Spotlight on Loopman Blep A New Vocalist Guitarist Keyboardist Mix and Master in Second Life!- Lanai Jarrico Reporting…

LoopMan Blep is from São Paulo, Brazil, and studied at Conservatório Municipal de Guarulhos in Guarulhos. He has been involved in music in real life for more than a decade and performed in many places in Brazil with bands, duo projects, and also solo. He collaborates with several artists from his city recording guitars, and keyboards, mixing, mastering, and even producing songs. Loopman brings his talent into Second Life with the music he sings, such as  Brazilian and International pop, rock, reggae, and popular music, and covers international songs from famous musicians like Seal, Foofigthers, Linkin Park, Kansas, LimpBizkit, Lil Nas X, and many more. Each song is sung from the heart and he delivers at every show. He captivates his newfound fanbase and encourages them to make requests.  SLE met up with him after winning a feature after his participation in Open Auditions at The SL Enquirer Media Center on November 4th.

Interview with Loopman Bleb

SLE: Everyone’s journey to the virtual world is different.  Where are you from and how did you discover Second Life?

 Loop: I am from Brazil, born in 1990 in the city of Guarulhos São Paulo Brazil, I have lived here for exactly 32 years. I just discovered Second life through John Rocky a singer who has been in Secondlife for a little over 5 years. Thanks to John I discovered the platform of things that are in here.

SLE: What a great opportunity to work with someone seasoned in the SL Music scene. We are glad you are here. You have an interesting avatar name, what inspired it?

Loop: I love my name, Loop has a lot to do with the things in life that everything starts and ends and closes a cycle, and moreover it is related to the music of course, in this case, looping pedals which is one of the accessories I use with my guitar in my shows in real life and virtual life, it allows me to record an arrangement and then play something else on top of this layer. My last name in fact is something funny that somehow is connected to music, which is Blep a kind of sound that we hear in the mailbox or when we receive a message.

SLE: That’s a very creative name for sure. You studied at Conservatório Municipal de Guarulhos in Guarulhos. Can you tell us about your educational background and how it helps you today?

Loop: My study, I confess that at the beginning of the classes was very boring, at this time I was around 13 years old and any child would love to be playing several instruments instead of reading and studying the theoretical part. But I realized how important it was when I learned to respect the time of each musical note or person, I realized that over time I learned to listen to each detail and each note, and I also realized how sensitive my hearing is. It also brings along good movement coordination, balance, and discipline and without a doubt, I think it contributes a lot to each person's professional growth and concentration. And last but not least it is the musical evolution.

SLE: That is great that you learned at an early age to have patience and self-discipline when it comes to your schooling. Thinking back to when you were a kid. Who most inspired your love of music? How has it affected the music you perform and write?

Loop:  I remember that when I was a child my father and mother had a disagreement and separated for a while, so I went to live with my mother in my grandparent's house. A few days passed at their house and I began to notice that every Sunday at 4 pm a neighbor would sit on their patio and play his guitar, I became interested in music, so every Sunday I was there waiting for him to play his guitar. One fine day my mother gave me a toy guitar, and I tried to reproduce what I heard the neighbor playing, the Brasileirinho song. A few weeks went by and I managed to play the same song on my toy instrument, then my parents saw me doing it and decided to give me a real guitar, time went by and I dedicated myself to learning, I bought some magazines with chords at newsstands and tried to play everything I heard on radios, CDs and records. Nowadays my compositions are made with so much affection, and lyrics of good things, I love to use references from the first music that I learned in life, I like to write songs with good energy, positive and constructive.  Today the songs that I play and sing and musical creations have small rhythmic and melodic influences of the first music that I learned in life when I was a child and listened to my neighbor play my compositions are with positivity, joy, and things that add to the life of each person.

SLE: I do love hearing that you get the joy from music that many other performers we have interviewed do. Having a closeness to the music as you do truly shows in your performances. You have been involved with music for over 15 years in real life. Can you tell us about your experiences?

