PROJECTS
This page provides access to the student projects. Each documents and researches one aspect of the new economy of music in Second-Life. Each project takes the form of a poster displayed during the final exhibition, as well as possibly supplemental material such as interview files. For more information about this material and permission to use please contact Jean-Julien Aucouturier.
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Maira Tanaka. Music instrument making in Second-Life.
Live performers in SL buy their instruments from Second-Life. Although not technically needed to broadcast sound into the virtual world (for which you rather need a real-world instrument...), a nice looking 3D model of e.g. a guitar or a piano makes for a more powerful virtual experience. This creates a niche for a business of building and selling virtual instruments. Makers need 3D computer graphics skills, programming experience (to script the objects) as well as a good dose of creativity, to e.g. design animations for the avatar and/or prerecorded sounds. (Click on the image for a larger version)
Additional links:
- The making of Suzanne Vega's guitar by Robbie Dingo: YouTube
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Derrick Doyle. The techno basics of broadcasting music into Second-Life.
Playing one’s own music for a virtual audience doesn’t require a lot of technical know-how. With a microphone and an audio interface, one can capture sound live in a computer at home or in studio, and set up this computer as an internet radio server to broadcast the audio stream to the computers of your audience. If at the same time, the performer is present in virtual reality as his/her avatar, and the audience is too, you’ll get a complete virtual recreation of a gig. (Click on the image for a larger version)
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Minoo Zahiri. Interview with Paisley Beebe, SL jazz singer and TV host.
Leonie Smith aka Paisley Beebe is a jazz singer and a well-know TV host in SL, where she is probably better know than in real-life. She comments here on this paradox, and gives her opinion on the live music scene in SL. Especially interesting, we thought, is her view on the CD as a recording medium: “In the real world, you might never get to see your favorite musician live. This is why you buy CDs. In SL however, you can teleport out anytime if you want to catch that musician maybe once a week, maybe 8 times a week”. If seeing a given artist live becomes a commodity, who needs to acquire a recording? (Click on the image for a larger version)
Additional links:
- Paisley Beebe's TV show in SL: http://slcn.tv/programs/tonight-live
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Marco Luethy. Promoting an event in SL: how different from real-life?.
We interviewed Karl Wopat, a SL event promoter who owns a club on Dance Island, and John Lucca, an Real-Life DJ and event promoter, on the difference between event promotion in both worlds. How do you advertise a club event in SL? How much is spent on advertising? Which is most viable economically?
Additional links:
- John Lucca's music label: http://www.madeinglitch.com/
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Ami Hataya. SL musicians and their fan.
Through the example of a famed karaoke singer in SL, we explore the unusual connection that SL musicians entertain with their fans. Many fans follow their idols since the early days. Between the concerts, they blog about the shows. During the concerts, they tip so fervently that (virtual) money literally piles up on the stage. With such dedication, even a few tens of "true fans" can create a economically-viable activity for the artist.
Additional links:
- Kevin Kelly, "A Thousand True Fans"
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Danielle Johnson. Getting my music played in SL.
Danielle, a performing hip-hop artist, describes how she got her music aired in a SL club in a matter of a few "teleport" clicks and batting of virtual eyeslids. Could SL become the ideal promotion medium for aspiring musicians?
Additional links:
- Danielle/lulu bichon's music on MySpace
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Hadis Sarmadi. The DJ who got hired by Playboy.
Real-Life companies increasingly hire SL musicians to advertise their brand into the virtual world. For instance, renowned SL DJ Doubledown Tandino was contracted by Playboy in 2007. With interviews of Tandino, Chris Petrovis (then VP of Digital media for Playboy) and Marc Girolimetti (virtual world consultant), we reconstructed the tale of one of the most successful virtual marketing campaign so far.
Main poster
Interview with Chris Petrovic (then VP Digital Media for Playboy)
Interview with Mark Girolimetti (virtual world consultant, hired by Playboy)
Interview with DJ Doubledown Tandino(hired by Playboy to create musical events in SL)Additional links:
- Mark Girolimetti's Green Grotto Studios: www.greengrottostudios.com/
- Doubledown Tandino's blog http://djdoubledown.blogspot.com/
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Michael Luisi. RL music industry scouting in SL.
In August 2008, SL bluesman Von Johin signed what is believed to be the first record deal offered to an avatar, with the independent label Reality Entertainment. “Japan has many examples of artists receiving massive popularity online'', says Iwase, ``through websites like Niko Niko Douga [the Japanese YouTube] and eventually managing to earn themselves a record label contract. Rapbit and Kurikinton Fox are two prime examples.” You start by uploading a video of yourself rapping to an anime theme song and you end up signed to EMI. The transition might be difficult, though, warns Iwase: “Virtual music fans like the musician because he/she is unknown and is “close” to them. Once he/she becomes popular, fans no longer feel needed and tend to move on.”
- Interview with Sho Iwase: PDF file
Lindee Hoshikawa. A glimpse into the life of a RL/SL musician.
We interviewed Paul Cohen, a professional musician who has performed nearly exclusively in SL since 2004, as his "bluesBorg" avatar Komuso Tokugawa. Over the past 3 years, Paul/Komuso has played over 800 concerts in SL, topping at more than 40 a month. “Performing virtually has a number of advantages over RL”, says he, “instant setup, no travel from home studio to gig, and less wear and tear on gear”.
Additional links:
- Komuso Tokugawa's website http://www.sonicviz.com/music/
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Moe Ohta. Second-Life cover bands.
Cover bands for real-world acts are a growing business in Second-Life. We examined the case of a U2 cover, which offers virtual recreations of U2 concerts in virtual reality, complete from Bono's clothes to U2's original stage design. Interestingly, running a band like this has little to do with music, but takes real creative skills in avatar animation, computer graphics and band management. (but then is it really that different from American Idol...)
Additional links:
- U2 in Second-Life website http://www.u2insl.com/
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Kim Stafford. How I became a Second-Life DJ.
A visual exploration of the process of getting hired as a DJ in Second-Life. (Click on the image for a larger version)
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