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18 Years and counting...Got SL News? Get it Published! Contact Lanai Jarrico at lanaijarrico@gmail.com

Friday, August 10, 2018

“Town of Stepford – a Dolcett based, EXTREME adult fantasy - Seersha Heart reporting




******ADULT CONTENT WARNING******

Who can resist clicking where they see the word "cannibalism" on a web page?  I am a mainland resident in SL, and I have a nifty police bot which emails me info of the people who visit my parcel.  I frequently read the profiles of my visitors. One day a woman visited my parcel who used the term “Dolcett Girl” to describe herself.  This was a new term to me. I went down the rabbit hole to satisfy my curiosity.


A French Canadian artist, Dolcett [an anonymous name he uses], draws comic fetish pictures of extreme acts of violence in black and white.  Most often these pictures are of a Dolcett girl being roasted alive on a spit.  Dolcett issued a public statement about his art saying "I must repeat that these are pure fantasy. I am against real violence of any kind."  The Dolcett girl lives in a Dolcett world where women’s feelings about being a meal range from “fatalistic to enthusiastic”. 



The Dolcett girl is the main character of many fanfiction stories on the web.  She is Caucasian, thin, blonde or brunette. She usually has a backstory as a student or a professional.  In almost every story she dies at the end by being a meal, cooked or impaled, sometimes hung. A stand out feature of this RP is that she is a volunteer victim.  There is considerable interest in how she feels about each step of the process of her torture and eventual death.  Sometimes the Dolcett girl is herself a cook and aids in the preparation of cooking and preparing herself for consumption.

As with most SL residents, it is hard to surprise me.  The existence of the practice of Dolcett in SL was not surprising.  My personal interest in the topic would have ended at this point if not for the discovery of a most interesting little hamlet.  This hamlet is a surprising and interesting place to visit.  It is the Town of Stepford. In SL there are at least two towns using the name Stepford, one is very unusual under the surface. I wanted to know more about the residents of a Dolcett SIM.  It is with mixed emotion that I first visited “Dolcett ~ Town of Stepford ~ Some Place Not So Innocent”.  “The Town of Stepford is a Dolcett based, EXTREME adult fantasy roleplay community - where the creative, kinky, nasty, twisted and talented play!”

I changed to my male ALT avi for my first trip. He is a well-behaved observer around the grid and rarely approached with IMs, a perfect reporters tool.  I landed next to a cornfield across the river from the main town. There is an excellent detailed city map and bikes to rez for the traveler who doesn’t want to walk.  My first time to Stepford, I walked across the bridge and into the town. I think I was subconsciously expecting Hannibal Lecter to jump out from behind a bush or a building.  I have visited Stepford on several occasions researching this story as both male and female.  I have never been harassed or bothered in any fashion.  They are cannibals, not thoughtless, rude or surly as often portrayed by the media.  Most in Stepford are perfectly pleasant neighborly and friendly if not a bit shy.


Stepford is not a Hannibal Lecter kind of a town. There are no dark alleys, no aggressive RP….Stepford is a sleepy 1950s era town, both peaceful and lovely.  When entering Stepford, the first buildings are a medical clinic and the police station on the left then the church on the right.  All of the buildings are arranged around a town park, old-fashioned with playground equipment, PG cuddle blankets and barbeque items. One one side of the park is a cabaret theatre. Easy to use 1950s era cars are parked along the road.  I have driven a couple of them, and they are easy to handle. The crown jewel of the town is the Stepford Diner. Family Diner is open 24 hours.  I spend one Sunday morning at the park hanging around listening and talking to other residents.  The park is an informal area of chatting, flirting, and making plans for a possible barbeque later in the day.  To the casual stranger, the group looks very much like any other group standing around an adult SIM in SL.  Various levels of dress, different styles of avis and a lot of chatter.

