Spotlight on Kris Composer - An 80's Music Revivalist in Second Life - Orion Baral Reporting

 

The ’80s were a time of major socioeconomic change in technology, pop culture in fashion, film, and music. It was an era when inhibitions were on full display in particular with the launch of MTV and music videos. We have come a long way since then with the internet, youtube, and the explosion of social media giving many people the opportunity to share their talents without a record label. With technology constantly evolving, today Second Life provides a virtual stage and global audience for a new kind of performance and concert experience, less the high ticket prices and travel. 

Kris Composer is a music composer and artist that shares his talent in Second Life. His voice is very reminiscent of artists like Bryan Adams, Richard Marx, and Lou Gramm. It feels like we're on the verge of a 1980s revival with his covers of some of the best ‘80s songs. The SL Enquirer got caught up with Kris to learn more about him and how he made it to the SL music scene.

Orion Baral (OB): Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me, I greatly appreciate it. So let start off by saying I caught your show at Terry’s Sunday Showcase and was highly impressed. You have a great voice. Can you tell our readers where you started singing and when you knew it was a passion of yours?

Kris Composer: Thank you and it was a lot of fun. I’ve been singing one way or another all my life however not so much in public until later on. I am a musician and singing is the part to complete my compositions. When I heard myself for the first time on recorded tracks, it was strange however it did complete my compositions as my own. I use awesome tools like Cubase and Logic Pro to help me put my material together.

OB:  Must have been a great revelation when you first heard yourself. So tell me, how long have you been performing in SL? And how did you come across Second Life?

Kris Composer: I joined SL in 2008 out of curiosity however did not log in very much and in fact only logged back only in late 2017. I discovered that there was live music and people actually singing and playing instruments. So I started looking into how that was possible and started singing at open mics like O-lounge and MUSIC Elixir of LIFE. I got approached at one point and asked to perform a show. This happened in early 2018 and it was scary at first but soon became a new way to perform for others and I was enjoying myself. I have performed on SL over 1000 times if not more over the years and enjoy it even more now.

 

OB: Well I can say a lot of your fans thank you for coming back to Second Life and giving it another try. So, your profile states that you have written your own music. Do you play your own songs or are they just personal pieces you keep to yourself? 

Kris Composer: My passion is to compose music and lyrics as a way to express myself. I have written many songs in my life and have shared a few in SL, such as Just Jump, Past Has Me, Where Are You Now, Dream In Reality, Dream Of U, and a few others in the works. I released to the mainstream, my music in RL, Just Jump, and Past Has Me. I even produced a video for Past Has Me and released it very recently.

OB: That is great having your own music released in Real life, that has to be something special to you. One question I like to ask any musician I interview is, every musician has a story about music and what it means to them or how it moves them. Can you share yours with our readers?

Kris Composer: Music is the spice of my life. When I sing one of my songs or a cover song, I always feel the words and the melody. I always associate a feeling or a memory to what I’m singing or performing. When others feel what I’m singing, it is even more exhilarating as I know we connected in some way.

OB: Within Second Life can you tell me what are your goals in the music world? Also since you once performed real life is that something you would like to see yourself heading into the future with your music?

 

Kris Composer:  My goal in Second Life in regards to music, is simply to continue to share my passion with others. One thing I always say during my shows “the show is not about me, it's about you”. Meaning that if the audience feels good, I feel good. As far as RL goes, music is a great hobby, bringing me joy and happiness. I plan on releasing more of my music via the most popular music distributions out there and maybe create some fun videos as well. Who knows what the future holds.

OB: That I must say is a good outlook to have. Making it all about the effect your music has on the fans says a lot. You really seem to care about how the fans perceive your music and you seem very sincere about it.  I have heard you singing a lot of different genres. Do you have a favorite one and more specifically a “go-to” song that you just love to sing?

Kris Composer: That is a tough question to answer. It all depends on my and the audience’s mood. I love rock and pop.. sometimes high-energy songs and sometimes “mooshy”  music .. like romantic ballads and so on. I do love Phil Collins and Sting music and tend to migrate towards their respective material.

OB: If anyone that lived through the 80s with MTV and doesn't love Sting or Phil Collins, something is wrong with them :) What would you be doing right now in Second life, if you weren’t performing? Or would Second Life even be on your radar?

Kris Composer: To be honest, I’m not sure if I would be on SL very much. The music industry in SL has kept me going as I found an outlet for my passion.

OB: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers about you or what you are doing or what is coming up in your life?

 

Kris Composer:  I will be writing more and maybe start doing special shows with just my material. I will also be continuing to go to SL live jams in RL which is a very awesome experience. I would say to the readers, check out my Facebook Page and YouTube channel for details about what I’m doing.

Well folks, that is it. It was a pleasure sitting down with Kris and spending some time to get to know him better. I must say Kris is a very humble person a great character to have in a musician. Check out his music and if you get the chance, head to one of his live shows, take a look at his calendar. 

Ciao 
Orion

Additional Information:
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-175612775
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KRIS1COOLCREW/ 
Calendar: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=kris.composer@gmail.com&ctz=America/Los_Angeles  
For bookings contact: Vargas & Associates Entertainment