Second Chance - Episode One - by Lacy Muircastle

Second Chance is book #2 in the Second Life© Love Stories series.  This book is taking the form of a serial.  I intend posting an excerpt of an episode a week in the SL Enquirer.

Here we go:

Second Chance

Episode One

Seb Livingstone

I teleported into the club as I’d done many times since discovering Second Life©.  I hadn’t felt this nervous for a while.  I enjoyed singing covers, but tonight would prove whether I could still hack it with my own stuff. 

My IM pinged.  Damn not now.

Stacey Windsong:  Hey, baby, how’re you? 

Seb Livingstone: Good thanks, Stace, just getting ready for BB’s.

Stacey Windsong:  Oh, I don’t have anything booked for you for today?

Seb Livingstone:  I made the booking myself.

Stacey Windsong:  I see.  And I’m not important enough for you to tell me what you’re doing?

Seb Livingstone:  Please don’t start.  Look, I have to go.  Come here if you want to, if not I’ll catch up with you later.

            More pinging.

Blue Benelli:  Hey, Seb, how're things swinging?

Seb Livingstone: Hey, B, do you really wanna know. Lol.

Blue Benelli: *Laughs* You ready then?

Seb Livingstone: Oh yeah.

Blue Benelli: Break a leg buddy.  Give me a yell when you’re ready for me to announce you.

Seb Livingstone: Cool.

BB’s was a simple, uncomplicated venue that has graced Second Life© since late 2008. It was Blue’s mission in Second Life© to provide one hundred per cent live music all the time.  I was following – The music whisper – Russell Eponym, and after my set, Pol Arida would be taking his thumping set centre stage.   I oriented my avatar on the stage behind the mic.   My breathing became rapid and shallow.  My pulse pounded in my temples.  I sat on the stool in the middle of my home studio. The laptop set up to stream my music in-world.  This was it, make or break.

I typed in Blue’s IM:

Seb Livingstone:  I’m ready to roll B.

Blue switched to voice - “Hey everyone, good to see you all here.  Give a huge round of applause to my boy Dr Livingstone.”

Applause and cheers ran up my screen.  I looked out from the stage, at the packed club.  The buzz was invigorating.   It never got old seeing people waiting for me to start a set.  There was nothing quite like an enthusiastic audience to get the blood pumping.  I loved performing.  I was addicted to the adrenalin rush.  It made me feel alive.

“How are we this afternoon?” 

The crowd erupted.   Chants of – ‘Dr Livingstone, Dr Livingstone’ and ‘Sing ‘Tears’ sing ‘Tears’ and applause rained down the screen again. 

“Yeah, yeah J, it’s in the set, but today I’m launching two new songs. ‘Avatar’ is the first one I’ll sing for you.  No prizes for guessing my inspiration for this song.” 

Cheers flowed again. Then the crowd quietened as my music stream came through.

You’re beautiful, you’re gorgeous

You’re an avatar,

Lifelike, surreal

Ethereal, how bizarre

Here one minute

Gone the next

     The crowd applauded wildly. Catcalls and shouts of TUUUNE ran up the screen.

 

     On my own in my home studio, I fist-pumped the air.  Yes.  The feeling never got old.

     “Glad you liked it, and for my next new song.  No prizes for noticing a bit of a theme going on is called Virtual Reality.”

Humans will always be humans

Whether they be pixels or

Living breathing beings

Virtual reality no responsibility

What an opportunity

     Comments like - Dr Livingstone, is there going to be a new album?” and “Where can we buy those tracks?” ran up the screen like credits at the end of an epic movie.

     I felt stoked that my new material had met with such vocal approval.  I closed my eyes and let the crowd’s reaction wash over me.  It was the jump start I needed and how it was supposed to be.  I still had it. 

     I could take it into the real world.  My second chance was going to happen.           

     My computer continued to ping with comments and accolades — what a rush.

     “To answer some of your questions, you can buy the tracks as singles off iTunes, and it’ll be on Genius and YouTube, and yes, I’ll be working on a new album.  I’m hoping to get signed to a label soon.”

     Requests poured in.

     “Okay everyone here’s the one you’ve been waiting for.  “Tears”.

     I braced myself for the wash of emotion it always launched on me and clung to my microphone as though it could save me from being carried away.

