
(live concert in 3D virtual reality)
Sunday November 20, 2011
12 noon SLT (Pacific Time)
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island
Atheene Dodonpa is the pre-eminent wandering minstrel of Second Life, entertaining townsfolk and castle dwellers alike with authentic music from many cultures delivered in her thrilling soprano, accompanying herself on period instruments and illuminating the audience with warm, engaging, explanatory chat.
PROGRAM:
Songs of the Annunciation and the Advent Season
4 Early Syrian hymns
- Yawnu Tlitu (Little Dove, Birth of Christ)
- Qurbone Qarebun (Prayer of the Priests)
- Enono nuhro shariro (I´m the true Light)
- Ayn Qai (People died in faith)
6 songs from the Laudario di Firenze
- Laude novella (Virgin Mary)
- Voi ch´amate lo criatore (Virgin Mary´s lament)
- Novel canto dolce sancto (Apostle Thomas)
- Peccatrice nominata (Mary Magdalene)
- Sancto Marco glorioso (Evangelist Mark)
- Sancto Symeom beato (Simeon who saw the baby Jesus)
3 songs by Hildegard von Bingen
- O quam preciosa (Virgin Mary)
- O nobilissima viriditas (Praising the virginity)
- Mathias sanctus (Evangelist Matthew)
The Florence Laudario is a collection of monophonic hymns dating from the 14th century, and is only one of two extant that include the written music, the other being the Cortona Laudario from the 13th century. The Florence Laudario belonged to the Company of Santo Spirito, an ensemble of “laudesi” (much like a group of cantors, or even a schola), which sung the compline service every evening for the Church of Santo Spirito. A church of any renown had its company of laudesi whose chief job it was to help the congregation sing the hymns, the way we still use cantors today. Hymns were composed with a ritornello (“refrain”) that was easy enough for the congregation to learn. All text, notably, was in the vernacular, not in Latin, again providing the congregation with access to the language. This is probably why these hymns are still around in some version or another. Unlike the Cortonese who kept their laude simple, the laudesi of Florence, being Florentine, of course refined and ornamented their laude such that only trained singers could successfully sing the complex bits. However, the ritornello was always there to return to, and the congregations could, and would, join in.
- Amelia LeClair
HILDEGARD VON BINGEN, (1098-1179), was a remarkable woman, a "first" in many fields. At a time when few women wrote, Hildegard, known as "Sybil of the Rhine", produced major works of theology and visionary writings. When few women were accorded respect, she was consulted by and advised bishops, popes, and kings. She used the curative powers of natural objects for healing, and wrote treatises about natural history and medicinal uses of plants, animals, trees and stones. She is the first composer whose biography is known. Clearly a force to
contend with, she wrote books and letters on all of the above topics, traveled widely, and penned what is arguably the first opera in western music, the “Ordo Virtutem”. She founded a vibrant convent, where her musical plays were performed. Her music is radically different from the chant that surrounded her: she takes great leaps of fifths followed by fourths frequently (thus spanning an octave), and the expressive writing is not meant for the faint of heart. She obviously had very well trained singers at her disposal. Her poetry is raw and wonderful, and has no known precedent.
Although not yet canonized, Hildegard has been beatified, and is frequently referred to as St. Hildegard. Revival of interest in this extraordinary woman of the middle ages was initiated by musicologists and historians of science and religion. More controversially, Hildegard's music had been adapted and interpreted by the New Age movement, whose music bears some resemblance to Hildegard's ethereal airs.
Her story is important to all students of medieval history and culture and an inspirational account of an irresistible spirit and vibrant intellect overcoming social, physical, cultural, gender barriers to achieve timeless transcendence. For her, Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a frequent artistic theme.Friday, November 11, 2011
Saturday November 12 Champagne Rain, piano
CHAMPAGNE RAIN, piano and voice
SAT Nov 12 @ 12 PM
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sea%20Turtle%20Island/56/23/25
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Champagne Rain is an Eastern European born Classical Pianist. She has devoted most of her life to acquiring performing skills at the Kiev Conservatory and has, in real life, performed in the world's most prestigious concert venues, including Vienna's Musikverein Golden Hall. She has recorded 6 CD's of concert and solo work.
In SL, she is also sharing her second musical talent, a lovely operatic voice, sharing some of her favorite arias and lieder.
