I’m calling the CD ‘ DiRTY CRiMES’, something of a theme that has had it’s way with me over the past year or so.  Some of the lyrics are pretty bold and aggressive just dancing on the edges of some rather disturbing images (that is….a matter of thinking and perception of course)…. The easy part is writing the songs, the hard part…is living through…what I write about, and getting through…..it always comes with a price.  My mother said to me the other day ‘ Sorry you had to go thru ‘this or that’..and I found myself responding with… “Noooo, it’s all good, ya gotta go through the sad low low’s in order to write a song!”   It’s like a t-shirt a friend of mine gave me in the Virtual world that said “Break my heart so I can write a song”….I wore that with a big crazy grin, knowing how true, yet how absolutely funny it is, how many of us songwriters……write our songs.

I finished ELEPHANT GIRL and it’s up on nimbit.com as well as a couple others…great site for selling either Albums or Single Songs…they take a small percentage,  but what site that’s good, doesn’t   as far as ‘selling songs’……..I’m quite sure I’ll be putting the new CD out on CD BABY this time…..I have the other 2 cd’s on itunes/amazon … however songcast.com charges a $6 fee a month…and for what???? I ‘ll decide later on whether or not I’ll keep the ‘songcast’ account…or move my cd’s from there, to CD baby..who also sends them to itunes etc……….

Always looking for new ideas, music sites and opportunities to produce, perform, collaborate……….and thanks for those of you who have made some fantastic suggestions to thoughts I’ve posted on my Suzen Juel and Suzen JueL facebook  (the second one is the fan page….do hit LIKE if you haven’t….all my fans ROCK MY WORLD!!! https://www.facebook.com/suzen.juel (regular facebook)    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Suzen-JueL/45430674299 (FAN PAGE)……

Enjoy your week and I”ll keep you updated through the lovely pages of Facebook…and of course here…..I need to find some original art work for the cover of ‘DiRTY CRiMES’ and perhaps a few other fun things I may throw in………..

First video player that gives emerging original artists a simple way to engage fans through donations, online music sales and social media exposure…Use that link to read the full article. And to feature and try out their New Player, you’ll see me there!!!

As well as a few other musicians from TheStage.tv …. You can read the article when you have time, and find out more about how the Open MiC style website is  making a rather noteworthy Splash in the music scene.

In other news……I have finally put Ava to sleep, on June 3rd. We were fortunate enough to have a vet. that could come to our house….it was just Ava and i outside in the grass, where she favored being more than anything – besides the garden of course….could never keep her away from.  She passed away very quickly and very peacefully in the grass, head on my lap…watching birds while I sang ‘Ava jean, she’s my queen….’ she was gone.     3 days later, my grand daughter celebrated her First Birthday and my husband and I celebrated our 13th Anniversary, and Luci delivered 5 Kittens at 8:30 that evening.  June 6th is turning out to be one LuCky DaY!  Sad we lost Ava, and grateful for such a sweet series of events to follow.  5 days after Luci delivered, one of them didn’t make it…I called him #5, I believe he was the runt…… But the other 4 are doing quite well and sometimes get so fat from Mama LuCi’s great milk they can hardly move sometimes.

When You Get some time, please check out TheStage.TV and pass around the Press Release…good Karma and suCh!   Some of the things that are coming up in the near future is a collaboration for a book with Author Jane Devin on an upcoming book called “Elephant GirL” you can read some of the pre publishing reviews on her page. We’re both excited about this project, and I am truly honored that she asked me to do it…. This among another few platefuls of projects and things I need to finish, however writing songs and performing are things I am happy to spend my time on…many times it paves a beautiful path of experience, leading into even more spectacular dimensions….always excited to view peeks of the next things life may place or even hurdle in front of me….I just gotta keep my balance and I’ll be fine!!!

The Kittens are 9 days old today….I have posted an ongoing photo series of them on my flickr photo page warning, it is a bit of a CUTE OVERLOAD…I’m grateful LuCi lets me sneak in little photos of her Crew….

