I logged on today to pick up a notecard from someone I’d never met in Second Life. It was an unexplained bio & publicity information for a Second Life musician I had also never heard but the bio sounded like the artist was a rap or hip-hop musician. This is NOT THE WAY to solicit gigs at Music Island (or likely any place in any reality) :-)
“HOW DO I GET TO PLAY HERE?” is such a frequently asked question so I thought I’d do a post that I could refer people to in future.
When Music Island was founded in 2007, there was a founding core of musicians that had been performing in SL for some time and were looking for a stable virtual venue that was music focused rather than focused on social dancing or historical re-enactment in elaborate castle settings, etc. That circle quickly grew through musical contacts. Word-of-mouth from established SL musicians is still the leading way that concerts get booked.
Be prepared to answer the following questions:
What is your style of music?
(if not classical) Can you fill an hour of original music or arrangments without copyright infringement?
Have you performed in Second Life before?
Where?
When can I hear you perform?
Where can I hear/see concert excerpts on the web?
(if you haven’t performed in SL before)
Do you know how to stream to Shoutcast?
If you are already performing in Second Life and would like to add Music Island, Sea Turtle Island to your regular venues for performance, take a few minutes to look at the type of music that is presented on our series and see if it is a fit for you and a fit for us. You can view concert excerpt tapes at: http://www.youtube.com/user/SLKateMiranda#p/a . If you think your music would work well for our audience then send me some information with links to videos, sound samples, bios and general information about what you’d be interested in performing. Be aware that Music Island, Sea Turtle Island is an artist collective and not a commercial venue. You’ll get access to a great audience, excellent promotion, and a great international family of musicians but we don’t “hire” musicians for a fee. Usually we prefer to deal with you directly, not through an SL artist manager. We’ll handle posters, notices, publicity, provide a stream for your use and are happy to use your artwork, as long as we can reformat to fit our signage and it meets our PG standards. We are happy to include your rl recording information and any sponsor logos.
If you have never performed in Second Life before but feel you’d like to appear at Music Island, (given your research on what we present) you’ll need to first learn about broadcasting to a Shoutcast server and book a trial session at Music Island. Send me your information and if your music is a fit for us we’ll set something up.
Do I have to be a professional musician to play at Music Island?
No. Most of our musicians are professionals but some are avid amateurs or music students. Just like anywhere in life, honesty is the best policy. Music Island audiences are warm and welcoming to amateurs and students who identify themselves as such.
Can I just play my recorded performances?
No. Music Island is a live music venue. While musicians regularly make use of backing tracks or loops, the main performance is a live one. The sole exceptions are music education lectures, composer presentations and performances that become part of a multi-media art installation in residence.