SAT Nov 12 @ 12 PM
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sea%20Turtle%20Island/56/23/25
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Champagne Rain is an Eastern European born Classical Pianist. She has devoted most of her life to acquiring performing skills at the Kiev Conservatory and has, in real life, performed in the world's most prestigious concert venues, including Vienna's Musikverein Golden Hall. She has recorded 6 CD's of concert and solo work.
In SL, she is also sharing her second musical talent, a lovely operatic voice, sharing some of her favorite arias and lieder.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Conservation and Innovation in Early Music
Three events over the next week will explore this theme:
Nov 13 12 noon Christine Montgomery, violin & compostion "Plugged-In Vivaldi"
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Chrissie Caulfield is a violinist and composer working principally in contemporary, ambient and rock idioms. She plays electric violin in the Progressive Rock band Catscans, has played solo at various venues including Colchester New Music and will be holding a masterclass in electric violin techniques in that city later this year. She is also a founder member of the contemporary music band ‘Midnight Llama’ based in West Yorkshire, UK. She has toured Europe with the rock band Crippled Black Phoenix and appears on the latest album “Relic” by guitarist Matt Stevens.
As a composer, Chrissie is largely self-taught, but has taken tuition and advice from Ben Oliver, John Habron, Scott McLaughlin and anyone else who will listen. Her compositional style is eclectic and takes in a number of diverse influences from the baroque masters to Schnittke, Swedish folk music, Pink Floyd, distortion pedals and the noise cats make when licking foil. She is, as Douglas Adams would have it, “a great fan of science” and frequently uses scientific and mathematical themes in her music, though is not above tweaking mathematical systems for musical effect.
She lives in Leeds with a large number of cats, some strange instruments, and possibly too many computers and/or effects pedals.
This is what happens to classical music when you remove its inhibitions, lend it to a prog-rocker and then try to play the tattered remains when it comes back two years later covered in cat pawprints
http://www.facebook.com/l/wAQGGmtt9AQEGqxUtPqsoJM_0Q4SMmCty0uRrX-KVH5-1sw/chrissieviolin.info
http://www.facebook.com/l/fAQH94bDEAQGNluN6kIaT6bP9CPC-LDYLo-YK8IsbNOPQDw/midnightllama.info
http://www.facebook.com/l/4AQGNdWpjAQEISPTEtuBssF9ZRn8ddoMiqU-4vnVdjeb7zA/catscansband.com
Nov 19 11 am Aelthing Aeon, guided listening Conservation and Innovation
Like to listen and learn about classical music? Whether you are new to classical music or an avid collector of recordings, you are always sure to learn something new at this monthly talk. Aelthing Aeon, a guest lecturer with the National Federation of Recorded Music Societies in the UK will present an informative talk on selected classical recordings, including some rare performances on CD. This month, Ael will be talking about and contrasting performances on period & modern instruments.
Nov 20 12 noon Atheene Dodonpa, Early Music
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Lady Atheene Dodonpa is the leading Lady minstrel performing medieval music in SL. She is a professional musician in both worlds, so her live medieval music moments are guaranteed to be authentic and unique.
Lady Atheene accompanies her voice with several instruments: recorders and pipes, bells, rebec, symphonie, bowed psaltery, 5-stringed kantele, organ and celtic harp. Her performances have already been a source of joy for hundreds of people in SL and she will continue to sing and tell the enchanting stories for the recidents of all regions she is invited to also in the future, of course, God willing.
Nov 13 12 noon Christine Montgomery, violin & compostion "Plugged-In Vivaldi"
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Chrissie Caulfield is a violinist and composer working principally in contemporary, ambient and rock idioms. She plays electric violin in the Progressive Rock band Catscans, has played solo at various venues including Colchester New Music and will be holding a masterclass in electric violin techniques in that city later this year. She is also a founder member of the contemporary music band ‘Midnight Llama’ based in West Yorkshire, UK. She has toured Europe with the rock band Crippled Black Phoenix and appears on the latest album “Relic” by guitarist Matt Stevens.
As a composer, Chrissie is largely self-taught, but has taken tuition and advice from Ben Oliver, John Habron, Scott McLaughlin and anyone else who will listen. Her compositional style is eclectic and takes in a number of diverse influences from the baroque masters to Schnittke, Swedish folk music, Pink Floyd, distortion pedals and the noise cats make when licking foil. She is, as Douglas Adams would have it, “a great fan of science” and frequently uses scientific and mathematical themes in her music, though is not above tweaking mathematical systems for musical effect.