CD in process….new songs have been added almost weekly. This is a unique time for me and quite a load of lyrics have been waiting in piles and memory clips, moments and solitude have left their snapshots of words and I’ve been writing quite a bit….my main focus these next few days is to finish with some ideas of titles and CD art, and prepare the 2  Hour OriginaL OnLy set I will be doing at MendoBerri on June 25th…(hope you can come!!)  … Also a friend of mine Jazzy J of TwinCitiesRadio.net passed away on June 3rd….there will be a memorial for him tomorrow that I will likely be attending with friend/musician MJ Kroll who was especially close with Jazzy. He will be remembered for all his passion, love and outpouring of support for the Local Music scene as well as his role in Second Life Music as well!   ………………………………….. More to come…thanks for keeping up with my Slow Pace  - Suzen JueL

ally 7, with his 7 claws on each front paw….he walks like a Lion Cat would….Luci, she has 6 on each paw…very easy going and gentle cat…Until recently…now she’s gone into heat….yeah at 8 months old, she finally hit that crazy cycle and she’s VERY VOCAL about this..of course 7 is almost worse,being he is the whiner cat, Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy is what he sound like, but suddenly this past day or two, a new sound, from both 7 and Luci….very new sounds, howls on a low surreal layer of sound….rather confusing for them both I think.  7 hardly knows what to do with himself and finds himself seriously attracted to Everything Luci does, then they’re both back in Kitten mode, playing and sleeping…..It completely fascinates me, every single new sound is just fascinating, they all mean something different…not to mention they’re never ending curiosity at every single thing they approach, usually good, sometimes…well sometimes curtains get shredded….

On another page…..Music has taken a mind of it’s own as of late. Springtime hit and my creative muse woke up  and went pretty wild for a period of time. She must be napping again…heavy, because now it’s more of a numbness that took over….as far as songwriting goes. She’ll awaken again…Spring keeps easing back and forth here and winter just REFUSES to let go….it’s almost 60 F one day and then 30 the next, snowing one day, thunderstorms and warm air again…then a snowstorm dumps out of nowhere….very Bipolar like this time of year is … I’ve taken a new interest in Alternative Tuning of my guitar. I really couldn’t tell you a thing about it,, as often goes, it just works and I like it and I”m not quite sure How it works, or even why, I just like it.  Working on a new song IndigO Road! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksDs6kO0pQs just something different. I find it unusually odd to video tape a song, with nothing happening….and well, I’m certainly not great at that sort of thing….But I thought I’d use my own art and photographs to match the lyrics of the song……and to fit, best i could to what the song translates….the lyrics are even in the video!!! Was fun to do for me, absolutely a nice little pool of creative fun to splash around in! Go check it out.

On another page…..how many pages is this so far?  The  Living Room #13 was moved, quite suddenly and is now located at House of Flames Performing Arts COmplex.  http://slurl.com/secondlife/House%20of%20Flames/186/151/1576 …that will take you rght there in Second life…and as you know…..this web page has the URL and Play button for my live stream, an y time I do a ‘virtual’ performance….real Life shows are rarely broadcast live..Too busy performing

That’s only ONE of the things we like to discuss in Second Life. THe meeting was to be about EVENTS Listings etc….music, diff tracks on music….must not have been that important.  And Music…ONCE in awhile I get a nice advantage to be able to listen to different music from different countries around the world.  Although I must say it is Most difficult … considering the current MESS that Live Music Events is, there are so many categories in one file….hardly efficient… yet it is how I check out music…since I have no intention of following EVERY Musician I like, there aren’t enough groups for that NOR do I want the spam…SO I use live MUSIC events, that’s what it’s for!  There are also several MASSIVE groups out there, Independent Musicians and Live Music Enthusiasts, both have been around almost as long as Live Music has been around. I was there when Live Music Just started..back in 2005.  THere were about a half dozen or so of us at the time……  Now, to find a Live MUSICIAN..is almost impossible.   Sooooo I’ve heard the 14 yr old on Karoke, I’ve heard the bathroom singers, the happy singers, those that NEVER play in Real life, those that do both, those that think they can sound just like Celine Dion, those that do country, folk, blues, humor .. i’ve heard it ALL, I truly have…..and my ears favor that one instrument and that one voice, but I LOVE some of what i’ve heard w ith backing tracks…and DJ’S!!! I know a fantastic dj who plays guitar as well as tells us the story behind various songs and styles, he is  brilliant!!! ( Christopher Lung aka Chriscloud loon in SL )…..

