Starting now in May, here is a new series introducing the SZ Pianofabrik endorsed artists, in form of little interviews, hopefully giving some insight how is it to be a performing artist in Second Life. And also give little information about their musical interests and passions, and hopefully provide an interesting reading for all of you who love piano music, and to go enjoy the live piano performances in SL! 🙂
The first featured Artist of the Month, for May 2008, is Clarissima Schumann, a multitalented musician – with a long list of performances from all over the world and now in SL too. She forms a duo with her RL husband, and they perform together in Second Life too, as the Schumann Duo. I would like to encourage anyone who loves classical music to attend one of their performances and enjoy the music yourself.
I did interview Clarissima about her journey in Second Life so far, about her musical interests, and about how it is to be a performing musician in SL – so I will let her tell in her own words about these things and more!
How did you find out about Second Life, and how and when did you start in SL?
My Second LIfe birthday is March 10th, 2007. I found out about it from an article in MacWorld magazine. I love technology and all it offers us in this day and age, and from the first ten minutes I was “hooked!”
Did you try any kind of online virtual world before Second Life, or was this the first for you?
Second Life was my first and now I am so involved and have so many friends I cannot imagine getting into another one or that it could possibly offer me anything more.
Were you involved with music and live performances here in SL right from the start, or did you find the SL music community later on? – Did you plan to start in Second Life because of the music possibilities here in the virtual world?
When I joined Second Life, I knew NOTHING about it. In one article I read it said join interest groups so the first one I joined was Classical Music Aficionados. I started attending concerts, met Tyrol Rimbaud and through her I got started doing music on SL.
What kind of music inspires you the most, and what kind of music do you love to perform the most?
Well, my favorite composer, by far, is Bach and I love his music more every day. However I have a voracious appetite for all kinds of music – music by many different composers and from all styles and musical periods. I am pretty much a pop culture dunce, but through Second LIfe I am getting acquainted with some popular music and some rock that I really like. I am also a big fan of new music. We have had some wonderful stuff written for us by very good composers and performing this music gives us a lot of pleasure and satisfaction.
You also perform music that your dad composed, can you tell something about that?
My dad composed all his life (he died in 2000). He wrote a lot of music for winds, especially for oboe and English horn, and a great deal of piano music as well. He also wrote a grand opera that was performed during his lifetime. We love to play his music – it is extremely pleasant but has a distinctive flavor all its own. My father was a professor of Anthropology and Linguistics at Cornell University (very renowned in his field) and he wrote music only for his own satisfaction, not as a living. So he was able to write what he wanted and not be dictated to by the “market.” (Or lack of market!)
The Schumann Duo has made some very beautiful performances in SL. How is it to perform a duet in a virtual world? Are there some difficulties, and also is there any benefit of the virtual world as your musical stage?
My duo partner, Kahuna Schumann, is my Real LIfe husband. We have been performing together for a long time and we have a pretty active RL concert schedule. For us playing in Second LIfe is a bit like giving a “house” concert as practice for a Real Life public performance. Playing together is something we have been doing for fun every since we met and playing in Second Life seems like a natural extension of that. It is a great place to try out new stuff. I really like performing at my Second Life house. Often, we invite a few people over on the spur of the moment for little concerts. We are in the mood to play and we figure we might as well “share” it! We tend to prefer smaller and more intimate audiences anyway. As far as difficulties, once we figured out the streaming, the rest is a piece of cake!!
How do you find it different to perform for a RL live audience compared to the virtual world?
Well, for me the biggest advantage to Second LIfe is not having to worry about what to wear. I have played many concerts in my pajamas and to me that is absolutely heaven!! I feel super comfortable and relaxed. Another big advantage to SL is that I always use my own piano, which I absolutely love. In a RL concert I always have a new and different piano to deal with and they aren’t always wonderful (in fact they often aren’t). I own two amazing pianos – a Yamaha Disklavier and a Fazioli – and being able to give concerts on my own instruments is lovely! Also, my studio happens to have beautiful acoustics so that is another advantage to playing here and streaming to Second Life.
Do you see any other possibilities for musicians such as you in Second Life – besides just live performances? For example in fields of music education or something else?
Yes indeed. The fact that we can “talk” (through texting) WHILE we are listening is miraculous. I am very involved with the Music Academy Online and on Tuesdays at noon I give a little class called Sisi’s favorites. I stream my favorite CDs and talk a little about the music, or the performer. or the composer, or the performance. Mostly we just listen and chat about what we are hearing. People seem to just love this and appreciate it so much. I think the opportunities for music education in Second Life are enormous. I have many plans and ideas for different projects I would like to realize – some marathon listening sessions (such as all the 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas or all 555 Scarlatti Keyboard Sonatas) and also perhaps to teach some music theory which is one of my favorite things to teach. I also think with the proper video equipment, there is no reason someone couldn’t have some very worthwhile piano lessons! And we are talking about the possibility of having some master classes, which would be super exciting!
I have also been playing weddings here, which I just love doing and also doing some other solo concerts which is something I never do in RL, I perform only as a chamber musician. Also, in RL when we perform my husband does all the talking, but in SL I find that I am doing much more talking and I really like that! It has opened up many new possibilities for me, and I find that very exciting!
What is your most wonderful memory related to a music performance in Second Life?
I have especially loved playing with my sister (Suky Shostakovich) who plays the cello. Since we are the oldest and youngest of five siblings we didn’t get to play together much as youngsters (because of the age difference and the fact that I was out of the house by the time she became good enough to do much playing). Now for the first time, we are adults who live in the same city, and playing with her in SL and in RL has been a source of much pleasure for me. After the Bach birthday concert I played with her, several friends said the music made them cry. This means a lot to us – when people feel it deeply like that!
There are also short interviews, and you can hear Clarissima perform both solo, and with the Schumann Duo on the amazing SLCN TV shows produced by Music Academy Online, you can find them from the following links:
I know Sisi personally…and she is all of the above and more. On a personal note, she is one extremely funny, laughter-loving ..highly intelligent, down to the roots of the earth, easy, classical person. What a great interview of an extremely talented and generous contributor to the performing arts o Second Life. We are fortunate to have her here in our second lives………. Loved it!