Virtual Concerts in the Park: Introduction Presenter: Linda Rogers Co-presenters (online): Jonathan A. Smith Alpha Hockett Walker Alessandro Marangoni Amy Ferguson Opening video

SL BASICS: What is Second Life ? The largest virtual reality environment online 500,000 users per week, 13 Million users total Users create objects and their own experience, own their own content More information at: http://www.secondlife.com

The largest virtual reality environment online

500,000 users per week, 13 Million users total

Users create objects and their own experience, own their own content

More information at:

http://www.secondlife.com

SL Basics: Avatars Participants in SL are represented by “avatars” Avatars are customizable Movement is keyboard controlled Kate Miranda/Linda Rogers

Participants in SL are represented by “avatars”

Avatars are customizable

Movement is keyboard controlled

SL Basics: Avatars are as varied as the imagination Avatars can be realistically human, animal or abstract

Avatars can be realistically human, animal or abstract

Second Life language tip Avatarize Definition: the point at which a participant feels comfortable in their avatar as an extension of self.

Avatarize

Definition: the point at which a participant feels comfortable in their avatar as an extension of self.

SL Basics: Building Participants in SL able to build objects from virtual building blocks called “prims”

Participants in SL able to build objects from virtual building blocks called “prims”

Second Life language tip Rez Definition: to bring a 3-D object into existence in virtual reality through creation or dragging from inventory. “He rezzed a few chairs for us” Also, waiting while virtual reality scenes resolve in the participants viewer. “One minute, the room is still rezzing for me.”

Rez

Definition: to bring a 3-D object into existence in virtual reality through creation or dragging from inventory. “He rezzed a few chairs for us” Also, waiting while virtual reality scenes resolve in the participants viewer. “One minute, the room is still rezzing for me.”

SL BASICS: How are people using Second Life? Business Education and Non-profit Social Organizing for social change Arts

Business

Education and Non-profit

Social

Organizing for social change

Arts

SL BASICS: Second Life Business Promotion, marketing and sales of real and virtual products Low/No cost virtual meetings and conferences Investment in the virtual economy itself

Promotion, marketing and sales of real and virtual products

Low/No cost virtual meetings and conferences

Investment in the virtual economy itself

Second Life Business Links Find Second Life Businesses How businesses are using Virtual Reality Some business success stories

Find Second Life Businesses

How businesses are using Virtual Reality

Some business success stories

Education A growing list of universities and colleges have Second Life campuses: Harvard, Stanford, University of Texas, New York University, University of Saskatchewan A full list on the SL wiki . FAQ’s about education in SL University of Edinburgh in SL

A growing list of universities and colleges have Second Life campuses:

Harvard, Stanford, University of Texas, New York University, University of Saskatchewan

A full list on the SL wiki .

FAQ’s about education in SL

SL BASICS: Social Meeting people, dancing, chatting Hobbies, clubs, gaming Line-dancing

Meeting people, dancing, chatting

Hobbies, clubs, gaming

SL BASICS: Organizing for Change Environmentalists Peace Activists Union Organizing Political groups Anti-poverty groups Faith-based groups Bali climate change talks: interactive sessions in SL with delegates

Environmentalists

Peace Activists

Union Organizing

Political groups

Anti-poverty groups

Faith-based groups

Second Life Arts Museums and Galleries Graphic Artists in Second Life Multi-media arts Theatre Dance Machinama Music

Museums and Galleries

Graphic Artists in Second Life

Multi-media arts

Theatre

Dance

Machinama

Music

Second Life Arts: Museums and Galleries One of the best examples of art galleries in Second Life is the Dresden Museum

One of the best examples of art galleries in Second Life is the Dresden Museum

Second Life Arts: The Arts Community Art openings are a vibrant part of SL social life

Art openings are a vibrant part of SL social life

Second Life Arts: Graphic Artists Real world art works are reproduced in SL by artists for promotion and sales of real work and virtual reproductions

Real world art works are reproduced in SL by artists for promotion and sales of real work and virtual reproductions

Second Life Arts: 3-D art Second Life artists are inventing new art forms daily using SL prims, textures, animated textures, scripted objects, sounds and/or particle scripts.