…So about 6 years ago (i took one year off) I started Naked AcoustiC Sessions, which is a showcase for Original Musicians…a very relaxed atmosphere where a songwriter/musician can experiment with their new material, tell the audience the story behind it, share some insight….even some Question and Answer moments are embedded in the conversation and music.  Some musicians do a cover or two because of the importance to the song….as it represents the story at hand…..And lately I’ve been looking into other aspects of Naked Acoustic…Naked COmedy, Naked Poetry, Naked Art….etc….giving US the audience and insight into the Mind of these talented souls….

I do this for a few reasons….Because I LOVE THE ARTISTS that perform at Living Room #13 for the Naked AcoustiC Sessions, and I love the vibe, the good ‘juju’ they bring, the melting pot of fans flowing from one musicians to another, the community that happens…. I don’t have dance balls, I don’t have games or exploders, because Naked Acoustics isn’t about anything BUT the Musician…and that is it. It’s not about the venue (although the venue completely focuses on music and art) it’s not about what kind of clothes people wear, or how many prims they wanna lag around with them, it’s NOT about managers or hosts..it IS about the musician. In fact, managers and hosts are encouraged to ONLY shout the artist out ONCE in the beginnng and ONCE in the end….for an hour set…..it’s just respect for the chat and the ambience that the Living Room #13 has always prided itself in.   Forcing Midnight is your best viewing experience…. Living ROom #13 Many of the Musicians that perform at Living Room have approached me to perform there, and almost every musician has asked to come back! Each week, someone new is added to the rotation, and there are 30 min sets and one hour sets….Some weeks we have a Large number of Fantastic Performers and some weeks we have a minimum of 4….My favorite part is, exposing different artists, to other artists, and to attract new fans to each various artist that steps up on that stage. It goes well, the feedback is wonderful and I continue to look forward to sharing my passion in music with other music lovers!!!  You can peek at the updates and musicians on FacebOok  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_189287457767333 The Naked AcoustiC Sessions updates on this page often!!!

If you would like to donate to my project, which requires a generous amount of donations for the production of my upcoming CD as well as the maintenance involved in keeping this site running, my stream, broadcasts, guitar maintenance and fees that come along with the stream rental and music update….You can do that on the EVENTS 2 Page…..This site is undergoing changes and soon the Donation button which is used for CD sales as well as art…and of course simply because of your support will be better located.

Again, word of mouth is free, and the more you tell people what you hear and like about my passions of music and art, the bigger the web we live in, gets….So thank you!!!!!!!

ART is here…and I will continue to add to it!

http://suzenjuel.com/organic-style-art-for-sale-100-usd-shipping-included-original-art/

As I have always loved this type of performance, I’ve still been getting bookings in local bars and also through my travels to other parts of the country. As the evolution of my career turns and twists, I’ve met some amazing musicians…. Steve Kimmel being one and Steve Crooks, being another, that I have had the pleasure of performing with, in my own home not all that long ago. Both such seasoned and accomplished musicians and both such an honor to perform with.  Since this, Steve Kimmel who also works with Heart of the Beast Theater has been generous in giving me two tickets to a show near the end of March, where I will have the honor of doing a very short performance.

The University Avenue Project

has been kind enough … due to the request of Wing Young to perform a 30 min set

at the Dancers Studio in St. Paul! 

REALLY looking forward to this, since I was asked to do this, a couple weeks ago.  One of the photos, featured my song “Don’t Let it Die”…in a series that Wing Young had featured in St. Paul, on a 40×40 foot billboard, along with other local musicians from the Twin Cities, and considering how many brilliant minds reside in this great city, it’s an honor to have been chosen.  If you are from the area, I hope you find a chance to make an appearance. I will be performing at 5:30pm….

I’ve been collaborating with musicians still, and still have several works in progress with Boris Van Luger that I’m looking forward to completing.  I am currently working on my latest CD as well….although funds are necessary, this is also a work in progress.  I do accept donations to help fund the release, the hard copies as well as getting the digital copies heading in the right direction, iTunes, Amazon etc…these things are not free. I would love to get into a studio at some point, and also I’m dealing with two very slow computers, and hard drives that are filling up very quick with the higher quality recordings I am doing in my home studio. I’m also paying for my website as well as my stream, so that I can broadcast. My guitars both need the frets redone and a few minor adjustments to keep them in good working order.  For those of you that have donated, you are such a wonderful help in contributing to what I Love Doing and what I have an insatiable desire to continue doing. Keep it coming, every thing has a place with my passion in life, and everything is in dire need of upgrades and repair from time to time.  You can donate anytime, just by going to my website Suzen JueL . We are also working on membership benefits, to those who care to do a monthly donation…I’ll keep you posted on that!