Loopman: I started working with music when I was 18 years old in events at social events and in needy communities in the region where I lived, as the years went by I joined my first reggae band as a keyboardist, we played in some places and bars, that was essential for my learning and evolution, as the years passed I followed new musical experiences with different bands playing in private and public cultural venues. In this story many things happened, there were good moments, bad moments, good moments, and others that didn't pay, but in fact, the best moment was when I participated in a band of visually impaired people, the band Tribo de Jah, I spent a little more time together with this band, it was very pleasant to share the stage with these guys, each one of them had an incredible talent, their senses were very sharp and they had a tremendous skill with their instruments, I can say that this experience contributed at least 50% of my musical evolution and as a person. Now a disaster tour was when I accepted to do some shows along the Brazilian coast with a band called Levi Ras, it's funny how many things went wrong hahaha, he hired me to play keyboards, said we would have good fees and at least 2 shows a day because none of that happened, we had to sleep with 6 people inside a small car, he had not closed shows, so where we stopped the car he would get out of the car and go to bars to try to get a show, the worst thing was going 3 days without taking a shower, but it's not over yet, on 1 of the days we had to play in exchange for hamburgers hahaha, but that's okay like everything in life there are good times and bad times.

SLE: You have come a long way from singing for hamburgers. Thank you for sharing your hardships and gains. It is tough to work hard and fail and get back up and keep on moving forward with your passion. In the end, it is all worth it if it makes you happy. Do you write your own music? If so, How would you describe your music style?

Loopman: Talking about composition I can say that this is something new for me, I've been an instrumentalist for a long time so it never crossed my mind to compose music, but when the pandemic arrived in brazil in 2020 and we had lockdown spending days and hours at home I started to write some things, then I was creating and recording some arrangements, and little by little it took shape until my first track came out. Titled Intolerant Dub which was produced and mixed by me. I can say that my musical influence has a very strong root in Jamaican reggae, Brazilian popular music, reggae, rock, pop and etc. But I really like to play different genres and I could say that I'm eclectic.

SLE: Amazing that you were able to use the negativity of the pandemic to make it a positive to further your musical career. What types of instruments do you play?

Loopman: The instrument that I have the most affinity and contact with is acoustic guitar and electric guitar, but I have already ventured into other instruments, I was the bassist in a reggae band called Sons de Bob and I was also a drummer in a rock band called União do Gueto and lastly I was the keyboardist of the band Bamboo_br for 10 years. Currently, I play electric guitar, melodica, harp, and keyboard but the main thing is the guitar.

SLE: You are a well-rounded performer.  As a new musician in Second Life, what do you think about performing virtually compared to real life?

Loopman: Really doing shows in a virtual way has been wonderful, there are so many places and so many people, not to mention the diversity of singers and talents spread across this universe, I never thought I could be inside my house making live music for people all over the world. I see people supporting the singers appreciating, vibrating going to the shows, and making music within second life brought me a lot of learning and many friends too that I will take for life in memory. I have dedicated myself and tried hard to deliver the best for these people and I have seen that people have liked it. With regard to real life, it is really different, besides the Brazilian music market is saturated, our art is not so valued, and it is very difficult to be accepted by people who dedicate themselves and deliver a great job, the fees most of the time we just manage to pay our accounts. But the good thing is that there is an incredible opportunity in the metaverse and I'm willing to do my best and conquer my space along with great singers who are already successful on the platform.

SLE: The Metaverse is an incredible place for all kinds of talent and skills. You are part owner of AudioHouse in Second Life, can you tell our readers a little bit more about that venue and your goals for those that perform there?

Loopman:  AudioHouse is a place that will be open 24 hours for the common users, we will have open chat except during the shows, we have an environment with games and we will have live shows with the team members. AudioHouse was founded in partnership with ArishaFlame and aims to self-promote new musicians giving space and voice during their shows, our idea is to direct everyone who attends our space to live performances and attract owners from other places to give opportunities for new arrivals. We have a team of students that we help until they become a little more independent and are able to move forward with their careers, and when everyone is ready, we can make our team bigger. We are open to partnerships, you can become one of us and help the younger ones, contact us.

SLE: I like the concept of your venue. There needs to be a place where new performers can go and get the help they need to succeed with their peers. How often do you perform in Second Life, do you have a calendar and group that fans can follow? 

Loopman: In Second Life my availability is from 7 am to 7 pm, I have a few shows during the week, and I keep working to get more opportunities. I have a google calendar and a group called "LoopMan Live Sessions" where people can join to receive concert notices.