Tears, tears, inevitable
Smiles there were a few
And when the tears ran out
We were numb and so blue

Why, why, why, shattered dreams
Why, why, why, shattered dreams

     The crowd roared in appreciation.  But this song would forever haunt me.  It was a constant reminder of the past, of disappointment and the despair that had followed.  

My IM pinged:

Stacey Windsong: You okay?

Seb Livingstone: Are you here at BB’s?

Stacey Windsong: Obviously.

Seb Livingstone:  Thanks. I didn’t see you. There are so many people here.  And yes, I’m okay.

Stacey Windsong:  Why do you keep singing that song?  You know it’s not good for you.

Seb Livingstone:  It’s difficult to say no to the audience.

Stacey Windsong: Oh, please, Seb, I think you're just masochistic.

Seb Livingstone:  What about the two new songs, did you catch them?

Stacey Windsong: I did.

Seb Livingstone: And?

Stacey Windsong:  They’re not bad.

     I frowned at my screen.  Hell.  Not bad, what the fuck?

Seb Livingstone:  Thanks for the vote of confidence.

Stacey Windsong:  You know that I don’t think you should still be singing after everything you’ve been through.

Seb Livingstone:  And you know that’s not going to happen.

Stacey Windsong:  I’m here to keep an eye on you, make sure you don’t fall off the tracks again.

Seb Livingstone: I can hardly forget since you remind me all the time.

Stacey Windsong:  You should be putting all your effort into getting a real job in the real world.  None of this virtual world malarkey.  It’s a waste of your time and mine.

Seb Livingstone:  I didn’t ask you to be here.

Stacey Windsong: Excuse me, that’s unnecessary.  I too have a vested interest in you, so I want to know that you’re okay.

Seb Livingstone:  There’s no need for you to be in SL to know that I’m okay since you see me in real life.  Please do us both a favour and leave.


For the rest of  Second Chance - Episode One - pop on over to Amazon.  You can pick it up for free on Kindle Unlimited.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YTXCYTF/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Lacy+Muircastle&qid=1570620657&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

Future Episodes will feature graphics by the extremely talented Skip Staheli, so be sure to look out for them

If you feel so inclined, please leave a review in the SL Enquirer, in the comments section.

I hope that you'll enjoy reading Second Chance - Episode One.  I'll catch up with you next week.

Lacy

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All that matters is the music... an interview with AleyKat - Lacy Muircastle reporting...

It is said that music is perhaps the most powerful external influence that shapes who you are—how you think, how you feel, and who you become.  In fact, the very word music comes from the root word muse which literally means “to be absorbed in thought.” That’s what music does, it absorbs our conscious and subconscious mind and directs those thoughts.

“I feel so in the moment... like nothing else matters... all that matters is the music. It's exhilarating and freeing.” AleyKat.

I had the pleasure of interviewing AleyKat (Aleylia Resident), a relative newcomer to the SL music scene.  Although she’s been in SL for over six years, it’s been the last year that she’s found the destination of her journey… Music.

Like so many others before her, she was on a different website, and a friend of hers told her about Second Life and showed her the ropes... she was hooked instantly.

I asked her how her SL journey had been, she replied, “It's been a rollercoaster, to be honest. The personal friendships can sometimes be tricky to navigate but the creativity and almost unlimited possibilities are incredible to me.”

Aley said that somewhat amazingly she only discovered the live music scene in Second Life when she was about five years old... “I don't know how that happened! I fell in love with listening to all these wonderful performers and a friend of mine knew that I had a background IRL of singing and encouraged me to give it a go. I think it is an astonishing thing that you can sit in the comfort of your own home and listen LIVE to musicians basically free at the point of delivery. Some people who may not ever be able to access live music now have a chance to listen- I truly believe music enriches your life like almost nothing else.”

I asked her if she thought that SL was a valid platform for people to explore their creativity and did it translate to that creativity being transferred back into the real world?

She said, “I believe 100% that SL is a valid platform and it can be transferred into RL if desired. I don't know if it would personally help me transfer SL audience to RL audience numbers but it might help some with their confidence and in turn, then enable them to feel able to perform IRL if they wanted that.”

She’s involved in music in many different aspects in real life but LOVES being able to perform from the comfort of her own home and not have to stress about lugging equipment around.

Aley has tentatively begun to pen her own music.  She said, “I started recently but still I'm learning... I draw inspiration from RL.  It’s scary though because you're exposing yourself and putting yourself out there.  It makes you feel very vulnerable.”