Secretly, someone informed me that I was a ‘preferred musician’ on the Second Life Grid. Now truth be told, I forget myself, often, and often feel frustrated with where my  music goes sometimes and where I perform. I was pleasantly surprised to find I was listed as ‘one of many favorites’….as well as 9 other FANTASTIC Musicians….it’s not a contest and it’s not about who is BEST, it’s just about being a favorite, for whatever the reasons may be. For example, I LOVE Grace McDunnough, one of the other favorites, according to the poll Hamlet Au who has been covering the SL Music Scene since I can remember.  Took me back to some of our first interviews, over 5 years ago!  SO if you get a chance to check the article out (linked on Hamlets name) and you’re feeling the love, feel free to give me your THUMBS UP!!! I appreciate all the support I get from my fans, and feel free to pass it on to your friends, I’ll never have enough fans, but I will always be grateful for everyone of you, your support has always been well taken and so much appreciated!

I have been flying by the seat of my pants for the past few weeks just preparing for the House of Flames van to pull in my driveway…which it did, on Saturday! Along with several friends that I’ve met all through the awesome gift of music that we all share. Steve Kimmel, Steve Crooks and Robin Hill-Sheridan all showed up, along with Debe Wise, from House of Flames.

Debe was here about 5pm in the Giant House of Flames van, which certainly seemed to attract the neighbors attention, more than once I saw their faces pressed up against their windows. Debe came in and I introduced her to my nieces,  brother in law, husband etc….and of course, my little zoo of furry critters. Debe doesn’t like rats much…didn’t take long to discover this.  She had her camera in hand and started taking photos of my studio all the while telling me how very much it reminded her of the Virtual Living Room #13… we talked a lot, went through some of the things that’ll take place, on Jan. 25th when she does the live video cast…WHICH I am ONLY Beginning to get nervous about!!! I know it’ll be fine, I just stress more about  ’will the wide screen make me look um…wide?’….’what if my cat jumps up my leg and starts his little singing rampage he goes on from time to time?’….what if the internet crashes, what if we can’t all fit in my studio, who’s coming..what will we eat…will people in second life BE THERE? will anyone Watch? What if no one watches….what if no one shows up…..’ and the list…goes on   … and on….   and on…and I remind myself that 90% of what one worries about NEVER HAPPENS….that’s why meeting up with everyone on Saturday made this whole experience much more relaxing.   On Top of THIS normal stress…my voice is pretty much gone…another worry..this one being the 10% that DOES happen…the high top range of my voice sounds like a cracked up canadian goose…..I’m good and rhaspy with my original songs and hopefully won’t Crack or Wobble when I perform this evening….I already have my remedy in a hot steamy mug with lots of local natural honey in it, mmmmmmm.

House of Flames will be running the live media feed as well as Wirecast! This will be broadcast into the Virtual Living Room #13 … those in attendance at the Virtual LR #13 will be able to see the live Media Stream, which will  be broadcasting my live concert in my home studio…because This is How it Works, this is what I do, this is how I do it….and that’s what the point of Debe’s study is…Virtual Musicians in the real world….

You can read more here

A Study by Debe Wise (Flameheart SoL in SL) will be wrapping up it’s final phase at Living ROom #13.  I’ve been a part of this study for a couple years and it’s all about Musicians in SL using the web, and media and SL vs their real life….In my case, I’m a musician in both worlds…

Feel free to show up early, the entire show will be broadcast Live from my Home Studio in Minneapolis, into SL so Anyone, anywhere can watch….something I rarely do, and am truly looking forward to!

Debe Wise has a PHd at the University of Colorado and is finishing her 200 page dissertion to present…featuring virtual artists and their real lives……..

http://suzenjuel.com for more information on calendar etc…..

FOR THOSE Watching OUTSIDE of second life

Copy and paste this URL for Broadcast…check your time zones

Open a browser window and enter this url:

rtsp://video.slserver.com:8130/live.sdp

Deb took some video of Saturdays jam with the Steves… JueLink

I’m still in process of finishing my CD and also working on some unique styles of a few originals I’ve done, with Boris Van Luger, and again it’s turning out to be a really incredible trip through these large vast spaces, that bring our music into the same room…you can check out some of Boris Van Luger’s work on his YouTube page. Little projects like this, are always good for the soul of my inner muse and with so much going on right now, my inner muse is quite busy!

