From the Editor's Desk: I lose either way

Second Life Live Music Review
Written by Enniv Zarf (RL: Paul Kwo)
Metaverse Music

I hope everyone knows that I am not doing this for my own satisfaction cause I lose no matter what I write. (I'm writing this and then going back to reviewing. I took yesterday slower cause I got caught up with a few controversies that came about from my writing. I'm also having trouble with stream so I probably have to restart my computer to get it to work - it didn't and now I have to really figure out what's wrong. I also promise this will be one of my last rants for a while and really focus back on the music. I just need to have this here so I point anyone who have issues with me to just read this. They can do what they will after.)

First of all, I'm not jealous about anyone or anything in Second Life. I'm doing this out of my love of it, cause I love SL Music. Honestly not to boast or anything, but I'm on national TV and on major network TV shows and working on major blockbuster films. I am not jealous about anyone or anything in Second Life. Nothing to be jealous about. To me Second Life is a way to grow as an artist. It's a way to become better. It is however not a bubble to put ourselves in free form the rest of the world. I do not at all buy into the I'm in Second Life not Real Life so I get to live in a bubble. There is no such thing. If you want to live in a bubble, do something that involves no other human beings.

Second I am not out to get anyone. I lose either way with every review I write. I write a good review about someone, there are bound to be people who will get upset because I said he's good. I write a bad review about someone, there are bound to people who will get upset because I said he's bad. I don't win. There's no winning for me either way. I hope you all know that.

I only say what I observed. Observation is what it all is. Know what a review is, it's observations. Reviewers and critics observed and write what they observed. Artists should take it and leave it at that. And no you won't agree with everything that I observed but that doesn't mean I didn't observe them. What you should do is to see why I saw what I saw.

Do you know how many times I've been told myself I sound like...

...so and so. I have been told I sound like Keith Jarret and George Winston, both of whom I have never heard of before someone told me. I went and checked them out on itunes and online to see what they sound like. I don't think I sound like them in totality, and wasn't directly influenced by them. But perhaps somewhere down my musical journey I may have crossed something of theirs inadvertently and then somehow it got fused in. Or maybe I independently arrived at some of those similar ideas.

I've also been told who I look like and how I act like. I've been told I looked like an Asian version of Conan O'Brian. I am not even sure how to take that. But instead of getting upset or angry or whatever I ask myself why did they say that. What about me coveyed that. Is that something I want to continue to portray myself as? Is that something that really is a big deal? It's only as big of a deal as I make it. When I mention that to people, some of them would say oh yeah I can see that and tell me it's because I'm kinda tall, lanky and a little awkwardly quirky. Then I go, ah, so that's what it means to be an Asian version of Conan O'Brian. I learned something there.

I've even been told once when I performed something at an audition by the casting director I acted like someone I had no real idea is at all. In fact I can't even remember that name of the reference. I want to cause that's how I learn. I learn from understanding other people's observations of what I do both good and bad.

A wonderful drama teacher once told me, whenever someone gives you a critic, it's an observation and take it as that. They are neither right nor wrong, it's their observation. It has nothing to do with accuracy if I said he sounded like so and so and I heard such and such as long as I really did hear that. You don't have to agree with me. It's not meant as a compliment or an insult. It's just what it is, an observation.

So in the end I just want to say I lose either way. Every musician has supportive fans and jealous fans of their rivals I walked into this knowing this but why am I still doing this? I love Second Life Live Music and I am not jealous. Absolutely nothing to be jealous about. I know what I do and I know those who like me will like me. I also do know that I have a lot to lose cause I can turn off potential fans who may like my music if I didn't write something bad about someone they loved.

I don't want to ruin anyone. I want people to improv. Use those Second Looks and invite me back once you've improved. If you are serious about your music, that would be the thing to do. We are in a closed off environment. This is your chance to learn and grow and get some honest feedback. Trust me you fans are not telling you the truth, and they won't no matter how hard you try to pry it out of them. They feel supporting you is to tell you that you're amazing. I'm supporting you by telling you what you need to hear so you get your act better and move up and get more fans.

I don't want people to live in a bubble when it comes to their music. It's not safe. Every bubble burst. Mine was busted soon after high school and it hurts. There is truth to the higher you are the harder you fall. If you really love the artists you support, perhaps a little reality check once in a while isn't all that bad. The reality is the world is a huge place, there's a lot of music out there that puts even the best of us in here to shame. I point out everything here that I observe so everyone knows who they are and what they do and do them well. That's how you succeed in real life. It's really hard, and I had a lot of trouble doing that and am still working on it. It's a lifelong process really but very important. Know thyself everyone.