SLE: Music is a universal language and is an important part of every culture. Thank you for sharing your story with us. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Loopman:  I would like to thank you, who got me here, the " SL Enquirer " for this incredible opportunity to tell a little of my story, I would like to thank John Rocky who showed me this universe of SL, and mainly thank all the people who support me and who attend my shows and was always by my side. And if you like LoopMan Blep to do his shows, he's eager to meet you. Also to the places that want to give an opportunity to LoopMan, he is available

 

 

 

Additional Information:

SoundCloud

https://soundcloud.com/user-500278829

 

Calendar : https://bit.ly/3OY0Jj7 

 

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/LoopmanBlep 

 

Latest release : https://onerpm.link/153826294827 

 

LoopMan wears :  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Hot%20Atoll/20

 

Flickr :  https://www.flickr.com/photos/195741452@N06/ 

 

Website: https://www.slmusicianscooperative.com/about-8 

 

LM AudioHouse: http://maps.secondlife.com/secon.../Stormy%20Coven/174/22/22

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VARDA SEDIA SINGS THE BLUES: JOSH (THOMAS1 BELLIC) REPORTING

I have always been a fan of Blues – (and no, I am not talking about “Blues Clues”, the children’s TV show).  I’m talking about the “tug-at-your-heart” and “make-the-marrow-in-your-bones-tingle” kind of blues.  The stuff that inspires and lifts and depresses all at once! – The kind of Blues found at Fogbound, or Toby’s, or Junkyard or Hotlanta,  THAT kind of blues.  So, when I heard about a drop-dead wonderful Blues Singer, Varda Sedia, I just had to check it out for myself.  I caught up with Varda one night in a small coffee shop in The Quarter. It was late...long past last call.  The place was closed and the regular customers had all left.  It was then that Varda and a couple of the band pulled up some chairs and started to jam. After a couple of hours, they finally wrapped up.  And despite the late hour – it was after 4:00am,Varda agreed to answer a few questions of mine before she headed for home

Josh (Thomas1 Bellic) (JB)    When did you first decide you wanted to sing, and how did you decide to start singing in SL? 

Varda Sedi (VS):  I first decided I wanted to start singing when my mama sang when I was a child, and she would tell me stories about how she was asked to travel with the groups in Mexico to sing from town to town for money, but she was too shy. She had a voice of an angel.  I decided to pursue singing when I was in my 20s and then won a contest, and was asked to join my first band and things just started to take off for me.  When my record label owner died and my mom died, I shut down completely and withdrew. I then found SL and admired hearing the singers so much I wondered if I was good enough and decided to give it a try in 2017. 

JB:    Who were your musical idols growing up?  Whose styles were you most comfortable with?

VS:  My mom introduced me to many different styles of music as a child, so my tastes were vast. My favorites were The Carpenters, Captain and Tenille, Helen Reddy, Whitney Houston, Barbara Streisand, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Phil Collins, Led Zepplin, Metallica, Cindy Lauper, Heart, and Big Band Music.  I felt most comfortable singing Whitney Houston and others like that at the time. 

JB:  I heard you also sing on a virtual World other than Second Life? 

VS:   I sing on other grids like Open Sim, New Hope Grid, Barefoot Dreamers Grid, and Digiworldz. I love exploring what the virtual world has to offer and always find something fascinating everywhere!

JB:     I understand you are a busy musician in Real Life as well.  Tell us about that? 

 VS:   I have been working on my main band Rockstead, which is a blues rock band out of Austin, Tx., Catching Comets which is an all-acoustic band same location. Also just got asked to rejoin recently my old band CeciliaX & Hafxex my electro-punk band. I love music like air, it is what I do since I have a mental disability in real life, and am not able to do a 9-5.  Just trying to make my way in this world doing what I know how to do it all. 

JB:    You’ve been in SL for over a dozen years now.  What is it that keeps you coming back, night after night, month after month for all that time? What is the secret to longevity in SecondLife? 