Her role model in SL is one of her closest friends, Savannah Rain.  Aley said, “She works so hard, always has a kind word for her fans and time for them, and her heart is one of the best I know.

AleyKat said that after family and close friends, music means everything to her. She’s constantly grateful and amazed that she gets to sing in Second Life and people actually come and listen and support her. “I never take it for granted, ever,” she said.

She loves being able to share her passion for music with people and says it's an honour when people tell her she’s made them feel better or uplifted a rubbish day for them.  On the other hand, she said it’s hard if she’s had a really bad day and then has to try to put on a good performance.  She added, “Often though it cheers me up a lot to sing: D It's also a pain sometimes having to sing at 1am... 5 pm SLT... that sometimes makes me tired.”  Being from the UK, it requires some juggling with time zones.

As for critics of her music, she said, “Hey everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  As long as it's presented in a polite manner I have no problem with people that don't like what I do.”

I asked if I was to turn on her iPod right now, what five artists/songs would I see on her recently played list?

She replied. “Probably a song I'm learning as a request... a couple of hits from the musicals.... a song from Oh Wonder.... and some PMJ.”

She plans on singing for as long as people will come and listen.  She is the good hands of the team at Whispering Sands Live Promotions, and they will see to it that she does.  Badone was Aley’s first manager, but she joined WSLP for financial reasons.  She is very happy with their representation of her.  They are totally professional and have never let her down, what's more, she says that Jorr and Keileigh have become great friends of hers.

AleyKat’s sound in five words:

Unique, vintage, eclectic, passionate, emotional.

To catch the lovely AleyKat in action, check the Whispering Sands Live Promotions schedule, which is regularly updated right here in the SL Enquirer.

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Whispering Sands Live Promotions, promoting live music in Second Life

We have the perfect entertainment match for your function. Are you planning a wedding, group launch, corporate team event, year-end party, charity drive, fashion show, birthday bash, an anniversary celebration? Or do you need to put your music venue on the grid? Let us manage all your event's musical needs from sourcing the artist right through to timing the performance.  We have many years of experience, a proven track record and many happy clients.

Want to book a singer or make that event special and memorable?  Talk to Us

Currently we represent 15 performers covering all Genres and time zones.  We’re in our third year of business and know how to make things go smoothly for the club owner or manager or even for individuals booking a special event.  You work hard to have a venue that people want to come too, or you want to make your event something that everyone will remember, we can help with all that and this is how........ 

If you’re looking for a specific performer or you need to fill a particular time slot, we’ll take your information and check the performer’s availability or who else may be available at the time you require.  We will contact you the relevant options for you to make your choice from.

Once you have narrowed your choices down to one or two people, we’ll contact the performers either in world or in real life and reconfirm that they do not have real life plans for the scheduled time and can physically be there to perform the show. This provides huge time benefits to our clients. Venues spend less time having to look for and contact individual performers to determine who can do the show, and performers spend less time having to get to know the requirements of new venues.  After both parties have agreed upon a date and time for the performance, Whispering Sands Live Promotions will ask the venue for a landmark for where the show will be performed and if there is any dress code required to attend the show.

And that’s not all folks… generally speaking you’d think that was it until show time, but it’s not when dealing with WSLP.  To ensure your booking goes smoothly, we reconfirm the show or event.  What that means is, to prevent confusion and possible double bookings, all of our confirmations are done by a single person.  Prior to sending out the confirmation, we double check the performer’s calendar and if available the venues calendar to make sure there are no conflicts or double bookings.

The confirmation includes all the details for the show; date, start and end time, location with land mark, performers name, venue name, the venue contact name, performer’s fee, dress code, the performer’s bio for event listing, a promo pic of the performer, and the performer’s stream details for the show. The confirmation with all of this information will then be sent to both the performer and the venue providing both parties with everything they need to know for the show.  This helps prevent any miscommunication or misunderstandings about the booked show.

Everyone understands that promoting a show or event is necessary. If no one knows about it, there won’t be anyone there. Of course the performers want as many people as possible to attend their shows to hear them perform, but this is not the primary reason we do as much promotion of the show we possibly can. The primary reason we do what we do, is because the performers are providing a paid service to the venues. Part of the service they provide includes attracting as many people as they can to the venue, and so that the venue can show both the performer and the audience what they have to offer.   

So how do we promote the show?