She lives in Leeds with a large number of cats, some strange instruments, and possibly too many computers and/or effects pedals.
This is what happens to classical music when you remove its inhibitions, lend it to a prog-rocker and then try to play the tattered remains when it comes back two years later covered in cat pawprints
http://www.facebook.com/l/wAQGGmtt9AQEGqxUtPqsoJM_0Q4SMmCty0uRrX-KVH5-1sw/chrissieviolin.info
http://www.facebook.com/l/fAQH94bDEAQGNluN6kIaT6bP9CPC-LDYLo-YK8IsbNOPQDw/midnightllama.info
http://www.facebook.com/l/4AQGNdWpjAQEISPTEtuBssF9ZRn8ddoMiqU-4vnVdjeb7zA/catscansband.com
Nov 19 11 am Aelthing Aeon, guided listening Conservation and Innovation
Like to listen and learn about classical music? Whether you are new to classical music or an avid collector of recordings, you are always sure to learn something new at this monthly talk. Aelthing Aeon, a guest lecturer with the National Federation of Recorded Music Societies in the UK will present an informative talk on selected classical recordings, including some rare performances on CD. This month, Ael will be talking about and contrasting performances on period & modern instruments.
Nov 20 12 noon Atheene Dodonpa, Early Music
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Lady Atheene Dodonpa is the leading Lady minstrel performing medieval music in SL. She is a professional musician in both worlds, so her live medieval music moments are guaranteed to be authentic and unique.
Lady Atheene accompanies her voice with several instruments: recorders and pipes, bells, rebec, symphonie, bowed psaltery, 5-stringed kantele, organ and celtic harp. Her performances have already been a source of joy for hundreds of people in SL and she will continue to sing and tell the enchanting stories for the recidents of all regions she is invited to also in the future, of course, God willing.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Atheene Dodonpa stars in "Alvido in Abo"
Wondering where SL's Atheene Dodonpa has been? Here's the scoop, and the link to a recording. Her summer project was performing in a 1692 opera Alvido in Abo. Listen online. (If you don't speak Finnish advance about 10 minutes to skip the narrative introduction. )
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Sept 11 "The Language of Peace" 12 noon SLT
"The language of peace"
Shprav OODLES & Sandia BEAUMONT, piano, harpsichord & organ
Sunday Sept 11 @ 12 pm (NOON)
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sea%20Turtle%20Island/54/21/23
PROGRAM:
Bartok Grasshopper Wedding
Heliodoro de Paiva Tento de IV Tom
Bartok BEAR dance
Tchaikovsky June Barcarolle
Handel Sonatina in A minor
Improv
Bartok: Slovakian Boys Dance
Sondheim: Send in the Clowns
Chopin/Beaumont: Cat & Dog
Improv
Debussy: Arabesque
Oodles: Africa Laughing
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Is there a creative economy in Second Life?
In the context of a maillist discussion, this video was posted, sparking my comments as below.
It is interesting to note that Richard Florida moved to Canada, citing in part the Canadian national and Toronto civic understanding of the role of the public sector in supporting cultural assets for the creative economy. Second Life by contrast is a very libertarian, free-enterprise environment with extremely limited public support for the inworld arts community.
Different art forms are able to support themselves more or less in a free market system depending upon costs, popularity, and market fluctuations in ticket prices or art sales. Only the "lowest common denominator" in the arts are able to survive solely on earned revenues: pop music, mass-market films, etc. The economic formulas for successful museums, orchestras, opera companies have been remarkably stable for more than 100 years and across national borders although the form of public support may vary. In one nation it is all direct grants, in others there are mail discounts, some offer tax breaks for private/corporate donors or subsidies to concert halls for the provision of free or inexpensive facilities. I can expound in a lot of detail on this topic (and have elsewhere). In 1881 when the Boston Symphony was founded (the first professional symphony in N. America) the Board proposed a business plan to the City of Boston that showed only 50% of revenues coming from ticket sales. The rest of the income was to come from government 25% and private/corporate donors 25%. With slight variations, that is the formula for a successful orchestra today. If government support & private support goes down and you raise ticket prices, people stop coming. If you reduce costs by using lower quality musicians or a cheaper hall, people stop coming. There is no way to beat the formula in the long run. (God knows I have tried, like every other artistic manager in the biz.)