Second Life artists are inventing new art forms daily using SL prims, textures, animated textures, scripted objects, sounds and/or particle scripts.

Second Life Arts: 3-D art with interactive scripts Second Life artists are using scripting to make art interactive. In this example, “Rebirth” by Gwen Carillon, viewers enter the sculpture, view an endless corridor of whirling stars and become animated as part of the sculpture

Second Life artists are using scripting to make art interactive. In this example, “Rebirth” by Gwen Carillon, viewers enter the sculpture, view an endless corridor of whirling stars and become animated as part of the sculpture

SL Arts: Scripting the viewing experience An ink on 3-D cube work by Leou Aeon scripts viewers’ experience of the work by floating them meditatively through the cubes

An ink on 3-D cube work by Leou Aeon scripts viewers’ experience of the work by floating them meditatively through the cubes

SL Arts: Multi-media arts Composer Paul Kwo (Enniv Zarf) is one of the multi-media artists in SL, shown here improvising with an SL sculptor working with shape and light

Composer Paul Kwo (Enniv Zarf) is one of the multi-media artists in SL, shown here improvising with an SL sculptor working with shape and light

SL Arts: Theatre 3-D virtual reality is an ideal lab for set-design and blocking productions Virtual productions are popular in SL

3-D virtual reality is an ideal lab for set-design and blocking productions

Virtual productions are popular in SL

SL Arts: Dance SL dance as an art form is in it’s infancy Avatars are scripted from life so involve real dancers, choreographers “The Nutcracker” Dec. 2007

SL dance as an art form is in it’s infancy

Avatars are scripted from life so involve real dancers, choreographers

SL Arts: Machinama Making film within virtual reality is a new and vibrant art form Examples can be found here

Making film within virtual reality is a new and vibrant art form Examples can be found here

SL Arts: Live and Inter-active Live story-telling is a popular recreation in SL Participants seem eager to re-capture simple and participatory art forms

Live story-telling is a popular recreation in SL

Participants seem eager to re-capture simple and participatory art forms

SL Music: Live Music A search on “Live Music” yields more than 100 events on this average day

A search on “Live Music” yields more than 100 events on this average day

SL Music: Dance Music Most live music in virtual reality serves a social function

Most live music in virtual reality serves a social function

SL Music: Classical Music Art Music has been increasing in popularity over the past 1-2 years

Art Music has been increasing in popularity over the past 1-2 years

SL Music: components of a live virtual concert Live music webcast Avatars with animated musical instruments Live audience Interactive engagement

Live music webcast

Avatars with animated musical instruments

Live audience

Interactive engagement

SL Music: How is a virtual concert different from a webcast? Virtual concerts are a social experience Able to text other audience members Facilitators and/or artists interact with audience Audience members float above full concert space

Virtual concerts are a social experience

Able to text other audience members

Facilitators and/or artists interact with audience

Meet virtual performers: Sinfonia Leeds Concert Photos Orchestra website A community orchestra in Leeds England. This was one of only three full live symphony concerts in SL between 2004-08

Concert Photos

Orchestra website

Meet virtual performers: the Schumanns David Weiss and Alpha Hockett Walker’s site A professional duo from Los Angeles with varied classical careers and music teaching experience and goals in SL.

David Weiss and Alpha Hockett Walker’s site

Meet virtual performers: Akito Kuramoto Akito’s MySpace Musician page A highly proficient amateur violinist from France.

Akito’s MySpace Musician page

Meet virtual performers: Winters Kanto Winters’ MySpace Musician page A professional jazz, tango, classical fusion pianist from Uruguay. Earns significant income from virtual performances.

Winters’ MySpace Musician page

Meet virtual performers: Thom Dowd Thom’s Musician page An early music enthusiast, Thom teaches flute in Switzerland. He performs and engages students in performances in virtual reality

Thom’s Musician page

Meet virtual performers: Benito Flores Alessandro’s musician page Benito Flores is the avatar of Alessandro Marangoni, a rising-star of the piano from Italy. Alessandro is a NAXOS recording artist.