As a guest to any SIM, you should be polite.  If you tend towards griefing, or trolling or any other negative behavior, you will not be welcome in Stepford.  They are cannibals, not impolite.  If you are interested in the lifestyle or the residents or merely curious, the diner is the place to spend your time.  It is ground zero here for all kinds of hookups.

Stepford is a very peaceful community with friendly residents.  A town allowing participants to pursue their fantasies online via what is called “extreme RP”.  If you fantasize about something, anything, you will find it somewhere in SL.  For the cannibal that that means different types of practices and forms of societal structures.  Yes, the Town of Stepford is only one town of cannibals on the grid.  Stepford adheres to the structures and the inspirations of Dolcett.

Among the buildings are a hotel, a butcher shop and an old-fashioned drive-in theater.  The hotel is a staple of sex communities, and this one is conveniently located next to the diner.  The butcher shop here is a campy old-fashioned shop. Instead of a cow’s body on the wall divided into the various sections of meat; there is a crawling woman. 

Some residents will walk around with these markings tattooed on their skins, their bodies as if ready to be butchered. Men as meals are rarer.  I met two in Stepford, one who considers himself and "extreme" sub residing part-time in Gor.  The other man a nice southern gentleman who may be the chef or the meal.

This Town is full of campy 1950s references and props.  If you visit, try not to miss the drive-in movie theater complete with 1950s cars and a fully detailed area.  You can even drive the cars out of the theater.  The detail that is crafted into the buildings and the surroundings is some of the best you can find in SL.  Poses and animations are equally imaginative though clearly designed with the Dolcett practices in mind.  The church is aptly named "St. Karyn of the Last Supper”.



Inside the church, there is a classroom to learn to become a butcher or a chef of the cannibal culinary.  Various residents are genuinely into their RP characters.  The church has a couple of different RPers that frequently are inside or near the building.  I met one of the pastors, a very charming man.  I've noticed that women who are unowned or curious walk between the church and the diner.  At the church, these women can find a slower paced initiation into the RP.  Churches are helpful places, and Stepford's is no exception.  The Diner is a freer format with various RP occurring often concurrently.  Many of the interactions are performed in local.  It is easy to sit back in the diner and listen to someone’s RP scenario play out.

“No, no, no I'm not satisfied
Can't there be - more to life
I can't see - reasons why”  Fine Young Cannibals "I'm Not Satisfied."

I’ve met people from all over the world in Stepford.  I have met a good amount of people who speak French in Stepford, most likely as Dolcett is also French.  Since I am studying French irl, this is a handy if not unusual place to practice some of my words and phrases.

Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup means: "Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly."

I found that many of those visiting Stepford were classic avatars.  I found this puzzling as if one were going to have a meal, and I would think a nice mesh body would be fine dining.  <<chuckles>> Yet very few of the men or the women are all mesh.  This gives an interesting effect to those of us who are all mesh and bento; another worldly exotic floating among the residents.  Those regular residents who have taken the time to craft a seductive mesh body stand out in the small crowd.  Yes, I am biased; I have a deeply seated fear of the "cankle".  I blame this fear on the postings of a good friend who now no longer possesses cankles, Toysolder Thor well known SL artist and an all around good guy.  He used to possess some of the worst cankles…but I digress… [see below for definition of cankle]  I soon found out the allure of the classic avi here in Stepford; many of the RP tattoos are designed for the classic body.



One of my favorite residents to watch is a wonderfully crafted female Neko alien.  Frequently in residence, she seems to float from place to place town with an ephemeral presence.  One evening I saw her set out in the diner on one of the tables dressed and ready to be dinner.  Respecting the residents, I did not engage or impose myself or my questions on others.  During a visit, there were always questions in my head.  Usually, answers presented themselves, or a resident would approach me for a conversation.  As always, the best way to learn about a SIM or the residents is to sit down, be quiet, to watch, to listen and be a good OOC resident.