VS:   I love Second Life because of its diversity.  What I learned after many many years is to keep it professional and you'll be fine.  Keep your friendship true, stay away from toxic people. If someone promises you something and they don't deliver, get out quickly before you get sucked in deeply.  I find a lot of people make a lot of excuses to take your money, and a lot of excuses not to deliver results for them.   Don't get butt hurt over drama.  If they get ugly, that's what the block button is for, just forget and move on. Don't spread rumors, and if rumors are spread about you, who cares?  You know it's not true.  The only thing that matters is what you think about yourself when you look in the mirror.  Are you happy with what you see?  If so? cool if not, work on the changes you need to make for yourself.  Heck, I always need to work on myself. I make mistakes every day. It's just this thing we are that's called human, and we tend to forget that when we are hidden behind an avatar. 

JB:    Where would you like to take your career as a BLUES Singer? 

 VS:  Blues is my passion, I was first introduced to it by my old drummer, and I just fell in love with it. All I want in my life is to be known as a blues singer and I will be happy.  My "ultimate dream" to tour, record again, and sing at concerts and festivals again. 

JB:    Any advice you would give to a young musician just starting out in SL? 

VS:   Don't be afraid to ask for help.  If you're wanting to get started, ask someone, heck I am always glad to help.  Help is offered free as it should be. I remember when I struggled with singing and I was at my wit's end, Maxx Sabertooth came out and helped me, didn't ask for anything. He just asked me to pay it forward, and that's what I do. 

JB:     How would our readers find one of your performances?   Do you have a posted calendar, and are any times listed in SLT or your local time?  

Yes, I do, and I'll post it here.  some of it that say USA central time refers to my real-life band situation the others are SL or Pacific times. CALENDAR: https://tinyurl.com/yu7cmyf9  You can find me under events listing by the name Varda.

JB:    Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

VS:   If you come out to my show and like what you hear, add me as a friend! I love new friends and I do try to communicate with everyone I can when I am not busy. I usually send out positive messages or a personal invitation to my shows. anyways I look forward to seeing you out there!

So, there you have it, folks.  I thanked her for her time, pocketed my notepad, stuck my pencil behind my ear, and headed out to my now dew-covered Prius….resolved to tell the world about this talented, multifaceted singer/entertainer.  Check out her schedule…catch a show.  And someday when you are wandering around late at night, and you hear the voice of an angle belting out the Blues…you found Varda.  Tell her Hi for me.  And tell ‘em Josh sent ya. You’ll be glad you did.  

Be there!  Aloha!

JB

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vardasilver

Website    https://vardasilver.wixsite.com/varda

Calendar  https://tinyurl.com/yu7cmyf9

Promo Video https://www.togglefm.com/post/varda-sings-the-blues-at-the-fern

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Spotlight on Lyric Serendipity- A vocalist with a heart of gold, a sense of humor, and talent that rocks!

Back in June of 2011, Lanai Jarrico interviewed Lyric Serendipity who was a musician manager for Guitar Zane at the time. As a manager, she offered some great advice about the music industry in Second Life, her hopes for the future, and the musician she worked with. 

11 years later Lyric is still involved in the music scene in Second Life, except now she has made a name for herself as a performer who shares her talent on stages across the grid and involves herself with charity events like Together As One (TAO). She is a vocalist in the Rock, Pop, and Blues genres from the 60’s to the ’90s and apparently makes a mean guacamole. According to her profile,  Lyric is a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, sauteed in garlic, and best complimented by a nice Pinot Grigio...or a cold beer on a hot day. Her best friends are the voices in her head. She says she is a total slacker, but she works very hard at it. A rock n' roll chick with a fun and charming personality, Lyric's penchant for belting out classic tunes is only surpassed by her ability to draw you into her performance with her sexy voice and sassy demeanor. All that plus sarcastic wit - how can you resist? She will take you on a roller coaster ride thru the decades, with the songs that made you feel...joy, love, lust, heartache, angst...it's rock n' roll.

 The SL Enquirer met up with Lyric after a TAO auction to raise money for KiK Foundation; an organization that provides humanitarian aid for children around the world. Lanai Jarrico interviewed Lyric Serendipity who was a musician manager for Guitar Zane at the time. As a manager, she offered some great advice about the music industry in Second Life, her hopes for the future, and the musician she worked with. 

SLE: Beautifully said Lyric! Second Life has definitely been through many changes in the past decade. From the 2011 interview, you were hoping real-life music executives would come into second life and sample all the talent we have on the grid. I don’t know if that happened yet but do you still feel the same? How do you think the music scene can grow and improve?