Second Life arts is full of dedicated volunteers, curious arts experimenters and trial projects. It is not home to many arts projects that are professional and sustainable. (I can't name one.) Every year that I have run Music Island, I have seen colleagues leave Second Life because their efforts have not been sustainable. Sometimes they leave happy for the good experiences and sad to not be able to continue, other times they leave bitter and disillusioned. Reasons for disillusionment vary. My own series is made possible because I elected to work parttime because I found SL music interesting and restorative. The cost to me and my family was about a $25,000 reduction in income annually for the past two years. Had I taken that step in order to launch.... oh... a chamber series in a Toronto church, I have absolutely no doubt that I could have raised more than enough from Canadian arts foundations & others to pay myself and the artists. However Second Life is a different animal. RL arts funders are interested in RL arts projects in a particular location featuring local or national artists. International virtual projects are too "far out", outside the scope of the funders, and on top of that Linden Lab seems intent on sending a marketing message about the world that is not welcoming to education and culture, but rather highlights the social and game-like elements. Within the virtual world itself I feel there is little understanding by Linden Lab of the vital role cultural assets have played in making the community attractive to its creative class, the damage that has been done to that creative class by driving out educators and non-profits, and the number of arts series, like my own, that are running out of steam. The libertarian philosophy that seems to be at the core of Linden thinking is that if something is worthwhile it will be able to raise its own funding in the free market. History refutes this view. Historically the arts have only flourished with the support of the King, the Church, or democratic governments. I'm not sure which of these the Lindens are most like, but whichever, there is little public arts support available within SL.
I'd like to add that I am far from bitter or disillusioned. I made my own decisions and I have found the generosity of the musicians that perform at Music Island, humbling and heart-warming. We are all here for the music and the fans, but persevere despite the Lindens and the crass free-enterprise, commercial & adult-entertainment community they have fostered.
SLCC 2011 The Creative Economy In Second Live by Sitearm Madonna aka James Neville from Sitearm Madonna on Vimeo.
It is interesting to note that Richard Florida moved to Canada, citing in part the Canadian national and Toronto civic understanding of the role of the public sector in supporting cultural assets for the creative economy. Second Life by contrast is a very libertarian, free-enterprise environment with extremely limited public support for the inworld arts community.
Different art forms are able to support themselves more or less in a free market system depending upon costs, popularity, and market fluctuations in ticket prices or art sales. Only the "lowest common denominator" in the arts are able to survive solely on earned revenues: pop music, mass-market films, etc. The economic formulas for successful museums, orchestras, opera companies have been remarkably stable for more than 100 years and across national borders although the form of public support may vary. In one nation it is all direct grants, in others there are mail discounts, some offer tax breaks for private/corporate donors or subsidies to concert halls for the provision of free or inexpensive facilities. I can expound in a lot of detail on this topic (and have elsewhere). In 1881 when the Boston Symphony was founded (the first professional symphony in N. America) the Board proposed a business plan to the City of Boston that showed only 50% of revenues coming from ticket sales. The rest of the income was to come from government 25% and private/corporate donors 25%. With slight variations, that is the formula for a successful orchestra today. If government support & private support goes down and you raise ticket prices, people stop coming. If you reduce costs by using lower quality musicians or a cheaper hall, people stop coming. There is no way to beat the formula in the long run. (God knows I have tried, like every other artistic manager in the biz.)
