The music scene in Second life is teeming with talented musicians, singers, and DJs that set the tone for parties and concerts across the grid. At any given time, there are events happening. In the midst of all the entertainment, a new star rezzed in Second Life. He arrived with one thing in mind and that is to share his talent. Some quietly find their way or stumble upon someone who knows someone that can help get their name in lights.
Recently the SL Enquirer was introduced to Charlie TooMuch. With only two weeks of SL experience, he was just learning how performing on a virtual stage works. With a little work and some great connections behind the scenes, we are excited to interview this fresh new artist with our readers. Meet Charlie Toomuch.
SLE: Can you share with our readers a little bit about your music background?
Charlie: Of Course! It all started with my Uncle, he used to be a sound engineer and songwriter. When I was a kid, I always had a knack for patterns and technology, so around 8 years old, my uncle decided to show me music theory with a piano. Next, he taught me Cakewalk, which used to be a very popular recording program. Since then, I have been composing and producing for fun. By 13, I was learning the drums and thus helped immensely with my rhythm and timing. I actually grew up most of my life listening to Hip Hop, haha. At around 18, like every other hipster on the planet, I picked up the guitar. To many people's surprise, my favorite genre is actually Electronic Classical(Think Haywyre).
SLE: Where are you from and what brought you to Second Life?
Charlie: I'm from the NYC tri-state area. Grew up 5 minutes from where I live now, I've got 100 blood relatives in a 10-mile radius, so as you can imagine its hard to leave a support system like that, even though it's so dang expensive here! As for finding SL, I found myself wanting to play out, since COVID had me trapped, so, like any rational person who doesn't know the answer to their problem, I used "the Googs". The search engine led me here, and the rest is history.
SLE: You have only been in Second Life for under a month. What was your first impression of the concept of a music scene in a virtual world?
Charlie: I was incredibly surprised! Both in the artists I saw and the breadth of the capability to put on a show here. Being a content creator, in coding, music, art, and the like, I was pleasantly surprised I had an opportunity to bring all 3 to the table! I immediately dove in and started reaching out to hosts and venue owners as I went to shows. Everyone was pleasant, so far!
SLE: We went to our first concert at Gonjaland and was blown away by your performance. You can hit those high notes, your breathing is perfect and timing is right on point. That is key and very impressive. How long have you been singing in the real world?
Charlie: Believe it or not, I only recently began singing, within the last 7 years. When I was about 20, My first note in a failed audition was "You sing too quietly..", which makes me laugh now because I can get LOUD. After around 21, I joined two Acapella groups and started a band that played some pretty impressive spots in NYC, playing mostly originals. I think the skill comes from two things, first and foremost, I am extremely lucky and blessed that it came naturally. Second, growing up I did voice impressions of cartoon characters and sorta beatboxed. I think the control on my voice comes from the vocal impressions, the ability to change my voice at the drop of a hat.
SLE: You have such a broad range. You can perform most genres in a smooth transition This is unique in SL. How would you describe your genre?
Charlie: "Neo Pop-Soul-Funk-Rock", HA! Only Joking, but I would say that I attribute the variety to the jazziness of my voice, and what I said earlier about my voice flexibility from doing impressions most of my life. For my originals, I think my music is definitely poppy, with a mix of shotgun-style rapping, I try to give it a healthy mix of catchiness and danciness. You can find one of my originals at my Soundcloud to see what I mean: https://soundcloud.com/charlie-toomuch/ask-what-version-3
SLE: Do you play any instruments?
Charlie: Heck yes! I play the piano to produce my beats actually. However, I also used to play drums, jam on acoustic guitar, and use a vocal loop station I won in a karaoke contest in college. As a matter of fact, all my songwriting starts with my making a vocal loop with about 4 layers over 5 buttons, so 20 tracks of just my voice!
SLE: Most performers pick a genre that fits their voice. Can you share with our readers, your music inspirations, and some of your most favorite songs to perform?
Charlie: I actually try to do that, not always with success, haha. But, fun fact, I write more than I listen, and many songs I sing, I don't listen to on my own time. Regarding my inspirations, I would say Jon Bellion(Pop/rap), Eric Hutchinson(Folk), Jason Mraz(pPop), Chet Faker(Soul), Haywyre(Electro classical), Grandson(Alt-rock), Murphy Lee(Hip hop), Nina Simone(Soul), Daft Punk(ElectroPop), AJR(Pop-Rock) Gorillaz(Trip Rock),Andy Grammar(Pop?) and Gnarles Barkley(Pop/Soul). Not necessarily in that order. It's hard to pick a favorite song, since there is such a variety and it depends what I'm feeling at the time. But if I were to be totally honest, my own originals, "Come again", and "Ask What", they are pretty new, and I love to guage the audience's liking to my writing.
SLE: How can venues book you?
Charlie: Leave me a notecard, message me directly. My username is charlietoomuch, my full name is "Charlie TooMuch"! Not "too little", not "just enough", "TOO MUCH"!
SLE: It was a pleasure meeting you and wish you all the best in Second Life. IIs there anything you’d like to share with our readers?
Charlie: Yes of course. I've already learned first hand, the rabbit hole that is SL. And while I am no expert, I do want to mention a few mantras I live by that serve me well in SL:
"Meet others where they are at, not where you think they are, and chances are you don't know, SO ASK"
"What you are given in gifts you lack in character, the better you are at something, the higher you should raise your self-expectations, not everyone is so lucky. So be Humble"
"Humility is not putting yourself down or ignoring your skills. It's understanding exactly where you are at, how to use them for everyone, and knowing we are all equal"
"If you think you are perfect, that's when you stop improving."
Finally, I just want to say thank you to everyone for being so kind to me! I have received so much help since I've been here, and I appreciate it so much. There are a lot of good people in SL, and I look forward to meeting more and more of you. Don't hesitate to shoot me a message, I don't bite and I encourage it!
Additional Information
SL Group:secondlife:///app/group/49de49b9-8fdf-c3a8-e43f-12e309a67418/about
Calendar: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=q1i2406v2ptltviaf5uhp202rk@group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Los_Angelos
Twitter: https://twitter.com/charlie_much
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/charlie-toomuch
Preferred contact: In SL or realCharlietoomuch@gmail.com (Myself, Myself and I just me, myself and I)
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