I learned a great deal in my trips to the town of Stepford.  Stepford made me realize that we all assume the people around us conform to similar social norms.  I may very well have a friend or two that has a cannibal fantasy. This is the kind of deep dark secret that one person would not share with another person easily.  SL is the kind of place where you can find places to share those deep dark secrets with similar people. The town of Stepford is only one of those places on the grid.  The residents of Stepford are people like the ones I encounter at any other area of SL; diverse. The Town of Stepford looks peaceful and innocent, like any town USA in the 1950s.  It is the way people try to behave all over SL.  On the surface, ‘normal’, like all the others; yet beneath “someplace not so innocent”.



I have left Stepford for the next story.  Though not interested in this RP, I leave finding myself sympathetic to the residents.  They are harassed and judged much more harshly than many other extreme RP SIMs.  Yet they are on their SIM practicing what is the essence of SL; their desires, their roleplay.  At the end of the day, a Dolcett girl, a butcher or a chef is enjoying their RP with other consenting adults.  Though you might have a different ‘diet’ for your SL, you probably want the same basic result; a place to explore your fantasy without judgement.  If a SIM offends you; leave.  Today I have pulled up stakes and moved my focus to another SIM now.  No teaser for the reader only this; every place in SL has a story if you sit still and let it come to you.

Photos by Karmaghna Ulrik

My favorite topic related quotes:
”The truth is not for everyone.” ― From A Carnivore’s Inquiry by Sabina Murray
“If abortion is murder then blowjobs are cannibalism.” ― Oliver Markus Malloy, Inside The Mind of an Introvert
“But if you're gonna dine with them cannibals; Sooner or later, darling, you're gonna get eaten . . .” ― Nick Cave

>>Cankle; “where the calf meets the foot in an abrupt, non-tapering terminus;” "a swollen ankle that blends into the calf without clear demarcation."

SURL for the Town of Stepford
[Dolcett and cannibal - a 1950's town dedicated to dolcett devices - bdsm... A dolcett community]
secondlife://PORTEN%20HILL/10/223/29




GeekSpeak – International Living- Join the discussion- Saturday August 11th at 12pm SLT



More and more people are now becoming ‘digital nomads’.  They shop for a country to live in just as they shop for a new pair of shoes.  Cheap air flight and worldwide internet make it easy.  People find online jobs, live wherever they choose and work from there. 

Where will you live in the future?  And what will be the long-term result of people living like that?  Will nations and countries disappear?  Is it time to think about a world tax?

Or do you think, like Mike Ehrmantraut in Better Call Saul, ‘Nobody wants to leave home.’  Will most of us stay at home on the (tax)farm even when we do not have to?  Bring your backpack to GeekSpeak for an open mind-trip.

IM Vulcan Viper if you have any ideas for new subjects.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/143/127/51

Monday, August 6, 2018

Elite SL Music Magazine Press Release

Elite SL Music Magazine is proud to announce the opening of our very own music venue where we are now a vibrant source of live music in Second Life. Our Grand Opening lineup featured Amberle Janniah, ChocolatBlack, Stinna, and LaidBack Celt. Over the two days of our opening, we had 34 residents attend, a fact we are proud of, considering we are a new venue and opened midweek during the U.S. workday. Join us every Wednesday and Friday for live music.

We are also happy to announce an addition to our music journalist lineup by welcoming Pen Dragon (arthuris1974) to the team. Located in the U.S., Pen has been writing in Second Life for some time and produces succinct and knowledgeable reviews. Welcome Pen!

Elite SL reporters comb the Metaverse to bring you up-to-the minute reports on musicians and the venues they play in and stories of performers’ Real and Second Life careers. Constantly growing, changing, and reshaping itself like the music and the venues it describes, Elite SL Music Magazine is the go-to WebZine for all music lovers. Join us on these pages and in Second Life to learn about the must hear performers, the hottest and the undiscovered venues, and the behind the scenes stories of music in Second Life.