From the Editor's Desk: Who is Enniv Zarf?

Second Life Live Music Review
Written by Enniv Zarf (RL: Paul Kwo)
Metaverse Music

I think I need to make sure I have this down in writing here for everyone is my emphasis on Second Look.

First I want to say that I am an open book here. I want to be honest and give you my absolute honesty as much as I could afford without committing professional suicide. I do not have any problem with whatever you derive out of this article. It is for your reference so you know even better where I am coming from since these topics seems to keep popping up from discussions I had with various people.

A little about my experience of Live Music in Second Life. I used to attend very little concerts in Second Life because I used to think there's really nothing worth listening to here. And for the most part, a lot of that is true. There is nothing much that I can really gain in hearing one after another average or slightly better then average artists doing covers after covers. What would I gain from that? What would anyone with serious musical interest gain from that?

But I realized that deep beneath that layer of junk are gems that needs to be discovered and I can gain a lot from those people and so can everyone else too. But I used to rely a lot on other people who have attended a fair amount of concerts to tell me who's good and who's not. Although I love and respect all those people, most of the time I remained unimpressed. They were better then the junk I have heard, but they were not great. And on this note, please do not stop your research of these artists at my writing. You need to do your own homework. Reading my reviews only counts as a part of it. But if you judge an artist based solely on my one review of that person, then you are not being a good music fan.

When I first started this site, I really was...

...wondering if I would discover real gems. But I know there must be some since the world of Classical Music in Second Life has a few real shinning examples. But I wondered if I would be qualified to review all of Second Life live music since I wasn't all too active in the listening aspect of it even though I have performed a lot. At first I did only review Classical Music only because I didn't feel confident to review the rest. But what am I talking about, I am not a classical artist. Anyone who thinks what I play is classical has no idea what the world of classical music is. Elitist snobs who rejects anything new. I am not understating this as I do believe in this strongly. Point of clarification, I am referring to the world of Classical Music as a whole, not the one in Second Life. In fact the classical world of Second Life is a bit more embracing. However I will say I am pretty certain what some of those people are thinking even though they have never came out and said it to me. They don't respect improvs. They don't think improvs are legitimate classical music. Please note I am not thinking about anyone specific, but the numbers who show at my concerts is telling.

Don't think this is jealousy at all. I choose this path because it's what I believe in. I am stating this because I know what my music is about and who my audience is. I know where my marketing efforts are hampered and where it is strong. Many Classical music fans see improvs as non-classical. That's their opinion and they are entitled to that. And now you also know that I will voice my opinion on everything. I am guessing a lot of you feel like I have an agenda for Classical Music. But I really am just calling it out as it is.

On the other side of things, many pop music lovers who see my posting as freestyle piano improv assumes it's classical. I often wonder about that. A lot of my music has a film score quality to it, which is half classical and half pop. I use a lot of pop music chord progressions. I have been a church musician playing contemporary praise music all my life. I know how to read a fake book. I even took a few lessons in Jazz piano and Jazz voice. So occasionally some of my improvs have Jazz elements. And I even had a few semesters of world music history and sampled music from all over the world. I had a random conversation with someone one day and she mentioned Airyang (probably misspelled it here) and I knew that's a patriotic Korean Anthem because of the class I took. It was a part of my composition degree. I also grew up on Chinese Pop, mostly Canton Pop. I sing a ton of Canton Pop. I also did a musical theatre minor as a part of my undergrad studies along with a theatre minor. Yes while everyone did a safe minor to fall back on, my minors were just as shaky of a world to get into as my major was: Piano performance as an undergrad and Composition as a Master. So I know a lot of Broadway repertoire. I sing them, from Gershwin to Rogers and Hammerstein to Andrew Loyld Weber to Jason Robert Brown and Johnathan Larson. I listen to a ton of rock and Pop whenever I am driving. I can't stand listening to Classical in a car, it just ruins it. So I pretty much listens to Pop and alternative rock and like to sing them on occasion.