Second Life arts is full of dedicated volunteers, curious arts experimenters and trial projects. It is not home to many arts projects that are professional and sustainable. (I can't name one.) Every year that I have run Music Island, I have seen colleagues leave Second Life because their efforts have not been sustainable. Sometimes they leave happy for the good experiences and sad to not be able to continue, other times they leave bitter and disillusioned. Reasons for disillusionment vary. My own series is made possible because I elected to work parttime because I found SL music interesting and restorative. The cost to me and my family was about a $25,000 reduction in income annually for the past two years. Had I taken that step in order to launch.... oh... a chamber series in a Toronto church, I have absolutely no doubt that I could have raised more than enough from Canadian arts foundations & others to pay myself and the artists. However Second Life is a different animal. RL arts funders are interested in RL arts projects in a particular location featuring local or national artists. International virtual projects are too "far out", outside the scope of the funders, and on top of that Linden Lab seems intent on sending a marketing message about the world that is not welcoming to education and culture, but rather highlights the social and game-like elements. Within the virtual world itself I feel there is little understanding by Linden Lab of the vital role cultural assets have played in making the community attractive to its creative class, the damage that has been done to that creative class by driving out educators and non-profits, and the number of arts series, like my own, that are running out of steam. The libertarian philosophy that seems to be at the core of Linden thinking is that if something is worthwhile it will be able to raise its own funding in the free market. History refutes this view. Historically the arts have only flourished with the support of the King, the Church, or democratic governments. I'm not sure which of these the Lindens are most like, but whichever, there is little public arts support available within SL.
I'd like to add that I am far from bitter or disillusioned. I made my own decisions and I have found the generosity of the musicians that perform at Music Island, humbling and heart-warming. We are all here for the music and the fans, but persevere despite the Lindens and the crass free-enterprise, commercial & adult-entertainment community they have fostered.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Labour Day Weekend Events
In Second Life this Labour Day Weekend? Super! Music Island, Cedar Island and Virtual Ability have got together to have a bunch of great events for you to do
Saturday, September 3
8 am SLT- Labor Literature- readings by Bathsheba Darkfold and Chaoite Resident
Cape Serenity Library (text and voice)
noon SLT- Chapman Zane- Music from the Kentucky Hills and Coal Mines
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island
1 pm SLT Ronin1 Shippe Art Opening - Cedar Island Public Square
2 pm Film and discussion "Salt of the Earth" 1954 at Sea Turtle Island Lodge
11 am SLT- Labor Literature- readings by Bathsheba Darkfold and Ladyslipper Constantine
Cape Serenity Library (text and voice)
1 pm SLT Tour of Fenimore Art Gallery, A project of the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, NY, the repository of one of America's greatest collections of American art and American folk art. All from New England, this is one of the finest assemblages of America's artistic heritage anywhere.
Cape Able
Monday, September 5
noon SLT- Cindy Ecksol Concert - "Have you been to jail for justice"
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island
1 pm SLT Chad Mikado of the National Service Inclusion Project "Contributing our volunteer labour virtually".
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island.
All day-Ronin1 Shippe Art Show Continues, Cedar Island Public Square
5 pm SLT- Labor Literature- readings by Bathsheba Darkfold and Gentle Heron
Cape Serenity Library (text and voice)
The Labor LIterature will be poetry, short stories, and pithy quotations, with a smattering of labor history included.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Miriam Forsythe concert postponed
Miriam Forsythe, scheduled for a concert this week August 13 at noon, has had to postpone her concert due to a flare up of a painful ganglian cyst.
We all wish Miriam a speedy recovery and hope she'll be back with us soon at Music Island.
We all wish Miriam a speedy recovery and hope she'll be back with us soon at Music Island.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Saturday August 13 Joaquin Gustav, 2 pm SLT
Joaquin Gustav, latin guitar
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island
August 13, 2 pm SLT
Joaquin is a highly trained guitarist, born and received his music education in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the birthplace of tango. Out of his fingers comes an array of string sounds that blend the colors of Latin American culture with his own elegant performing style. Inspired by tradition, he is not afraid to experiment with new styles and techniques.
His wide range playlist includes smooth jazz, rock, tango, milonga, candombe and much more.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Livestream or Record? Musings.
Question & thinking out loud about the dissemination of the great SL concerts we have at Music Island:
If I have to choose between livestreaming or recording an SL concert, which one is better to focus my resources on? I'm wondering because one person really can't do both well I don't think.
Yesterday people attending the Champagne Rain concert were asking me about whether a recording of the concert would be available because they had friends who couldn't get in. When I said that it was on livestream now but not being recorded in entirety they went "Oh Shit, so and so has logged off now and I can't tell them that". Hmmmm. Seems like there's been a communication failure there despite my announcing the Livestream before concerts and occasionally reminding people via group notice. On the other hand Live stream is a new feature to Music Island concerts and maybe they will get onto it if I keep it up. I also have thought about putting a Livestream logo onstage with a URL connection so that people visiting the sim will know the concerts are available on the web (most concerts).
