Help Ensemble X Choose a Name this Saturday

Thom Dowd's Early Music Group presents a live concert of recorder music featuring Group X.

Saturday, January 23
12:00 noon SLT
Renaissance Island (Music Room)

For more information about the program, consult Thom Dowd's blog .


What is "Group X?" Merely a newly formed quartet of the most talented group of young recorder performers you will find anywhere. During their concert they will ask the audience to help them find a new name for their group. Come prepared with suggestions.

Students prepare for Performance Exams with Second Life Concert. SUN JAN 17 @ 12 pm SLT

Thom Coard of the Fribourg Conservatory in Switzerland manages to show off the skills of his recorder students to an international audience on a regular basis and all for the price of a good web cam and some broadcasting software.

I know that the students and student families appreciate the extraordinary opportunity he is providing. It is also a heartwarming experience for those of us in the Second Life community who love music. The pure sound of the recorder ensembles is a joy on a bright sea side day in virtual reality. The excitement and joy of the students is infectious and uplifting.

If you are interested in providing this kind of activity for your students or amateur ensemble, the great people at tech soup have provided a simple to follow set of instructions for using the Quicktime broadcaster into Second Life. You'll also need a scripted SL screen. (many free copies available) and the land permissions to put a media stream into your land. The texture used on your screen must be copied into the media settings on the land as that texture will be replaced by the contents of the video URL.

Glad to See Thom Dowd is Recovering!

Our good friend Thom Dowd, the Second Life master of the Renaissance flute suffered a motorcycle accident that took him out of commission with a broken thumb for a few weeks. We were relieved to see this posted video of his first try at playing with the mended thumb!

Way to go Thom and we look forward to more flute concerts with you and your students coming soon in Second Life.

Find more videos like this on Music Island Concerts

Flutes on Fire! June 6, 2009 @ 12 pm SLT

Flutes on Fire
Music or Die Flute Ensemble
Saturday June 6, 2009
12 pm SLT



One of the great opportunities in Second Life Music is to be able to gather round and support emerging performers, amateurs and students.

Thom Dowd, a Music Island resident artist has been teaching this group of young people all year at the Fribourg conservatory in Switzerland, now they have been invited to give an end of season recital, not only for their families and friends in Switzerland but to share their music virtually with Thom's international friends in Second Life.

Calling themselves the "Music or Die" ensemble and promising a concert of "Flutes on Fire" these young people obviously love music!

Hope you can come out, don a concert T-shirt and maybe even wave a virtual lighter in the air for encores.

Thom Dowd on Music Island April 4 @ 12 pm SLT