Alessandro’s musician page

Supporting virtual concerts: venues Venues need to be built for high capacity Simplicity in design minimizes lag Creating venues in 2 or more sims is a novel approach The Music Island stage is set for the conference panel

Venues need to be built for high capacity

Simplicity in design minimizes lag

Creating venues in 2 or more sims is a novel approach

Supporting virtual concerts: security Concerts should be supported by security protocols Individual(s) with permissions to eject and ban trouble makers must be available Griefer (hacker) attacks are rare but can shut down a concert A rare griefer attack disrupts an Early Music concert with noise and visual grafitti attacks.

Concerts should be supported by security protocols

Individual(s) with permissions to eject and ban trouble makers must be available

Griefer (hacker) attacks are rare but can shut down a concert

Supporting virtual concerts: land controls Concerts need to be supported by landowners or estate managers Individual(s) with permissions to alter land settings are required to re-connect sound stream or adjust settings when sim performance is threatened. Simulations have crashed during performances when bandwidth and fps is not monitored The map of Music Island during Sinfonia Leeds concert shows 83 avatars in the sim, an above-capacity number

Concerts need to be supported by landowners or estate managers

Individual(s) with permissions to alter land settings are required to re-connect sound stream or adjust settings when sim performance is threatened.

Simulations have crashed during performances when bandwidth and fps is not monitored

Supporting virtual concerts: promotion Signage Group Notices Fan Clubs Promotional Items Second Life Media

Signage

Group Notices

Fan Clubs

Promotional Items

Second Life Media

Supporting Virtual Concerts: groups Second Life groups are: Opt in—participants must choose to join, some are invitation only Limited—avatars can only join 25 groups Communications tools—group notices are the most frequent source of news about events Competitive—because of the restriction to 25 groups, participants drop low-value groups.

Second Life groups are:

Opt in—participants must choose to join, some are invitation only

Limited—avatars can only join 25 groups

Communications tools—group notices are the most frequent source of news about events

Competitive—because of the restriction to 25 groups, participants drop low-value groups.

Supporting virtual concerts: promotional items Virtual T Shirts and CD tables connect participants to artists URL’s for more information, ticket and CD sales.

Virtual T Shirts and CD tables connect participants to artists URL’s for more information, ticket and CD sales.

Supporting virtual concerts: SL Media Print media A list of Second Life Radio and TV An example of arts programming on SL TV : interview and performance with Benito Flores, piano

Print media

A list of Second Life Radio and TV

An example of arts programming on SL TV : interview and performance with Benito Flores, piano

Using SL for real world arts orgs Professional development meetings Audience outreach activities Single event promotional appearances Arts education

Professional development meetings

Audience outreach activities

Single event promotional appearances

Arts education

75% of the audience at SL concerts have never been in a real concert hall What is the appeal? Texting during concert Coming and going without disturbing others Camera controls Inter-acting with artists Dancing, floating during concerts

What is the appeal?

Texting during concert

Coming and going without disturbing others

Camera controls

Inter-acting with artists

Dancing, floating during concerts

Final thoughts What would concerts look like if: Audience could text during concerts? Concert halls were designed so people could come and go without disturbing others? Cameras gave a changing view of the performers on big screen? There was an area in the hall for people to dance or move to the music? If we want to attract new audiences maybe we should think about the success of virtual concerts

What would concerts look like if:

Audience could text during concerts?

Concert halls were designed so people could come and go without disturbing others?

Cameras gave a changing view of the performers on big screen?

There was an area in the hall for people to dance or move to the music?

Contact information If you want to learn more about classical music in Second Life: Join the Classical Music Group in-world Join other special interest classical groups in-world. IM Kate Miranda in-world This project is made possible through its inclusion in the Cedar Island open-learning project Closing video plays as we join our panelists in-world

If you want to learn more about classical music in Second Life:

Join the Classical Music Group in-world

Join other special interest classical groups in-world.

IM Kate Miranda in-world

This project is made possible through its inclusion in the Cedar Island open-learning project