Music has a healing power that often goes unrecognized. Did you know it helps reduce your heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and can boost your mood? Various genres are remedies to different kinds of mental feelings and ailments including help with sleep, anxiety, and depression. Singers and musicians are responsible for creating the energy that is absorbed by their audiences. Ghostie is one of those singers that calms a crowd and gives them a sense of relaxation. You can tell by her stage presence that she is a gentle soul and friendly with anybody she meets. I have personally gotten to form a good friendship with Ghostie after meeting her at Terry’s Open Mic Night. She is very witty and truly a great person.
Orion Baral (OB): Ghostie, thank you for finally sitting down with me, it was like pulling teeth getting you here, almost like someone telling you not to do it, so silly. So you have been in SL for a decade now. How did you discover Second Life and get involved in the music scene?
Ghostie Wildmist: I actually discovered Second Life through a friend who pulled me into DJ here. I did that for a few months. I remember being bored one night and stumbled upon the ~O~ Lounge, a karaoke spot, and met Canipanic there. If you had told me then that the visit would have led me to the stage I would not have believed you. But it is because of the ~O~ Lounge that I truly discovered the Live music scene and led to my first live gig at Kickin.
OB: So you started as a DJ that is pretty interesting. I would have never thought of you as a DJ before. While you spent time Djing, tell me what was your impression of this virtual world?
Ghostie Wildmist: At first...OVERWHELMED. Second Life can be very intimidating at first when you’re new, especially when you don’t know anyone. I can be on the shy side when it comes to meeting new people so I found that challenging.
OB: You shy? Oh come on now, I have gotten to know you very well over the last few months shy, I wouldn’t say that. Maybe reserved a bit, but I digress. So tell me how would you define music and what it means to you?
Ghostie Wildmist: Music to me is pure expression. As someone who can find it rather difficult to express themselves sometimes, I take a HUGE amount of comfort in music to help me do so. Happiness, love, anger, grief, anything can be expressed. Music has pulled me through a lot in my life ever since I was a child.
OB: I love that you have your own original thoughts on what it means to you. You defined it beautifully. Can you tell me which qualities do you think to make a great singer/musician?
Ghostie Wildmist: That is such an easy answer for me. It is PERSONALITY. Whether someone is singing or writing the music the personality comes through. I would absolutely rather listen to a performer with a great personality and presence than a performer who is technically flawless or has more experience if they have no feeling or "give" to their audience. ANYONE can sing, not everyone can make their audience smile, and laugh and feel like they are as much as the performance as the music is.
OB: Well not everyone can sing, trust me, the water in the shower runs away when I personally try. And well you do have a personality I will say that. So tell me how would you describe your style and genre?
Ghostie Wildmist: Oh I am absolutely an 80's and classic rock nut without a doubt. Truth is even now I rarely turn on the radio to a station that plays anything else. As a performer, I believe you should sing what you love and if you do that the crowd will love it too.. again it goes back to the personality and feeling. As for my "style", I guess I would just have to say that I am just a fan, go with the flow of the audience kind of performer. You can plan a set all you'd like, but if the crowd isn't feeling it, you have to be able to adjust to it. I am VERY interactive with my audience as I am so thankful to have them there. There are so many amazing performers in SL and I feel so lucky that anyone comes to see me, so their feedback is vital. Their time is precious so I am absolutely one of those performers who put fun first. I am not and never will be a "technically" perfect singer. I have to remind myself to breathe sometimes. But what I lack in technical skill, I more than makeup for with making the crowd happy.
OB: So admitting you are a classic rock nut, would you say that it is your favorite music genre and songs to sing? Or do you expand and go into other genres to challenge yourself?
Ghostie Wildmist: Again, classic rock is my soul. My favorite artist of all time easily is Billy Joel. I never have a set where I do not sing 1 or 2 of his songs. It's kind of a thing now where the crowd requests their "BJ's" now, and that always makes me laugh. "It's still rock and roll", "You may be right" are probably my two favorite songs to perform by him. I also love performing Creedence and The Doors.
OB: So me being the professional that I am, I will not comment on your crowds asking for the “BJs”, but hey, we don’t judge here at SLE. So as long as it is consensual, you do you. Singing covers are always great, but have you ever gotten into writing your own music?
Ghostie Wildmist: I have written lyrics to songs before but never tried to bring them off the paper, they have always been something I have kept to myself. It is something I tend to do to help express some things that need to be let out, very personal. I keep those tucked away in a binder.
OB: Well maybe one day you will find the strength to let some of us in and hear some of your original songs. Can you tell me, what do you find about performing in Second Life fulfilling?