Lyric: lol… I was so naïve. I now think it’s a good thing the music industry hasn’t found us in SL. It would ruin the SL music scene as we know it. We don’t really want the outside music industry invading our little corner of music and pulling rank on the cover songs we do. We have a nice underground thing going on. We’re fortunate that we can just log in and choose what live music experience we want to go to at almost any hour. Where else can you do that?  When I first came into SL, it was a smaller community with fewer performers and not many venues. I think SL music evolved and became more business-focused over several years. When the management groups came in and bidding wars started over artists who have a more significant following, it got a bit crazy, in my opinion. During that time, performers who chose not to go with a management team seemed to be looked over. I may be biased since I came in as a musician’s manager (pre-management companies), but I liked it better when musicians had one manager who handled their SL music career. They had someone who believed in their music and promoted them as artists. Back then, venues weren’t so focused on booking musicians who brought avatars to the sim. They just wanted to book a mix of artists they enjoyed listening to, regardless of who came to the shows. Musicians weren’t so focused on how much a venue would pay them to come to perform for an hour either. 

Some management companies did very well for themselves, but the music seemed more fun before the dawn of official management. It became more competitive and less about just supporting each other. I do understand the financial side of it all, though. Money changes everything, as Cyndi Lauper says…

It seems we may be reverting back to individual management. At least it’s my hope. Most of the more prominent management companies have closed in the past year. A few are coming up behind them, but I see more artists looking for someone to host during shows or looking for help with promotion more than booking and scheduling. Venue owners don’t seem to be putting as much emphasis on who an artist’s wrangler is and more on if they are a good fit for the venue and people who come looking for music. I encourage performers to find someone who appreciates you and your music and bring them on board to help manage your SL promotion and hosting for shows. You will get much more support doing that than being one of many performers in someone’s stable.

SLE: That was very insightful from a fan's point of view. It’s hard to tell what goes on behind the music scene. We have heard many musicians say they enjoy the music side, not the business side, so we can see where management companies are needed but I can also see your point of view about doing it all yourself again. So, can you tell us when did you decide to take the stage and start performing in Second Life?

Lyric: As I mentioned, I initially was brought to SL by a very popular musician of the time (shout out to Guitar Zane and GZ fans!). I managed him for a few years, but I had to step away from SL because my RL needed my full attention. When I came back a year or so later, he was ready to leave SL. I thought about finding another musician in need of management, but I am also a musician. I play keys and guitar, and once upon a time, accordion! But my first love has always been singing. I played in garage bands and at house parties as a teen, usually singing and playing rhythm guitar as needed. The biggest obstacle for me has been – stage fright. It’s why I stopped singing and playing for many years in RL. By the time I was in my early 20s, I had found that I froze whenever I had tried to sing or play in front of people. I forgot the lyrics. It was awful!

An amazingly talented performer friend of mine here (hey Strum Diesel!) and a well-known RL comedian friend (hey Ant!) prodded me to just try an open mic in SL to see how it went. So that’s what I did. I was sooooo nervous! As I took the stage and looked out into the audience, I realized performers I knew, and some I didn’t, were tp’ing into the venue. The word had gotten around that the manager chick was doing her first live performance. The people I’d been booking into our club, and going to listen to, came over to support me. I was standing up there, in front of all these excellent, seasoned SL performers and managers, and I thought I would throw up! Talk about stage fright! I was horrible, I’m sure, but they all cheered for me and told me to keep singing.

I took their advice, and here I am today.

SLE: We are glad you did too and from all of us that have enjoyed your music, please tell this comedian Ant that we thank them very much. Who would you say were your biggest influences in getting involved with music?  They can be anybody.

Lyric:  My RL influences are many and eclectic. My mother introduced me to The Beatles at a very early age because she was a major fan. My 13yr old self felt like I was uncovering hidden treasures when I found bands like Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Guns n Roses, Jefferson Airplane, Blondie, Van Morrison, The Mamas & The Papas, The Who, Meatloaf, AC/DC, Joan Jett, Neil Young, The Ramones, Eric Clapton, Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Heart, Carly Simon, Black Sabbath, The Kinks, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Steppenwolf. I should just say that most classic rock is the music I love best. I was also inspired by the MTV superstars back in the day – Journey, ZZ Top, The Cars.