After a show is confirmed, we add it to both the performers’ individual calendar and to our master calendar. This adds the show to our daily schedule that is listed down the right hand side of our website which averages about 100 views a day.  On the day of the show we ensure the show is included on our daily schedule Facebook post which lists both the performers name and the venue name.  These posts average 350 to 400 views a day.  We arrange to have an individual Facebook post for the show on the day of the show and it is shared across multiple Facebook groups, twitter and Google plus. We add the show to our hosting schedule to make sure a host is present to promote the show in-world on the day.  Most importantly we ensure that the show is listed in the Second Life events search under live music. Because this requires land permissions only the venue themselves are able to do this.

The day before the booking we reconfirm calendars, check events listings to see if listed and if not gently remind venue that it needs to be done as this is where the huge majority of the people who attend shows on a regular basis look to determine which show they will attend for that particular hour.

On the day of the show we ensure all promotions are going out, that the host who has agreed to do show is taking care of her stuff... all of this to help get people to attend YOUR event.  If something happens in real life, for example health wise, and the performer we have booked for you cannot make the show, we will ensure you get a replacement performer to make sure your event still goes ahead and that you don’t have to panic about it.

Showtime is always hectic for all involved... making it look seamless and easy is our job.  We schedule everything from sending notices, letting the performer know who is following them, what they should be promoting, getting tags to rezz, greeting people as they arrive, and just making things go as smoothly as possible for you.

You will have noticed that 90% of what we do is done on behalf of the performers in order that a better quality show is provided and that they provide the best service they can offer a venue. This is why Whispering Sands Live Promotions is the only place to come when looking for performers.  The worry of chasing down artists, booking and confirming and then reconfirming and checking for issues is not your problem.  As they say...  try us, you may like us!

Please have a look around and get in touch if you would like to use our services.

 http://wslpromo.net 

Management Team:

Jorrdan Jarman

Keileigh Galaxy

LilMissBo

Troy Nelson 

Winter Fleur

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All That Jazz - Camury Reporting...

Jazz, what does that word evoke in your mind?  Nothing.  It evokes something in your soul.  It’s wild, jubilant music.  It made people feel free when it emerged  from the barrooms of New Orleans.  It made people feel alive and it got people up and dancing.  And nobody played it like they played it in New Orleans, a city already used to feeling jubilant, and expressing its jubilation. A city where you could dance down the middle of the street, in the middle of the daytime, in the middle of the week, and instead of people wondering why you weren't at work, they'd be wondering how they could join you. The glory of New Orleans is that it's still that way today. Everyone loves a parade. Everything is touched by the joyous anarchy called New Orleans Jazz.

Jazzis a music genre that originated amongst African Americans in New Orleans, United States  in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and developed from roots in Blues and Ragtime.  Since the 1920s jazz age, jazz has become recognized as a major form of musical expression. It then emerged in the form of independent traditional and popular musical styles, all linked by the common bonds of African American and European American musical parentage with a performance orientation. Jazz is characterized by swing and blue notes, call and response vocals, polyruthms and most of all improvisation. Jazz has roots in West African cultural amd musical expression, and in African American music traditions including blues and ragtime, as well as European military band music.  Although the foundation of jazz is deeply rooted within the Black experience of the United States, different cultures have contributed their own experience and styles to the art form as well. Intellectuals around the world have hailed jazz as "one of America's original art forms".

Jazz has undergone a multitude of transformations throughout the 20th century. There is currently room for several Jazz genres. These aspects range from Dixieland to the experimentalism of Freejazz, through standards and more ambitious compositions.

Best Jazz Clubs in SL -

In Second Life you can visit different Jazz clubs and appreciate this musical style

Pino 1950 Underground

Take a trip back in time and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the 1950s. Among other attractions, Pino Underground has a very friendly bar for everyone in Second Life, where you can listen to the best of vintage and contemporary Jazz. Come meet someone new and talk. The surroundings are warm. Be sure to explore the building where the bar is located. Take the elevator and visit the place. You will find lots of fun and unusual places. The bar is relaxed and there is no dress code.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Pino/142/34/1994

Branagh’s Jazz

Enjoy the sophisticated Branagh's Jazz events. This is a romantic Second Life Jazz club with a flawless replica of a wonderful view of downtown Manhattan. The club is a great place for you to take someone special to dance, and features live music on weekends. The dress code for elegant events is formal (dress or cocktail dress for women, tux or suit for men).