Living Room #13 has kicked off again for the 5th year of Naked Acoustic Sessions! I have a great line up for Jan. 26th and for all my Euro Fans, it starts EARLY in the day and the first musician is a french musician…one of the first to ever play at Living Room…One of my favorite things to do, when I have some moments to just transport around the grid…is check out who is new on the scene, and often go to hear some of the favorites that I rarely get a chance to hear!

Please join the links above and around this page and share with someone today! It’s going to be a VERY LONG day for this chica here, woke up Very Early… If you are not In Second Life it’s free to join…

Last but not least, check out Steve Parry one of those Soul SOothing songwriters that simply quiets my soul when I listen… I’m honored to know his music and his personality through small chats about music and will be working on some sketches for him once this week settles back to normal…I’ll keep you posted on this, and other little projects that come along and tickle my starving artist soul!  Speaking of Steve, he also recommended staring an art page, and WHY I haven’t is strange enough, usually I think of those things. So I did!!! JueL ToneS … Now I must go forth and stir the soul inside, play with the kittens, create some food and stay relaxed If you see me wandering around with a starry look in my eye…feel free to startle me out of it!!!

ONE LAST THING!!!

1000 Avatars! Do check out Gracie’s place in SL and her 1000 avatars! I was thrilled to have been asked to be a part and spent a couple hours at her place several weeks back while she took photos of several people around me…when it came my time, I did what I’m best known for from  back in the day…Naked Musician Style!!!

I like to think of what inspires a song. It’s one of those things I don’t often realize, until I hear the playback. Every time a song starts, from the first note on, I’m recording. I like to come back to it a number of times and see what direction it wants to go, what progression works best for the lyrics or perhaps even inspire some lyrics.  My new song started out as finger picking…I love the melodic flow of finger picking, soothing to me. Lyrics just came with every note, little words here and there until finally several loosely written verses were out. I walked away, came back a few hours later, and something had changed, and the verses re arranged themselves according to shape..sound. (This is where my synesthesia often becomes very crazy strong) Once the ‘shapes and sounds’ mark themselves visually, the rest of the words just start to fill in.  Then…I walk away again  (it’s a process of sorts haa) and come back….Now the finger picking style has gone away and turned into a crazy slap rhythm and the entire vocal pattern changes, gets rounder and warmer…after that it’s a matter of seeing which style best fits the content it inspires.  Once again Dirt, Earth and those types of themes seem to carry the strongest lyrical pull, and it’s puzzling to me how themes become so prominent in songwriters.  It takes some listening to hear a songwriters theme, and it can often change, but more like branches off the same tree, or at least from a similar garden!

I’m anxious to see where it takes me, and then give it it’s first ‘appearance’ in the array of the pages…see what happens.  There have been a few songs I’ve written in the past few months, but once I write them, they’re done, they leave, I often forget them, tuck them somewhere….not for any reason that I know of…Until Songs that Stick happen…and I’m NOT tucking it away and I become obsessed with it, it keeps banging on the door of my mind, spilling in new lyrical ingredients, changing the tone, the scent while I just let it become, what it will become.

…

Life has been an unforgettable ride as of late. 2010 was just spectacular in so many ways, as mentioned earlier, Social Media played a big part in connecting all kinds of era’s of my life, into one page, called Facebook.  I find this TOTALLY DISTURBING on one level and incredibly mind blowing at the same time.  As a child…we called each other, or just went over to each others houses to play, to listen to music…we formed our groups in life, found our forever friends, lost what we thought was the only thing we had, and gained better in the long run. We connected, we looked at each other when we spoke, we wrote letters by hand, pressing our names deep into the paper. We drove from one side of the state to the other and across borders and into other countries, we traveled to hear music…..and well, so much has changed. SO MUCH!  I’ve always had my life in compartments, era’s, times, events and experiences mark the time line, not necessarily ‘dates’….there is the Sue ‘era’ the Suzi ‘era’……the Suzen….there is life before marriage and life since being married, there is geographical marks all over….the Public, the Private etc…..It all has a ‘slot’ in my memory….the theme often carrying strong words and memories with it. The early 90s all my songs were about shoes and angels…this is when I knew this person and this person had a HUGE IMPACT and life went on and we forget and forget and fade….Until Facebook…and Someone you haven’t Forgotten, however you’ve somehow gone your own ways in life, there they are, after 10 years, or 20 and in a few cases even More!  Some of the meetups and phone calls with the ‘ghosts and angels’ of my past were disappointing…realizing time certainly did some serious numbers on us…or them or me.  Other times it’s like stars fall from the sky and love fills the shallow spot all over again, sometimes soulmates, the best of the best, well they just don’t go away. Mine are back….2011 sure is going to be a SPOTLIGHT….I’m constantly coming to terms with various realities and it just gets easier and easier to do. The lessons are page turning fascinating for me and I’m looking forward to sharing some of those with you, my readers…friends etc…..