Livestream increases the potential audience for an event and it doesn't add TOO much extra work time. I have to set up a separate broadcast computer, check the sound and then zoom back and forth periodically to change camera angles and then it's done. The main thrust of the exercise is to get around the small audience limits in Second Life and my hope is that it will help expand the numbers of musicians performing in SL and also be an appealing facet of any mixed reality project. I cannot use the broadcast software in "record" mode while in Second Life because it gobbles so much bandwidth that SL fps slows to a crawl (especially in a crowded concert setting). This makes what you are recording look terrible. (Talk about the observer effect :-)
Screen capture in another computer running FRAPS involves capturing a variety of angles and views of the concert with a view to post production editing in my (new) Sony Vegas software. I now have to means to create much better videos BUT it takes a LOT of work to do so. The raw capture files are also HUGE. But the films create a long lasting record of events that can be shared to inform and promote artists, Music Island and SL music in general.
Both require artist permissions which generally are not witheld but I would say most are more enthusiastic about Livestream than recordings but that could just be that my early recordings were pretty crappy (archival only really).
I COULD decide on a case by case basis, but I wonder if that might not lead to some feeling shortchanged and hoping for both a film and a broadcast.
Is it possible to do both? Possibly but not well. I am currently running 3 computers (1. in SL hosting concert, 2. in SL & broadcasting concert, 3. not in SL but monitoring and tweaking Livestream) and I can see how I COULD do all of these things with my current three computers by monitoring on my hosting computer by adding a screen & turning off SL sound. Then I would do screen capture on a third computer with a 3rd logged on avatar. Another monitor on my main computer would help. But really what I need to do this is a 4th computer and an interested helper.
If I have to choose between livestreaming or recording an SL concert, which one is better to focus my resources on? I'm wondering because one person really can't do both well I don't think.
Yesterday people attending the Champagne Rain concert were asking me about whether a recording of the concert would be available because they had friends who couldn't get in. When I said that it was on livestream now but not being recorded in entirety they went "Oh Shit, so and so has logged off now and I can't tell them that". Hmmmm. Seems like there's been a communication failure there despite my announcing the Livestream before concerts and occasionally reminding people via group notice. On the other hand Live stream is a new feature to Music Island concerts and maybe they will get onto it if I keep it up. I also have thought about putting a Livestream logo onstage with a URL connection so that people visiting the sim will know the concerts are available on the web (most concerts).
Livestream increases the potential audience for an event and it doesn't add TOO much extra work time. I have to set up a separate broadcast computer, check the sound and then zoom back and forth periodically to change camera angles and then it's done. The main thrust of the exercise is to get around the small audience limits in Second Life and my hope is that it will help expand the numbers of musicians performing in SL and also be an appealing facet of any mixed reality project. I cannot use the broadcast software in "record" mode while in Second Life because it gobbles so much bandwidth that SL fps slows to a crawl (especially in a crowded concert setting). This makes what you are recording look terrible. (Talk about the observer effect :-)
Screen capture in another computer running FRAPS involves capturing a variety of angles and views of the concert with a view to post production editing in my (new) Sony Vegas software. I now have to means to create much better videos BUT it takes a LOT of work to do so. The raw capture files are also HUGE. But the films create a long lasting record of events that can be shared to inform and promote artists, Music Island and SL music in general.
Both require artist permissions which generally are not witheld but I would say most are more enthusiastic about Livestream than recordings but that could just be that my early recordings were pretty crappy (archival only really).
I COULD decide on a case by case basis, but I wonder if that might not lead to some feeling shortchanged and hoping for both a film and a broadcast.
Is it possible to do both? Possibly but not well. I am currently running 3 computers (1. in SL hosting concert, 2. in SL & broadcasting concert, 3. not in SL but monitoring and tweaking Livestream) and I can see how I COULD do all of these things with my current three computers by monitoring on my hosting computer by adding a screen & turning off SL sound. Then I would do screen capture on a third computer with a 3rd logged on avatar. Another monitor on my main computer would help. But really what I need to do this is a 4th computer and an interested helper.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Champagne Rain plays Beethoven. Aug 6 1 pm SLT
Saturday August 6
1 pm SLT
Champagne Rain, piano
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island
Before launching on a South American tour, Champagne Rain will grace us with a performance of an arrangement of the 3rd Mvt. of the triumphant and muscular Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor. Other works by Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt will complete the program.