In my early 20s, my stepfather entered my life. He was a concert violinist who also taught violin at the Harvard Conservatory of Music and played for the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra during the summer. He introduced me to American standards, show tunes, classical music, and Arthur Fiedler, John Williams, and Keith Lockhart. During the orchestra season, he and my mom would go wherever he picked up gig work as a fill-in. He’d take a spot for a season or two with various orchestras. He played for the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, The Omaha Symphony, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, and The London Symphony Orchestra, to name a few. He also had a 3-year job playing in the orchestra pit for a production of My Fair Lady that Andrew Lloyd Webber built a theater for in Wiesbaden. I was out on my own by then, but I would hear all about their adventures, the musicians, and the actors they got to rub shoulders with. Listening to him practice, talking music with him, and attending shows kept my desire to perform and be involved with music alive – even when I was busy having babies and being a mom for many years. I put the music aside, but there was always that spark there.

As for SL influences, as I said, Guitar Zane and Strum Diesel really are the ones who gave me the push I needed to go for it in SL. Many performers inspire me to try new songs and styles too. I need to shout out Ecnad (sadly, no longer in SL), Kickin’, and The Night Owl – incredible venues with amazing people who love music. They believed in me very early on and booked me often when I was really, really green and could barely get through a show. I also want to thank the SL music lovers and fans who have followed me around the grid all these years. I see you out there, and I appreciate your support much more than I can ever express to you directly. Seeing you come to my shows is everything!

SLE: We will pass on your gratitude to your fans! Word on the street is you are a bit of a firecracker aside from making a mean guacamole. We are told you have a great sense of humor too. What words of advice would you give to people both inside and outside the music industry that take things too seriously and forget to have fun? Also, share that recipe lol.

Lyric: I dunno about a firecracker. Maybe I’m more of a sparkler…shooting off bits of sparkle here and there, but I’m pretty static at the core. Lol, I’m an introvert, which is odd when you’re also a performer. You pour your heart out on the stage in front of people, but you’re not entirely comfortable having the spotlight on you. I think many people either think I’m shy or maybe even aloof. It’s not that at all. I just kind of keep to myself until I’m comfy around people. I can also talk your ear off or be very silly once I know you. I’m a bit quirky, or so I’m told. Lol

My advice would be to never let anyone or anything ruin your SL experience. The point of being in SL is to create a space that brings you joy. Why log in if all you’re dealing with is turmoil and heartache? Unless you’re into that kind of thing…

Find things you love to do. There’s so much to do in SL! We all kind of get into a rut and stay in one area we feel comfortable in, whether the music community, fashion, shopping, RPGs, or even building. You log in and just go to that as a habit.

Take time and explore. Find new and exciting experiences. Meet new and interesting people. Some people can’t do that in RL, but all things are possible in SL! We’re all real people behind these virtual beings. Just like in RL, there will be people we don’t get along with and people we absolutely adore. Stick with the people who bring you happiness. People you can laugh with and lean on when you need to. Avoid the rest.

Also, if you perform, run a club, create clothing, blog, or do anything in SL that feels a bit like a job… don’t let that be ALL you do in SL. The burnout is real! All work and no play make your SL too stressful.

Oh, and the key to good guac is lime juice and just the right amount of jalapeno

SLE: Excellent advice and thanks for the tip on the guac! Can you tell us what music means to you, your choice of music, and describe what it feels like to perform for a virtual audience?

Lyric: Now that I don’t feel like I’m going to vomit every time I take the virtual stage, it’s actually fun to get up there! I don’t know if I’ll ever lose the nerves entirely, but it’s so fun sharing the music I love with people. It’s the universal language of shared emotions and experiences. I really try and perform the songs people have forgotten they love. One of the best comments I see at my shows is, “OMG! I love this song!”. Then I know I’ve chosen well. I want the music to evoke memories and try and make my shows feel familiar and fun. Even if a song stirs a sad memory or brings someone back to a time in their life that wasn’t very pleasant, I want people to go on that journey with me. Let’s revisit the music that is part of our collective history. For the most part, my setlists are songs that make up the soundtrack of my life. I have way too many songs on my list for a reason. 