On that note. I’m done, until my next mental leak…..Peace

Counting down to 2011

2010. WOW….What a year! Especially when it comes to how Social Networks have linked almost every single era and phase of my life, into one big Glorious Web!  In 2010 I have lost friends, and I have gained new ones…I’ve re discovered friendships that have lost their way through time…and all those crazy things that happen in our 20′s…that we missssssssss so badly as we get older. Friends that have come and gone like a fine thread, through our entire life…and then some.  I’ve learned to laugh more, even when I’m angry,  and I’ve found that Doing things a little different, OFTEN, can create new beauty in my life.  My Music has folded in and out of 2010, often finding myself struggling to write, or being induced with so much creativity that I’m not sure where to even disperse it all. In 2011  . I look forward to MORE, and I look forward to fine tuning the things, I may have lost focus of, because of my intense focus on other things….that have taken a priority in my life. Finish it, and move to the next task…often doing several tasks at once, and just taking LONGER to finish….may as well Tackle things head on.

I have been doing Only music and art for the entire duration of 2010 and have gained a broad perspective and insight on my own direction.  Sometimes I think we are never really FOUND, but lost our entire lives….always finding what suits us, for that precise moment in our life.  I’ve gained a new Grand daughter and rekindled the warm spirit of those, most precious to me. I’ve welcomed diversity, change, challenges and road blocks…because I am CERTAIN they are there for a reason. I have the  belief that Everything Happens for a damn good reason…even if we don’t always know what it is, right then and there.

I feel good about the past year. I feel good with the choices I’ve made and I don’t feel any uneasiness with the choices I’ve made, I feel stronger for having made them. Some were pretty DAMN TOUGH lemme tell ya!!! haaaa

In the new year…I wish all of you Dear Readers, plenty of laughter, warm love, new memories, the courage to move forward in your life and take your passions by the hair…Tame them, Let them Run Wild, Name them, love them!!!

I don’t have much else to say….except I know that 2011 is going to bring Bigger Challenges and rewards!!! Some wonderful collaborations with some of the most amazing musicians I know, are in their fragile yet Wonderfully delicious beginning stages. A Filming at my house in Feb. with the University of Colorado study..Life is Art…My new CD should be finished before or by March….and more…..

Anyone  make any New Resolutions..or ones you’ve already started?

NURTURE your soul, your garden and your spirit!

-Suzen JueL

In all my years as a Musician, from pulling in a great income, to falling apart at the seams of my guitar strings…I’m beginning to see, at the point I am in my life…that the Virtual Gigs are a BONUS as far as earning at least half of what you’re worth, if that. However, at the point I’m at in my physical world, the one that surrounds my back yard, alleys and local flavors, I am again…..working on my new Emerging from the ashes of taking over a decade off…..to raise a family…so to say.

So in the past few weeks, I’ve done several local, live shows…in St. Paul and Minneapolis, for virtually nothing.  I’ve cancelled Virtual Online shows, in order to take the exposure to the local scene. I’ve been paid a total of $17.00. Yeah…for over 3 hours of performing!!! Maybe because I’m ‘again…new’….perhaps because I am solo, and no longer use a band (too much of a pain in the ass, to worry about anyone, other than myself)….So in my Studio, I sit in my Pajamas, guitar in hand, a cold drink on my desk…perhaps a burning cigarette (if it’s autumn)…and a Muse that tends to never sleep for days, or sleep for too many days, leaving me feeling useless, when I can’t produce new images, be it Paint or Lyrical Grooves……