Champagne Rain is an Eastern European born Classical Pianist. She has devoted most of her life to acquiring performing skills at the Kiev Conservatory and has, in real life, performed in the world's most prestigious concert venues, including Vienna's Musikverein Golden Hall. She has recorded 6 CD's of concert and solo work.
Want to learn more about Beethoven before attending the concert?
"Let's Talk Classical Recordings"
The best of Beethoven
Aelthing Aeon
Saturday August 6
11 am SLT
Like to listen and learn about classical music? Aelthing Aeon, a guest lecturer with the National Federation of Recorded Music Societies (UK) will present an informative talk on selected classical recordings.
This month Aelthing will help us prepare for a performance of the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 by placing it in context of the composer's work and different styles of performance.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Benito Flores, July 24 @ 12 noon
PROGRAM:
Muzio Clementi
“Batti batti” dal Don Giovanni di Mozart
Andrea Padova
Waterscape in motion*
Ferruccio Busoni
Elegia n. 2 “All’Italia!” (in modo napoletano)
Gioachino Rossini
da “Péchés de Vieillesse” Vol. VII: Album pour les enfants dégourdis - n. 8 Barcarole
intervallo
Gioachino Rossini
da “Péchés de Vieillesse” Vol. V: Album de chaumière - n. 5 Prélude inoffensif
Marcell Dargay
Légendes no. III “Le pianiste prêche pour soi-même”*
Fryderyk Chopin
Scherzo n. 2 in si bemolle minore - re bemolle maggiore op. 31
ARTIST BIO:
Alessandro Marangoni (Benito Flores in SL)
Born in Italy in 1979, studied the piano with Maria Tipo at Scuola di Musica di Fiesole. Besides his musical studies he also graduated with honours in philosophy at the Università di Pavia with a thesis on Fernando Liuzzi’s philosophy of music. He was also a merit student of the Almo Collegio Borromeo, one of the oldest and most important European colleges. After winning several national and international awards, he has appeared in many important musical events in Europe, both as a soloist and as a chamber musician, with performances in Rome at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, in Florence for the Accademia della Crusca, in Lucca for the Associazione Musicale Lucchese, for the Walton Foundation on Ischia, the Cittadella in Assisi, and the Teatro Verdi in Trieste, as well as at the Engadiner Internationale Kammermusik-Festspiele, Sagra Musicale Umbra, the Italian Cultural Institute in London, the Teatro Dal Verme, Milan, and St John’s College, Cambridge.
As a chamber musician he has collaborated with some of the most important Italian musical personalities and groups, including Mario Ancillotti, Vittorio Ceccanti, Fanny Clamagirand, Daria Masiero, Stefano Parrino, Quirino Principe, Carlo Zardo and the Nuovo Quartetto Italiano. He won great success in Spain with the Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra and in Bratislava with the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the great Italian conductor Aldo Ceccato.
He has recently started artistic cooperation with the Italian actress Valentina Cortese. He is the pianist of the Trio Albatros Ensemble, with which he has won international acclaim: they recorded a cd with Nino Rota's chamber music for Stradivarius. In 2007 he made a recording for la Bottega Discantica of the piano works of Victor de Sabata, for the fortieth anniversary of the great Italian conductor’s death. In December of that year he played in a recital at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, with Daniel Barenboim, in further tribute to De Sabata. In 2007 he won the prestigious Amici di Milano International Prize for Music. He has recorded all of Rossini's piano music and "Gradus ad parnassum" by Clementi for Naxos.
For more information, please visit www.alessandromarangoni.com.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Prowess Rayna, Saturday July 16 @ 12 noon SLT
STARLIGHT PIANO
Prowess Rayna, a true artist on the piano, began playing at 3, composing at 7 & performing professionally by 14. Countless souls have been uplifted by her sensuous, passionate expression, fluid technique & beautiful melodies. Her reputation flourishes as she shares her evolving talents with live music lovers in SL.
Music Island Slurl
I am going to try to go back to posting the weekly events here on the blog. I haven't been doing that lately because the listings exist at http:/musicisland.spruz.com but some people have asked me to also post the immediately upcoming events here... I'll try.
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