We cover live performances, venues, and SL’s top DJs, and provide a close up view of Second Life’s richly textured music world through candid interviews, reviews, and photography.

You can find our music venue here: where we are now a vibrant source of live music in Second Life. Our Grand Opening lineup featured Amberle Janniah, ChocolatBlack, Stinna, and LaidBack Celt. Over the two days of our opening, we had 34 residents attend, a fact we are proud of, considering we are a new venue and opened midweek during the U.S. workday. Join us every Wednesday and Friday for live music.

We are also happy to announce an addition to our music journalist lineup by welcoming Pen Dragon (arthuris1974) to the team. Located in the U.S., Pen has been writing in Second Life for some time and produces succinct and knowledgeable reviews. Welcome Pen!

Elite SL reporters comb the Metaverse to bring you up-to-the minute reports on musicians and the venues they play in and stories of performers’ Real and Second Life careers. Constantly growing, changing, and reshaping itself like the music and the venues it describes, Elite SL Music Magazine is the go-to WebZine for all music lovers. Join us on these pages and in Second Life to learn about the must hear performers, the hottest and the undiscovered venues, and the behind the scenes stories of music in Second Life.

We cover live performances, venues, and SL’s top DJs, and provide a close up view of Second Life’s richly textured music world through candid interviews, reviews, and photography.

You can find us on social media here: Gigli Live (176, 161, 23

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/EliteSLMusic/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/EliteSLMusicMag
Pinterest : https://www.pinterest.fr/byronmcmackin
VK : https://vk.com/id498910114

And you can advertise on our web site at the following rates:

180x180 texture for 1 month @ 1000 L$ / 2 months @ 1500 LS
Banner: texture 460x80, minimum 2 months @ 2000 L$

Saturday, August 4, 2018

GeekSpeak – we need more Turing tests! Join the Discussion Saturday August 4th at 12pm SLT


We need the Turing test to determine if an AI is a person.  But what about Turing tests to determine what is real at all?  Is the painting on your wall real or is it a virtual reality conjured up by your Google glass?  How do you know if that chair is made from natural materials or made from a blob of nanobots?  What tests will we need to determine whether the toaster is the smartest kid in the house and should be in charge of everything?

Did your smart door kill your cat on purpose?  Did the bots that make up your mailbox eat the mailman to get more building materials?  If they did will you be held responsible?  Will your smart car need a certificate from a shrink before you can drive in it?

Does any of this matter?  Does it matter if your butler is self-aware?  If your toaster belongs to an online community of toasters?

Come and talk to us about a world in which doorknobs can be smarter than people.

IM Vulcan Viper if you have any ideas for new subjects.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/143/127/51

“Surfers’ Bay - You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf….- Seersha Heart

Persia Bravin: “I wanted it to feel like logging into a vacation “



It is Wednesday lunch time when I decide to go in world for a bit of personal rest& relaxation.  As I load up my viewer, I am humming Rupert Holmes’ song Escape.  A very beachy tune with a lot of action happening in the dunes of the cape.  This song always makes me think of the beach.  When I come in world tonight, I want to go to the beach to escape the stresses of rl and have a bit of fun.  I recently joined the Surfer’s Bay VIP Group in world.  In my first couple of weeks as a member I had learned that surfing is not only the actual act of riding a wave on a board but also a life style.  Persia Bravin and her partner Duncan Blackburn have opened a spectacular new surfing SIM.

Kick off your shoes and wander down the beach with me here at Surfers’ Bay.  The sounds of the ocean are soothing, the waves are ready and waiting.  I recommend a nice walk around the island.  The main social area has plenty of places to sit and relax.  You can sit on the beach on a towel, a chair or float in the water on nice large floats.  What is Persia Bravin trying to create here?  I joined her at the club for lunch one day last week to see what she had to reveal to us.  She told me that RL is hard enough, this is a place to escape those stresses.  “So, log in, escape and enjoy fellow SLers” Persia says with a wry smile.

