Hi Everyone! This is a blog post done by Loegan Magic. I am reposting it here because I believe in his message.
My venue was recently approached to join a group for venue owners called Live Music Review. I would encourage the SL music community to NOT join this group. They have set down guidelines for what they feel is a quality venue. After a heated discussion with one of the groups founders, I was still unable to determine what the purpose of the group was – needless to say he no longer wanted my venues in the group (which is fine by me).
One of the standards of what makes a venue, “high quality” according to the group is “no karaoke acts." I own two live music venues with Porter Paquot; The Mill and Kasbah. We do not book karaoke acts, we book high quality vocalists who use tracks, live musicians, and DJ’s. We have original music night and do our best to support the live music scene and art community in Second Life. I have worked for almost two years trying to bring people together and book quality music at my venues. I feel that my venues can stand on the reputations they have made for themselves over the last year and half. In my opinion, reputation is what a makes a good venue not an arbitrary checklist. It frustrates and angers me when someone makes blanket statements like this group is doing. If a venue does not want to book vocalists who use tracks, that is their choice, It DOES NOT make them a higher quality venue. This attitude is what is wrong with an otherwise amazing second life music scene.
It is time to put a stop to this. This is a debate among musicians, managers, and venue owners. The fans don’t care they just want to hear good music. Let’s stop creating divisions and work together. If we as venue owners just book the best people out there and run our venues the way we want, then the people going to the shows will decide who runs a quality venue and who doesn’t. It’s simple. Groups like this that see things as black and white are what is wrong with the Second Life music scene. I also encourage musicians to not support venues with this attitude. This debate is getting old.
This is a hot button issue with me and it's about time that we as a community STOP making divisions and work together. Good music is good music.
I hope everyone can appreciate the talent of each person, and not discriminate against those who chose to hone their God given ability. There is room for every kind of performer in SL.. Thank you for peeking at Tessa's Take....until next time...Tessa1 Beck
From a "track singer" thank you for your support, and this is to everyone who makes a kind comment. The issue of singing with tracks is reminiscent of racism or homophobia. Although the implications are less - after all this IS SL - the hurt to those made the target is not less.
ReplyDeleteWhen I am told by these elitist bastards that somehow my musical training isn't equal to theirs, it really burns me. I spend hours learning this music, perfecting how I want to musically portray my message, picking the songs that suit me best, choosing things that aren't overdone and that I think people will find entertaining.
I find so much joy in singing in SL that it actually has helped me heal in my RL.
This debate takes that away from me. It removes all joy from singing in SL and makes me want to quit singing in any life because it's exhausting and infuriating to continue knowing that these hate-mongers will be there to spew their insecure messages at me and make me feel like a second-class citizen.
In RL I sing with a band, and I'm a trained vocalist, piano player, and musician in my own right. What I found initially to be a warm and welcoming place where I could share my passion with an audience that felt accepting and warm... has become a loveless political battlefield where I find myself wondering when the next hurtful comment will be made, or agonizing debate-filled conversation will be had.
I won't quit because then these bastards win. And I will never let that happen. I was meant to sing with a band - I love funk, blues and soul music and that is what I will continue to sing... WITH TRACKS that fill my music with drums, bass, guitar, piano, horns, and most importantly let me express myself the way I WANT TO.
I hope to see in you one of the QUALITY MUSIC VENUES who support wonderful live music in whatever form ART takes.