I know my musical memories may not be the same as others, so I try to accommodate when people request songs or suggest I learn new songs. It’s about performing the kinds of songs the crowd feels like hearing during any given performance. I have core songs I do that I rotate in and out, but my goal is that no two shows are ever exactly the same songs. I may have a setlist ready to go, but I will change it up on the fly if I’m getting requests for completely different kinds of music. I try to give the people who come to my shows a fun time that they’ll hopefully want to return and experience again and again.

SLE: We always love to see musicians using their star power for charity events like TAO so we couldn't resist outbidding everyone to win a date with you! Can you tell us a little bit about that event and any others you like to help raise money for?

Lyric: The TAO People Auction was a trip, eh? Lol That was the first time I participated in something like that. I’m glad you won me. I was a little nervous about who I might be sold to or if anyone would even bid on me at all!

I was also asked to do a Meet and Greet event for TAO. People came and asked me questions, and I sang a few of my favorite songs. I attended some other performer Meet and Greets as well. It’s a great way to get to know the person behind the performer.

TAO (Together as One) is a unique and amazing experience that happens 4 times a year. The event always raises money for children’s charities. It’s such a powerful and special thing to be a part of. It is the brainchild of Winter, who everyone knows is a fantastic performer. He created this 3-day music festival to help raise money for children’s charities. It has become so much more than that. There’s a market where some of SL’s best creators set up shop and donate their profits. There are also raffles for goods, and several performers raffle off free shows. There are fun things to do around fairgrounds too.

Many venue owners and businesses sponsor the event. I’m going to name-drop a little.

These amazing people were sponsors for the TAO Spring Festival - Pangea Estates has provided Winter with the land for the TAO Fairgrounds to live on.

V-side radio provides the stream we all use during our sets. Many venues take over and throw daily after-parties. The festival stage is officially turned over to them for late afternoon and evening shows during the 3-day festival.

This time around Love Kats, Swamp Water Blues, Glow Live Music, Terry’s Place, The Warehouse, Scarlets, Southern Nights, Sapphire Beach Club, Club Noir, and Club Originals were all festival sponsors. Through the tremendous efforts of Winter and his team (Hey, BB, Taila and Kissi!) and because the SL community is always so willing to give, this past festival brought in a total of 1,325,000 $L! That’s crazy, isn’t it?

I have supported Brique Topaz and the Feed a Smile organization for many years. I have sponsored individual children and performed events at Lavender Field. What she’s done in Kenya is truly amazing. Charlize Bellic and the Second Life Cheerleaders do a monthly RFL event that I often participate in. They’re fun and have a theme to them. The SL Cheer Squad and Cure Chasers have an event at the end of May. I’m booked for that. It’s 50s-themed.

I’ve participated in events for Team Diabetes of SL, Survivors of Suicide group, Wounded Warriors, The American Lung Association, The American Cancer Society, Breast Cancer Awareness, Autism Awareness, Stand Up 2 Cancer, PTSD Awareness, One Billion Rising Org, KIKA and of course, Relay for Life. I hate to say no to a show when it’s for charity.

SLE: A lot of our avid readers are large music fans. Can you tell us if you have a group and calendar of events our readers can join to follow your performances around the grid? 

Lyric: Yes! You can join my group either by checking out my SL profile, coming to a show and clicking on my board or through this link -  https://tinyurl.com/LyricsGroup 

My calendar is a bit bare at the moment, but here’s the link for when I ramp up the show schedule again -  https://tinyurl.com/LyricsEventSchedule

I have a subscribo on my tip board too. I always send a susbribo notice, but sometimes I slack on the group notices. I urge your readers to come to a show and click the board to get on my subscriber’s list.

You can also get a texture with my weekly schedule on my board, and I have some fun gifts too.

SLE: Who would you like to see interviewed next in The SL Enquirer? ( It doesn’t have to be one person. )

Lyric: I think shining the spotlight on the people who work tirelessly to herd musicians and set up events for charities would be awesome. Even talking with some of the hosts who work in venues would be interesting. If you ask venue owners and performers, they’ll tell you finding good, responsible, and dedicated hosts are not easy. There are some great ones out there, though. It would be interesting to get to know them and find out what it takes to put on a happy face and greet people, cheer on performers, and promote the venues they work for every day.