Taking a stroll around the island the aspect I most enjoy is the ambient sounds.  The sounds of surf and gulls will take your mind to the ocean as you stroll.  Our first stop is a handy rez station.  We can rez a surf board or a jet ski.  The jet ski is HUD operated and easy to use.  I have taken a jet ski around the entire island, it is possible, and it is fun.  A little bit further down the beach you will see Orchid Island off to our left.  A particularly romantic scene, this island rests in constantly swirling sea water, white caps crashing along a worn stair case.  At the top of the stairs is a view of the ocean and a private place to spend some time along or with that special someone.

I asked Persia about the name “Orchid Island”, where did she come up with that name?  She told me that initially she didn’t quite know what to do with the island claiming it “came out of nowhere”.

Persia Bravin: I wanted somewhere small and peaceful.  I love orchids rl and a friend of mine who makes really good sl plants just came out with some. He sent the orchids to me, so it made sense.  It also runs with the Bali theme

Surfer’s Bay is chock full of spots such as this one.  There are all kinds of romantic stops with any animation you might wish to enjoy.  There is deck in a lagoon of the most beautiful turquoise water you have ever seen.  On this deck is a large round chair.  I take a seat in the chair and find out, like most of the island, I have many options. 

Along with all the couples poses you could ever need, you will find the playful poses too.  In one lagoon there is a platform with several poses for the single traveler including treading water and jumping off the platform into the water.  The island has been designed with a weaving of rock and of sand throughout.  Stone staircases, decking and platforms appear exactly where needed.  The furniture is strategically placed throughout with both the single and the couple in mind.  At many areas of the SIM I feel as if I entered a nice quiet private place.  As if it is designed with me in mind.

There is a double diving board jutting out into the ocean.  I have seen people hanging out on the diving boards chatting up a storm.  The boards are dramatic and tower well above the ocean.  The diving is outstanding.  Nearby there is a spot where elegant comfortable cream-colored sofas sit on a floating dock waiting to be used.  I see a man standing there on the dock looking out to sea.  The people you encounter are friendly.  He sends me an IM telling me I “improve the view”.  I smile and thank him as I continue this stroll.  Almost directly opposite of the main social beach area I find a picturesque swimming pool. 
The pool provides a swim HUD, it works well there and at other points on the SIM.  It is hard to imagine that this Island is only three months old.  The group already has 5000 members and I expect to see a lot more.  I traveled to ten other surf SIMs to research what one might expect to see at a surfing SIM.  While there are a few nice ones, no surf SIM captures as many amenities as Surfer’s Bay.  Surfer’s is a place you will want to visit every day.  If you want to own your own surf board, there is an unobtrusive shopping area a short walk from the beach with surfboards on sale for men and women made by regular a surfer on the sim - Guyot Habana. 

Persia is a charming and a laid back surfer.  I asked her a few more questions for the prospective members of Surfers’ Bay VIP Group.  Here is the conversation:

Seersha Heart: Are you a member of the SL Surfers Association?

Persia Bravin: I have been a member of the SLSA since 2008 – it’s one of the organisations that I have never left or discarded to make room for other groups.  The SLSA is a stalwart of the SL surfing community; they provide competitions and support for surfers and surf owners and do a lot of work to promote surfing as a sport across SL.

Seersha Heart: Do you or will you host “Pro” surf events?

Persia Bravin: Surfer’s Bay VIP is about the fun and non-competitive aspects of SL surfing. It’s a sim for true ‘soul surfers’ or those people that simply enjoy the sensation of paddling out and taking on the huge Maoli waves and we love welcoming newcomers to SL surfing too. There is a hardcore group of surfers that you will see hitting the waves here on most days and they always give their time to coach others. We are considering becoming a destination for future, larger surfing events though – watch this space!

Seersha Heart: How do you track how members feel about the SIM?