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/PhatLand/164/125/22

New York New York Piano Lounge

Have fun at the New York New York Piano Lounge. In this elegant Jazz club, the dress code is formal. Upon entering the club, many photographers await you and a receptionist will confirm your reservation and wish you a warm welcome. Have a wonderful evening, dancing with your partner and watching the friendly local band playing the best of Jazz.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Oasis%20Beach/15/29/3499

Jazz in Detroit City

Avi Choice Award Nominee: FAVORITE JAZZ CLUB - 2015, this is a picturesque Detroit city themed SIM with Jazz Stream 24/7. Join them and appreciate time alone or dancing with someone special! Enjoy exploring the place and have fun at the sound of Jazz.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Detroit%20City/112/203/22

New York Jazz Club

Delight in the New York jazz club, a relaxed piano bar in Second Life, where you can hear the best of Jazz. Come dance with your boyfriend or meet someone new at the bar. There is no dress code but cocktail dresses are always good for the ladies. A sign posted on the bar wall says the bartender is always right! So have fun but don’t drink too much!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/November/35/57/1503

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The Music of Rebellion– Camury Reporting…

Innovative and unlike anything else that had ever happened before in music, Rock emerged in the early 1950s as a music that for the first time catered almost exclusively to the youth of the day. It helped erase the racial divide between black and white America, and also caught on rapidly in Britain, and other parts of Europe, notably Germany. British rock groups became a major influence on rock music in the U.S. The major raw creative force of rock music began to wane in the 1970s, so that mainstream rock had lost its creative drive by 1990. It gave way, however, to even rawer versions of the genre with various forms of heavy metal, and along with it punk rock, and grunge (alternative) rock.

Rock music has always been rebellious in spirit.  As for 1960s counterculture and folk rockers such as Bob Dylan, rebellion was an integral part of their acoustic and electric music. Social causes were dominant in rock music through the 1960s and into the 1970s, with famous rockers becoming cultural statesmen.

Rock has its roots in 1940s and 1950s and was heavily influenced by blues, rhythm and blues and country music. Rock music also drew strongly on a number of other genres such as electric blues and folk, and incorporated influences from jazz, classical and other musical sources.

Musically, rock has centered on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass guitar and drums. Typically, rock is song-based music usually with a 4/4 time signature using a verse-chorus form, but the genre has become extremely diverse. Like pop music, lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political in emphasis.

Most rock bands include a vocalist, a guitarist, a bassist and a drummer, forming a quartet. Some groups omit one or more of these functions and use a vocalist who plays an instrument while singing, sometimes forming a trio or duo. Others still add extra musicians, such as one or two guitarists and keyboardist. More rarely groups also use saxophonists or trumpeters and even instruments such as violins or cellos.

Much more than a musical genre, Rock music created a way of life. It set the benchmark of behavior for thousands of people, and it influenced their style of dressing, acting and speaking.

Best Rock Clubs in SL

In Second Life you can visit several clubs, have fun and dance, while  listening to the great hits that represent the various styles of rock from the past few decades.

Wet Willie's Rock Club

If you want to have fun, listening to good music and dancing to classic rock, Wet Willie's is the perfect destination for you. The Club is popular in Second Life, where young and old music lovers come 24/7 to dance and enjoy 70's and 80's rock, blues and more in an eclectic urban and tropical setting.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Wet%20Willies/52/24/21

Ohana Rock Club

If you want to hear good music, come join the fun in the welcoming place of Second Life for the best of rock of all ages. With live DJs playing their favorite rock orders, there's something for everyone's musical taste! The hosts are there to keep you entertained.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ohana%20Cove/216/178/23

Greased Lightning

If you are a fan of classic rock from the 60s 70s & 80s, Greased Lightning is the ideal destination for you. The club features great music and great hosts.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Greased%20Lightning/54/188/21

Wild Angels Rock Club & Loung

For good music and fun times, you should go see Wild Angels. The Club is all about hospitality and rock music. If you want to feel right at home, this is the place for you. In Wild Angels, there's no room for drama, just rock!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sage%20Estates/40/172/29

Purple Gator Rock Club & Blues Club

Purple Gator features live DJ's and musicians, dancing, weekly themed events and more for you to have fun and listen to the best of rock. This rock club plays hits from the 60's through 90's, blues, southern rock and country.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Myrtle%20Beach%20City/49/108/16

Come have fun and enjoy the best of Rock in Second Life!

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