I’ve learned….being Virtual, for one, gives you a global warming effect…meaning, people from anywhere in the world, on this great planet, can listen, anytime I perform, you just have to tune in. Simple as that, right?   However, the local scene in the Twin Cities (Minnesota) is High on the list of arts and creativity, meaning a LARGE POOL of musicians, competing for your undivided attention……. Playing at a BAR, is a nightmare for a solo acoustic songwriter/performer….why? Well, lets start with Being the the FIRST one up….warming the audience for some 13 piece band….Got to be able to hold our own, in this case.  And….then there is the Noise factor. … Performing in a Bar is noisy. People want to RELATE to the songs, therefore, you are in the groove of Covers now…new to me, but thankfully I have a strong list of covers at this point in my life…..But…be it a cafe, or wine bar, or intimate venue…..people REALLY listen, and that is what my soul is about. LYRICS! WORDS. Emotions. FEELING!

http://www.aliciamorgan.com/a-day.html An article called “A Day Without Music”……good read

In Second Life, the virtual world and economy…basically it’s not a lot different, however, you are now exposing yourself to people from all around this Wonderful Planet, hearing the many terms, lingo, and reading the emotions of your audience. The Virtual world, is my strongest support in music, in the purchasing of my  music And/Or art……however….you bring your own beverages, your own chair…..yet, all from the comfort of wherever you may already be. You don’t have to drive in a storm, or fly 3000 miles to hear your favorite indie artist, you just have to plug in to their stream and BINGO……great quality (depending on the performers set up of course…and what your ears desire) just like in our physical world….it can take a bit, to find the one that Grooves your soul, in what it is, your soul desires…be it Rock, Blues, Folk, Americana….etc…they’re all there….even Karoke Singers…yep……true!

I … by no means make a living in Second Life, but I certainly do better, than driving 60 miles to a gig I don’t get paid for (just for the exposure..which is often amazing!) But now I have the burden of advertising for them, bringing in MY People…which of course, are not in the local scene much, but more Online listeners…who can watch the 3D show…live and virtual…..It’s what I call GLOBAL OUTRREACH.

A friend of mine wrote a FANTASTIC article on the Musicians in this world. Imagine the world without Music…yeah…yet, no one really wants to PAY for it, but they certainly like to listen!  There is no cover charge for the virtual performances, but the venues, can pay a fee from ‘Tips only’….to$300 In USD, depending on the venue. Sadly, the 300.00 Per Hour gigs (USD) are far and few between.

What I want out of this? Your word of mouth. You like it? You Show up? You Tune in? Then buy the music. Promote it…if it only be Once…..it’s fine…that’s all we ask.  What we don’t want? A lot of people that never support the music, but just show up, because perhaps you’re the only LIVE MUSICIAN they want to hear…perhaps because they can hear Karoke on the radio, but can they hear YOU on the radio? not often….yes sometimes! I have several songs on great radio stations around the globe…..and YES it’s amazing, because it’s exposure on a whole different, real life based audience.   My virtual supporters are my  best and strongest supporters. Ironic as it is…several of my fans….who aren’t in second life, have joined….for the experience. Many can’t deal with the complexity of Second life…..and many who take it in easy strides, Learn to Love the connections being made, in the creative world…and Second Life isn’t the ONLY one, there are many more!

A word of caution………It’s easier to use 3rd party viewers when Joining Second life. Snowglobe, Imprudence, Phoenix..you can find these by going to the http://www.secondlife.com website and searching for approved 3rd party viewers. Second Life is not known to be user friendly, it’s a real World Economy on a global scale…You can earn money, find jobs, go to art shows…and of course ANYTHING ELSE you can do in your real Life, you can do in Second Life, and I mean ANYTHING, not to mention, for those challenged in the real world…..it’s very different in the virtual world. Example…you can fly, walk, run, change your appearance (if you so choose) and basically live out a life, that perhaps you can’t, in your physical world. There are support groups for everything under the sun, charity, art discussions…..great ART DISCUSSIONS, songwriting showcases, information, knowledge….once you learn how to be ‘again’…learning to walk, talk, listen to music etc…..is a process in Second Life, but ask anyone who’s been there a month….it doesn’t take long to learn….just small doses of learning and BINGO you are global.