Persia Bravin: The Surfer’s Bay VIP group chat is always buzzing with thoughts and suggestions from our thousands of members and we do listen carefully to all feedback. We don’t have a formal suggestion process currently – although that might be something we could implement in the future – but all ideas from our members are welcomed and usually implemented immediately!

Seersha Heart: Any good stories to share about couples who may have met at Surfers’?

Persia Bravin: When we created the sim, we definitely wanted to impart a sense of romance, but not in the traditional way, but rather through lush planting, naturalistic scenery and plenty of areas where you can be alone with loved ones. Romance does bloom at the sim and I am pretty sure many couples have met there! I also love to see all the different friendships develop: Surfer’s Bay VIP truly is a meeting place for people across the world. Who knows…maybe we will host a wedding one day of a couple that fell in love here.

Coming soon to Surfers’ Bay are well known SL performers Jack Slade on August 4th and Max Kleen on August 18th.  Join the crowd at Surfers’ Bay and enjoy some music while you look out on some beautiful waves.

SURL: secondlife://HIDDEN%20VALLEY/138/177/22
Surfer’s Bay VIP Group
https://www.flickr.com/groups/surfersbayvip/

Friday, August 3, 2018

Spotlight on Amberle Janniah--Sean Lerner Reporting


The other night I popped into a club to check out an artist I never saw. She describes herself as an "acoustic pop musician & artist." She supported this statement with her refreshing voice and catchy guitar. Throughout the hour she constantly delivered through her original works and creative arrangements of cover tunes. Amberle is on her way to becoming a first class Second Life entertainer.


I should start by saying that Amberle's voice is flawless. She constantly demonstrates impeccable pitch and vocal control. Every vocal run was a succession of deliberate perfectly chosen notes. Never did they feel forced or like she was searching for the correct pitch. Most importantly, every run was timely and appropriate to the music. Amberle has the talent to throw these runs in every verse of every song, but the savvy to hold them for the perfect moments.

Amberle also has an impressive vocal range. Although her low end is not always as strong, her phenomenal breath-control allows her to push through and hit her low notes. The only area where she could use some improvement is in her diction and enunciation of consonants in some of the songs. To be completely fair, the only reason I found it distracting was because I was looking for a flaw.

There was also great range in Amberle's guitar playing. Her style ranged from soothing and subtle to upbeat and poppy from one song to the next. She performed "Counting Stars" with such inflection and rhythm that it brought all of the power of the original without missing the full band accompaniment. Her arrangement of Carly Rae Jepsen's "Curiosity" was the song that really showcased her talent on the guitar and her gift for vocal control.

Amberle played Yellow by Cold Play when I requested it. She said it is one of her favorite songs. She proved it with her handling of her interpretation. Amberle gave the song such a soothing touch that added a delicacy the original could never reach. Her crescendo at the bridge was moving with an emotional weight that made me feel as though she could have written the song herself.

She performed two original songs during her set. Both were well composed and heartfelt songs of unrequited love. Her lyrics spoke to common emotions using direct and earnest language. "Never Let You Know" starts with her soothing finger-picking that embraces the listener as it transitions into heartfelt strumming. My original note was that the lyrics felt juvenile yet relatable; this was quickly explained when she announced the song was written at 14. The second original, "Unmine," carried the heartbreak of losing love with an upbeat rhythm that left me feeling hopeful in spite of the pain.

Amberly closed with "Killing Me Softly." She plays a beautiful inviting intro before kicking into a more jazzy rhythmic strumming. She sings this song like she has lived it. Again, her control is astonishing. She sneaks the perfect notes in from underneath the melody.

My only major complaint during Amberle's set was the sound quality. When I mentioned this she said she was in the process of buying new equipment. I also suggested not to run her fan during her set because it created a distorted warble. However, her talent and energy broke through the distraction to deliver 60 minutes of pure entertainment.