Ghostie Wildmist: As a performer, the most fulfilling part of being on stage is the interaction I get from the audience. Again I can tend to be very inward, very shy. When I get on stage that seems to fade away. And when something I say makes someone laugh, or something I sing touches someone how can that not fulfill me. I don’t care if I have 4 people in the crowd or 30... I give my heart and soul to every performance. It isn’t about the numbers, it is about the experience and attention that is given to the venue's crowd. For a venue to bring me in, and trust me to entertain their crowd for an hour is a true honor and privilege.
OB: I have to say, I respect your answer about mentioning the venue trusting you to entertain the crowds. A lot of musicians over the years I have heard saying that the audience only comes to hear them and they deserve it. So kudos for that I rather like that response. Which musicians in SL or RL inspire you?
Ghostie Wildmist: Starting with RL, I will say absolutely Billy Joel, Elton John, Creedence, and The Doors, they top my list. In SL, well there are so many performers that have inspired me. My first WOW moment in SL was when I went to my first live show, which happened to be Wolfie Moonshadow. He blew me away and still continues to do so even to this day. Wolfie has always been someone I have looked up to both on the stage and off, he has been both a mentor and a very close friend. Krisie Snowdrop, I find to be just a ray of sunshine, what I admire about her shows is she is so similar to me in the sense that she shows such attention to her crowd. You could be having a horrible day and go to one of her shows and walk out feeling like you are bouncing on a cloud. Mishkania (Mish), is very new to the stage, but her drive, feeling, and her presence, and the power that she puts into her performance amaze me.
OB: It is great to have friends that help you in your careers here in SL. Saying that, is there any performer in SL that you would love to do a dual-stream with and why?
Ghostie Wildmist: Oh easily Krisie Snowdrop or Mish. Krisie because our personalities and style match so well and I think that would be an amazing experience for the audience. Mish, well she challenges me to drop my shyness and reminds me that is ok not to be perfect. I can see both of us really have some fun.
OB: So enough about your singing life, what would you be doing right now if you weren’t an SL musical performer? What interests you in SL other than singing?
Ghostie Wildmist: Well right now I am planning my SL wedding, and to say that has me excited would be understating it!! Really when I am not on stage performing, I am actually quite low-key. I spend most of my time with my core group of friends singing at the ~o~ lounge, going to see other live performers, or having a few friends over to my place to sing and goof around. I host an Open Mic night on Fridays through a sponsorship with Moonlight Music over at Terry's, which has now become one of my favorite places to hang out, I was so lucky to find so many true friends there. So if I am not at home or staying up crazy late chatting with everyone at Terry's you will find me at a Krisie Snowdrop, Mish, Rocker, or other performances. I guess you can say I am a bit predictable.
OB: Well I am very happy for you, congrats on your upcoming wedding. Also nice to hear you go to see other performers to just enjoy the shows. So, when you choose a song to sing, what is the creative process you go through to make it your own?
Ghostie Wildmist: Oh this is a tough one to answer for me. I do not have a traditionally feminine voice. I am raspier and kind of low. So when I try to do a song I have to find the right key, and the right way to do the song justice without reaching too high. I am not a technically trained performer at all. So I try to stick to songs I can nail, or if I need to change a few ways certain notes are hit to flatter my performance I will. The biggest thing I focus on is sticking to songs that in some way I connect to because I feel like the audience can tell the difference between a song you are just singing to fill some time up and the songs that really speak to me on a personal level.
OB: Finding your own identity in a song is an important thing, but also it can be hard trying to find your place in the SL music scene with so many performers on the grid. What advice would you give new singers just starting out in Second Life?
Ghostie Wildmist: BE YOURSELF. I still find getting on stage very intimidating at times. ESPECIALLY when I am following one of the more well-known performers. But if you give your performance your heart, let the audience get to know you through your music and your personality then you are going to find your way. Don’t feel like you need to be perfect. Have fun with it, talk to your audience, and do not take it personally if you look out there and see only a few people listening to you. If you truly engage with them, the numbers will grow. Performing here in SL should be fun for you as the performer but also for the people who come and see you.
OB: That is great advice, you have to build yourself up and have confidence in yourself to achieve the goals you set in your life. So is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Ghostie Wildmist: I just want to thank them for taking the time to read this, and I hope to see a few new faces next time I am on stage. I just truly love what I do and am so thankful and humbled for everyone who does come to see me perform. I encourage people to get out there and see new performers and support the venues that do provide Live performers. And for those looking for a lot of fun on Fridays, come on down to Terry's for open mic at 8pm, it's not just for the performers, it is an amazingly fun few hours for everyone there.
Well, that is it, people, I hope you now have learned a bit about Ghostie Wildmist and if you haven’t heard her, check out her schedule, or catch her at Terry’s on Fridays for Open Mic. You will not be disappointed.
Ciao,
Orion
Additional Information:
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Preferred Contact: Contact Ghostie Wildmist directly in SL
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