Musicians give several reasons for performing virtual concerts in Second Life: 1. To make money, though payments are much smaller than in real life concerts. Some musicians earn $5000 Linden dollars (about $20 USD) for a one hour concert. 2. To use downtime and rehearsal time productively and earn supplemental income. Virtual concerts allow testing new material. 3. To develop new material and prepare for real life performances by having a live audience provide feedback. Students at a Swiss conservatory use virtual concerts before exams.

1. Leadingreasonsthatmusiciansgive for playing in Second Life: expectations, outcomes, implications Music Island Concerts 2011 1

2. Reason #1: To make money playing in Second Life 2

3. Reason No 1: To make money playing in Second Life The scale of the virtualeconomydoes not support payment on a par with western real life payments to musicians Musicianscanexpect to earn about $5000 L ($20 US) for a one hour concert. Manyearnless. 3

4. Reason #2: To monetizedowntime, rehearsal time 4

5. Reason #2: To monetizedowntime, rehearsal time If the musicianis able to use their SL concert time to develop new material, do a trial run-through for an RL concert, the smallpaymentscansubsidizetheirearnings & makeeconomicsense. 5

6. Reason #3: To develop new material, prepare for performance 6

7. Reason #3: To develop new material, prepare for performance Virtual concerts givemusicians and music students a live and responsive audience to try out new material Music Island has been partneringwith a Swissconservatoryprofessorwho has hisstudentsgive SL concerts prior to performance exams. All students in this program have passedtheir exams. 7

8. Reason # 4: Networking for new collaborations 8

9. Reason # 4: Networking for new collaborations Musiciansmeetothermusiciansfromaround the world via virtual concerts A duo from the eastcoastpaired up with a duo from the west for an rl tour An electro-accousticmusicianfromDenmarkjoined a US colleague for a Nashville concert A Swissprofessorhosted an ItalianpianistwhoheldMasterclassesathisconservatory 9

10. Reason # 5: Networking for careerdevelopment 10

11. Reason # 5: Networking for careerdevelopment Musicians help musiciansfind performance opportunitiesnearthem and share news Severalexamplesfrom Music Island of successfulnetworking: An Italian tour wasfacilitatedthroughvirtual connections for a US ensemble A North American debutwasarranged for a Europeanpianist 11

12. Reason # 6: Marketing of CD’s and real life performance tours 12

13. Reason # 6: Marketing of CD’s and real life performance tours Manyinworlddevices are available to enablevirtual audiences to connect to websites to buyCD’s or individual digital recordings Severalmusicians have made recordings for sale as part of a Music Island performance Virtual concert audiences are small but key connections canbe made for social marketing Promotionalreachcanbeextended by additionallypromoting audio or video-streamed concerts on the flat web, increasingpotential live audience to 1,000 listeners, via Itunes, Facebook, Ustream, etc. 13

14. What do musicianssay about whytheyperformvirtual concerts?Reason # 7: Audience development, music appreciation 14

15. Reason # 7: Audience development, music appreciation Musicians & music educatorswith the long-range goal of turning on new audiences to different musical styles findvirtual concerts veryrewarding Over 80% of attendeespolledatvirtualclassical concerts saidthattheyhadneverattended a live classicalconcert—a proportion unheard of in other audience outreach initiatives Someactivities, such as «open rehearsals » workmuchbetter in virtual reality as all performers canbeheardclearlyduring the rehearsal Virtual concerts have greatpotential for community arts education 15

16. What do musicianssay about whytheyperformvirtual concerts?Reason # 8: Mixed reality concerts 16

17. Reason # 8: Mixed reality concerts Mixed reality concerts involvevideo-streaming of a live concert intovirtual reality whileconnecting live and virtual audiences Adding a virtual component to a concert thatisbeingsubsidized by a live concert activityis a better business model in the current state of the virtualeconomy Someimmersionists in virtualworldsdislikestreamedvideo as it breaks their immersion. Adding avatar performers helpsoff-setthisnegative. Mixed reality concerts have the addedbenefit of promotingawareness of virtual concerts 17

18. What do musicianssay about whytheyperformvirtual concerts?Reason # 9: New art forms, not-possible-in-real-life artistic expression. 18

19. Reason # 9: New art forms, not-possible-in-real-life artistic expression. Virtual concerts provide the opportunity to createartisticprojectsthat are either impossible or unaffordable in real concert halls Examples: A composer and particleartistimprovising 3,000 metersabove the groundbefore a whirling audience engulfed in particles and soundwhile live scriptinglanguagescrolls up the screen A composer/musician and a photographer team up to present an experience « Storm in a Teacup » thatinvolves the audience travelling through the photos to a speciallycomposed score. 19