I suggest that the next time you're looking for a live show you check out Amberle Janniah. You won’t be disappointed!

Check out her schedule at https://tinyurl.com/yc9nyve5
Also be sure to visit her Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/amberle-janniah

Interview with Amberle Janniah

I sat down with Amberle in her home to get to learn a little more about her. The first thing I noticed was her full band studio set up. "Wouldn't be my place without some sort of place for music," she said with a smile when I commented on it.

Sean: So let's start with, what was your introduction to the SL music scene?

Amberle: I started performing on SL last year because of a few friends, from Paltalk, that convinced me to come back here.My account is around 5 years and 7 months but I've probably played on SL for only about 2 years, even less.
Performance-wise I've barely reached the 6 month timeframe.

Sean: I'm glad they convinced you to sing for us. How did you come to SL in the first place?

Amberle: The way I got my first gig was a bit special too, but we can talk about that later. Regarding your question, I discovered SL through a good friend of mine, Jane, who knew I loved playing games. Not that SL is much of game, since i consider it much more.

Amberle: At first I was hesitant, but when I read about Second Life I got curious and that curiosity still keeps me here up to now. Lots of things to learn.

Sean: That is very true. We tend to put a lot more of ourselves into it than we would Fallout 4 or World of Warcraft.

Amberle: I agree with that. SL provides a creative output that has no limit or clear objective. It's awesome.

Sean: I want you to tell me about that first show, but first I want to ask, were you playing shows in RL before you took up the SL Stream?

Amberle: I have played RL gigs but never just me. It was always with my former acoustic band. In RL, I focus on vocals.That's one of the reasons why it's a preference to pursue acoustic sets. I get to practice and make up for lost time, if you could call it that. XD

Sean: Do you play any other instruments?

Amberle: Yes, I also play the piano but I've always been partial to the guitar. XD

Sean: I get that. If I could play the drums for an SL set I would.

Amberle: Would be an interesting set. XD

Sean: So let's her about that first SL gig. What made it so special?

Amberle: Well, an acquaintance I met at O Lounge convinced me to play at Lyrics... nothing out of the ordinary, just a couple of songs to see how people would respond. It turned out pretty well and Mace Paul, who was listening, asked me to play another song because she wanted someone to hear me. I didn't know that the person was a venue owner. Mind you, I had to do it on local because my net was acting up and it wouldn't let me stream properly. Anyway, Mace TP-ed Brindimere into the venue and the rest was history. That was the start of many shows.

Sean: That's awesome! Can you describe how it felt that first time you played for an SL audience?

Amberle: I may seem more comfortable on stage now but I'm actually glad that I still feel some things that resemble the first time I played for an SL audience. It was nerve-wracking and scary, at first, then you feel a warmth that just encapsulates you and urges to just open your mouth and sing.
Time flies by so fast that you don't even realize how many songs you've done until you are prompted to check the time.

Sean: I know what you mean. It's those nerves that keep you focused and awake. There's an old theater adage, "I never want to go on stage with an actor who isn't nervous."
 So how do you pick the songs you want to learn?

Amberle: I listen to the radio.
That's just it.
I wish it were a more fancy picking process but straight up, I listen to songs on the radio or anything on the net.

Sean: You have such creative arrangements. of your cover songs. How do you come up with them?

Amberle: Now that's a bit more complicated to explain for me.
When I listen to a song, I tend to break down the things that I like and not like much about it. And when I play it on the guitar, I focus on what I want to bring out of the song and emphasize on it. It doesn't come easy all the time. Sometimes, if I really wanted to cover a song and nothing really sounds nice to me... I usually listen to different takes on the song. Every cover of the same song is a different highlight of the beauty of the melody and the meaning of the lyrics.

Sean: Yes! Well said!

Amberle:That eventually points me to something that I can use and brings a lot of elements together.


Sean: What are you favorite songs to play?