I’d also be interested in hearing from music lovers who attend and support SL music. Not so much who, but what they’re listening to? What makes a show a good one for them? Performers usually only get direct feedback about really good or really bad performances. It would be great to kind of take the temperature of the SL music-loving community to see what they like and don’t like about performers and venues.

SLE: Thank you we will definitely look into interviewing from a venue host and fan perspective on the music scene! If you had the rare opportunity to stand on the virtual world stage take and drop the mic to tell the virtual world what they need to hear about the music scene, musicians, venues, and fans in Second Life. The pros and cons and how we as a whole can contribute to the massive amount of talent that performs in the virtual world. Go ahead and name-drop!

Lyric: Hmm, so many things I could say. I’ll just speak my truth about what I’ve observed as a musician’s manager, club owner, fangirl, and performer throughout my SL career - because someone has to say the quiet things out loud.

I’ve been around long enough to witness many changes and cycles in SL music. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows behind the scenes, even though we put on our professional smiles and try to portray it that way in public settings. There are divas and bullies. Elitism and nepotism. It’s not all fair and good-hearted camaraderie. Sure, we all love music and want to be supportive. But you also have a bunch of performers who do this for their SL living and venue owners trying to pay tier, sharing the common goal of wanting to bring in as many people as possible to shows so they can earn linden. Don’t believe me? Ok. Let’s stop paying people to come play. I think we all know how that would go over. That’s the reality of it. It is a competitive business.

Navigating a music career or keeping a venue open for the long haul in SL is tricky. It’s done with a lot of work and a bit of luck.

So, since you’ve given me the chance to say my piece, I’ll end with this -

To music lovers and venue owners – I urge you to expand your musical horizons! Do you really want your SL music experience to only consist of hearing the same performers do the same sets day in and day out? There is so much more to experience! We all have our favorites, but if you keep your listening experience limited to the same handful of performers, you’re really missing out. Don’t be a music snob. Step outside your comfortable listening patterns and explore. Not everyone has a promotion team or feels comfortable spamming the masses. Not everyone has to be Celine Dion or Pavarotti (an Ed Sheeran or Ariana Grande? – who’s popular on the radio? Did I mention I’ve been in SL a long time?). Check out a Courtney Love or a Kanye West. Why not? There’s room for all kinds of musical experiences. Go listen to people who aren’t in your inbox on the daily. It’s good to support your friends but spread the love if you really want to support SL music and help it thrive.

To new performers and those who want to be performers - Just do it and keep doing it! Don’t let the size of your audiences, the places that won’t book you, or the people who think pushing you down elevates them take up residence in your head. ‘Imposter syndrome’ will try to creep in and take over. Don’t let it! Don’t think that because some performers are being paid more linden than you, or because they are booking into the popular venue of the moment and you aren’t, you are ‘less than.’ Much of that is a product of good promotion and who they know. Some people will try to knock you down because they mistakenly think that elevates them. We all have bad shows, silent crowds, and days when we question why we’re doing this. You will eventually find your stride. Keep doing what you do, and the right people will find you. I’d rather perform for smaller audiences because they appreciate my setlist and what I offer as a performer than be in front of a large crowd, mainly there because it’s the popular place to be. Or worse, they feel they have to come to my shows to maintain a friendship. Don’t give up! You need to develop a slightly thick skin and believe in yourself to survive the ever-changing landscape of the SL music scene.

Someone once said to me that when you make art of any kind – music, dance, painting, photography, drawing, writing - you provide an experience and ask people to come along for the ride. Don’t think of it as getting up there to put on a show. Share your emotions, expression, and interpretation of the music – and invite them into your world for that hour. Ask them to take that journey with you. If you look at it that way, I think it helps you keep going. You’re sharing a part of yourself, and people who want to go on that ride with you will come. Nothing else should matter.

When you have a low turnout or are doubting yourself in any way, when you look out there and see even one person has shown up for you, thank them for taking the journey with you.

Additional Information:

Website/Music List:  https://tinyurl.com/LyricsList

Calendar: https://tinyurl.com/LyricsEventSchedule

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LyricSerendipity 

Preferred Contact: Inworld NC (messages get capped) – Lyric Serendipity

Article from 6/3/2011 http://www.slenquirer.com/2011/06/musician-manager-spotlight-meet.html

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