Word of Caution. If you are a musician trying to make a FULL INCOME out of Second LIfe….think again. The world takes time…it takes time to build your audience…just like in Real LIfe…..the connections are fantastic and much good can come out of it. But, like some of the past musicians in SL..they actually EXPECTED to make a full living…well sorry Happy Campers, it doesn’t work that way.  Some….claim..they can…if they have no real life gigs, and no real life commitments, and can lay down 15 hours or more of music a week……they MIGHT be able to pull in a comfortable income, meaning, the bills get paid. However if you are living in your moms basement and have no bills and no responsibilities, you can put a nice little stash of $$$ away, as long as you are ROCKIN’ and pulling in the TIps and paid gigs, and of course if the venue is actually willing to give you, what you as a performer deserve…..good luck on that!

I am a pioneer in the virtual world. I’ve been there since before the Live music scene started and after almost 6 yrs. I have gained a loyal and wonderful global following. What i WANT to work on, is my local scene……but i live a nice long way, from where THAT is happening….So i’m somewhat limited…but not OUT of the Loop….it just takes planning to drive an hour or so or more, to a show, that I MIGHT make enough for gas money out of…..WHAT is MORE important…is my fans…that’s #1 to me…YOU are.

Now that I vented…and explained and garbled and mused…….You can decide the rest. Expose yourself to it…see what you think. It’s NOT a game, it’s a virtual world, with a Real Life Economy….do some research, check it out, read about it, look it up, ask others….give it more than an hour….seriously…..get the help you need to get started and just like in your real life….Teach yourself well, find good teachers. Remember, Games have easy directions…>Real Life< does not. It’s all a bout What you can experience and what you learn from it.

I’ve noticed … that as usual, I tend to forget to MAINTAIN my blog. So today, this was on my mind.

In other news…I’ve been playing A LOT in both worlds, networking..because i HAVE to. How would people hear my music, if I never shared it with you?  My art is doing well and my music is truly coming into it’s own ‘artistic’ realm of love and inspiration…getting some GREaT Exposure!

For those of you that Keep Up with me on Facebook and Twitter, Etsy.com, Reverbnation…well you know!!!

TAKE CARE of YOur Soul!

Then it was time to sound check….and there was a small film crew there, to film some of my set, so I signed some papers and they recorded me for the first 30 min. and then they cleared out to go to their next job. I performed for about 45 minutes, lots of originals, lots of covers..the crowd was fantastic, the beer was delicious and the laughter and conversation afterwards was impactful, SO MANY musicians were there to hear the rest of the line up, which by the way was also Fantastic!!!   After finishing, I strolled around talking to people. A man approached me about coming to try out for his Souther Gospel/Rock N Roll blues style Revival and many others gave me their cards for their music, websites etc…..then as I’m outside, chatting…I hear ‘Suzen’…and there is another former room mate…Ironically, from about the same time period that Eli and Joel and I knew each other…Another SUPER HUG that I just couldn’t End….again 16 years come at me like a Freight Train and Lew and I caught up half the night over laughs, a wonderful cigar and great conversation. It was a fantastic night…..I can understand running into old favorite friends from time to time….but this was a handful of love in my soul, although perhaps it’s the fond memories that accompany great souls in life!

There were many people who I’ve become acquainted with through Facebook as well!!! Francis a wonderful folk musician with a smile to die for! Steve Crooks a Voilin/Fiddle Player with a warm spirit that shone thru….I had perfect opportunity all night to hear the Music and talk with every single person I could recognize and the many I had met for the first time. Returned home with a bag full of business cards, which of course reminds me……GET YOUR CARDS DONE AGAIN SUZEN!!!!!!

I hope you all had a Super Weekend! And I want to thank everyone again for such Super Hospitality, you Know who you are I had the time of my life…and as i Tossed out on facebook..IF THIS WAS MY WORST NIGHT EVER…boy am I in for a Damn Sweet ride….!!!!

In other aspects of life…Indian Summer is upon us here in Minnesota. My tomato’s are pretty much dropping off the vines and so tasty, sweet and red! I hope to make my last batch of Jesus Tomato Sauce this coming week…and of course I’m doing a number of shows in the next couple weeks, that any one can tune into at any time!  on OCT. 1st I will be first in line for DEMO at the St. Paul Eagles Club with more great musicians!!! THANK YOU ST. PAUL for a FOLK A LISH US Scene with MUSIC! I’ll be starting at 7:30PM … get there early and plan on sticking around. I would love to chat with you a bit and share some of my folky grooves, some emotionally charged blues and my stage fright!!! It’s worth seeing eh?