Amberle: Wahhhhhhh! That's the hardest question you've asked so far.

Sean: (laughs)

Amberle: I don't know how to answer that question without taking a million years.

Sean: I mean, I've already told our readers about your treatment of Yellow.

Amberle: My originals are definitely a part of the list. They're an extension of me, even if the songs weren't about my firsthand experience at all.

Sean: I know exactly what you mean!

Amberle: Killing Me Softly, I feel is my most ambitious take that I'm very much in love with, so that's part of the list too.
Adele songs too, hard as they are. They just get me going. XD

Sean: I feel that way when I do Bowie.

Amberle: At this point, I am very much tempted to say that everything on my song list is... but there are a few that take precedence over some others.

Sean: So you mentioned your originals. What is your writing process?

Amberle: I would describe it as organized chaos. There are times when I can finish a song within minutes but there are some that are reflections of bits and pieces of different days.Maybe even years. Back then I'd always have a small notebook handy. Not it's either I write on said notebook or doodle on my phone. Perk of technology. :D

Sean: So what else would you like the readers of SLE to know about you?
Amberle: Hmmm, second hardest question of the day. Apart from which are my favorite songs.

Sean: I am a hard hitting journalist.

Amberle: Honestly, there's not anything about that they wouldn't hear in my music.

Sean: That's a great answer!

Amberle: If anything, I'd like people to listen, even for a couple of songs. And hopefully after, they'd get a firsthand experience of what I want to achieve through my music: for my audience to feel.


Sean: And they can do that by clicking on the link to your schedule I've included in the article.


Check out her schedule at https://tinyurl.com/yc9nyve5
Also be sure to visit her Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/amberle-janniah

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Spotlight on Elite SL Music Magazine -Pen Dragon Reporting





Elite SL Music Magazine is THE place when you want to know more about your favorite Second Life performer or live music venue. With reporters who search all of Second Life for new performers, great venues and get the latest information on the SL music scene. You’ll find articles and reviews of singers, musicians, bands and everything in between.
Elite SL Music Magazine is the magazine for all Second Life music lovers.

This is the newest iteration of a music review magazine by Byron McMackin. Prior to this he was the owner of Virtual Music Services, a very popular music magazine with links all over the Second Life music scene.

There will be an Official Grand Opening party for the magazine on August 1st with live performances by Amberle Janniah, Chocolatblack and LaidBack Celt. The festivities start at 9am SLT.

I sat down with the owner and CEO of the magazine Byron McMackin, here’s that interview.



Interview 

Q: What inspired you to create SL Elite Music Magazine?
Byron: I owned and ran VMS Magazine previously. All i know to do in SL since my first step is running a magazine, so after 2 years off absence i came back and created it. I am a musician in Real Life , a drummer, and music has always been my passion and I had to share to people in second life the potential of the sl music scene.



Q: What can readers expect to find in your magazine?
Byron: We have different reviews, we have interviews, reviews on musicians, music venues reviewed and music hotspots such as radio openings. You can find more on our website such as playlists and different informations about us. We also have links to all our social media there as well.

Q:How long has the magazine been in business?
we started in January of this year, we took a small break during one month and we are back now in business.

Q: Tell our readers about the events hosted by Elite SL Music Magazine.
We have a music venue on another sim and we are planning events every Wednesday and Friday, and we are opening the 1st of August. There will be four performers starting at  9 am withAmberle Janniah, then at 10 am slt we have ChocolatBlack, followed at 11 am slt by Stinna and finally at 12 pm lt LaidBack Celt.

Q: Where can our readers find the SL Elite Music Magazine?
Simple, on our website. We also have a Twitter account and Facebook page so people can keep up to date with what’s happening in the music scene.



If you love Live music in Second Life, this is the magazine for you. We’ll include all the links to find Elite SL Music Magazine at the end of the article.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
SLURL:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Perrinton/80/113/23 (Headquarters)

 
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