Meet Singing Sensation Andreus Gustafson - Tea Couturier Reporting...

Many come to Second Live to listen to live entertainment  and when they come across a performer who keeps them not only entertained but also engages with the audience, it completes the night out.

 I came across Andreus Gustafson performing at a venue in SL. I knew we had to interview him not only for fans to learn a bit more about him but also for our readers who may not have heard him yet. I sat down with Anj which is short for Andreus and we chatted over a cup of freshly brewed SLE coffee.

Tea: How did you start performing in SL?

Andreus Gustafson: Interestingly, I had never heard of Second Life until my supervisor mentioned it to me at work one day.  I was intrigued because I have always been fascinated by the concept of virtual communities.  Five minutes after he left my office, I was on the company computers googling for any info about this "Second Life" thing.  That very night when I got home, I downloaded and began my noob experience and haven't looked back since.  That was June of 2007.

Tea: For those of our readers who may have not heard you perform yet what kind of music do you sing?

Andreus Gustafson: My repertoire spans a little more than five decades including styles like R&B, progressive, blues, ambient electronica and a smattering of bluegrass and symphonic on occasion.  I guess I would have to describe my 'style' as being mostly progressive but with much respect to music genres of years past.

Tea:  What other instruments do you like to play?

Andreus Gustafson: Keyboard instruments are what I consider to be my main focus although I also play guitar out of necessity to the style of songs that i play and flute.  I also play drums on occasion in real-life projects but in Second Life, the rhythm instruments are mostly programmed.

Tea: Who would be your inspiration in rl in the music industry?

Andreus Gustafson: Keith Emerson, Steve Howe, Ian Anderson, Donald Fagen, Steve Morse, Jordan Rudess just to name a few, but there are countless other influences across nearly every genre.

Tea: How do your fans in SL support you? How has this made you strive on in performing?

Andreus Gustafson: The biggest encouragement I get from my supporters in SL is them continuing to attend my shows night after night.  If not for them I would never have lasted going on seven years performing in SL.  It was also their encouragement that convinced me to release three CDs of original music.  Where I am from in RL, (South Eastern USA) original music is not encouraged so much in live performance situations but it is in SL and that has been a huge inspiration for me.  I never would have imagined that I would release three CDs in such a short time span. All three are available on CD Baby, Napster, Amazon and Spotify under the name "Andrew Deal."

Tea: What do you like to do in SL when you’re not performing?

Andreus Gustafson: Sailing the Linden oceans is great fun for me in-world.  Though I wish the Lindens would open up a few more open waters for us virtual sailors :)

Tea: What can we expect from you for 2014?

Andreus Gustafson: I will continue to play and write songs for as long as there are folks that want to hear them.  I am not sure I will release another collection of original songs this year but I do believe I have another one in me in the not too distant future.

To find out more on Anj:

www.a3d3.net.

Group: 081b769b-87c1-09d2-6b0b-fd617752cb1d

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/andrewdeal