No I don't know all the facts and names of a lot of musicians. Mainly because these radios just pretty much stopped telling me who I just heard. But I do know a good deal, and what I do have is a good ear, a very good one I believe when I am not distracted. So I felt I do qualify to review music, all of music in Second Life. I doubt there are many other Second Life residents with this diverse of a background who's willing to review people and be in public scrutiny.

I also believe in having my real life identity out so that you can hold me responsible for what I am saying. I am not some guy hiding behind an avatar ripping other people apart. I am here, with my real identity to take a critical look at the music scene in Second life with a focus in Live and Original music. I am not at all interested in the Club and DJing scene.

So all this brings me to what I want to say about my reviewing technique and where I am heading.

I have a business plan. This is not something I randomly decided to run and go. Because if I didn't have this business plan of mine I will end up reviewing a couple people and then stop and all of it would end up being taken out of context. This site is a journey and none of the articles is an end on their own and I want to emphasize that no one should read one article and then think that's it. This site is designed to be read as a whole so that everyone will have a better understanding of the whole music scene in Second Life. But no where in my business plan is to deliberately sabotage a musician with a review that isn't what I truly believe and felt and I want to make that clear.

My first goal was to review a good chunk of artists right off the bat. I originally was thinking to review everyone first but I realized that if I wait too long before I start writing these kinds of posts and also to move to original music, I would have lost a lot of you. So now I have to work extra hard to balance the two together.

So my second goal is to review original music and find them. But I needed of course at least a good chunk of my first goal done before moving here. I can't dive right into original music if I have not talked a lot about the whole scene in general. I think having reviewed about fifty artists gives me that basis to start with original music.

But keep in mind that each post is one glimpse into an artists life. I don't ever claim that is all an artist have to offer in an article of about one thousand words. However I still have to do my critiques. And that is why the Second Look and even Third Look offer is absolutely paramount.

Between the lag and the lack or scattering of info for a lot of musicians and the massive amounts of distraction while being at a live concert, I will and do miss things. It is not possible for me to miss things like a song is an original or the title of it especially when the musician barely mumbles it once very quickly and then off he goes. It boggles my mind when they spend five minutes naming every name in the audience but when it comes to the name of their own music, they give it a splash of a mention and sometimes not even mention it's an original and off they go. With these kinds of performances, it's a little hard for anyone who hasn't been to ten or fifteen of that same person's concert to know. And there is no way I can go to more then two or three times of most people's concert when there are hundreds of musicians around. You cannot expect me to know everything about everyone. So if your profile and your websites have no listings of what your original tunes are, if you don't tell me what you are doing at your concert and assume everyone at your concert has been to all your other concerts, well that's all the information I am getting. That's what I will be reviewing. It's all a tricky balance, I know. Is it absolutely fair? Probably not. But if you can think of a better way for me to review everyone then by all means, please let me know! Right now I am prying through all your profiles, groups and websites, trying to listen to your live stream and then locate and possibly compare to your recorded originals and hope to find a match. All the while I'm also trying to write the review and answer people's IM's. I'm also trying to donate to you too, the ones I like. I am only human.

So I want to emphasize the importance of Second Looks and Third Looks. I do and will miss things and I am absolutely thankful for those of you who are understanding of what I am doing. I am always more then thrilled to be invited back to a Second Look. But if you do, please make sure you really know what you are doing. The last thing I ever want to do is to write a second negative review on someone because nothing has changed even though it may have in their minds. But I think that's also important to point out. I have had these same issues that I point out. I have times where I thought I changed it for the better, but it turned out the same or worse. Thank goodness I had teachers who were honest and told me. So please note that I am here in hopes of helping you to grow as an artist.

Seriously in truth no one should be too worried about what I am saying. I'm just a small time critic reviewing people in a niche Second Life market. Do you think if a record label wants you, what I have to say will make any difference? I would hope so, but the truth is I am just one person who has too much to say. If you are great, your fans and record labels will love you no matter what I said. If you are not, they don't need me to tell them, they already know. Again I do tell it as I hear it. I don't make up stuff. I don't lie. These are really what I felt and believed.

In the end, this is a journey of discovery for me. Anyone who reads a single post and then decides that's the end is completely missing my point. Sometimes I may review someone who is actually good negatively because of that one concert I went to. Sometimes I may review someone who is bad positively because also that one concert I went to. But rest assured if you point it out to me and suggest I take a second look, I will. I will catch it on the second time for sure. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. There is truth to that!

So I would go back and add updates to my reviews. You will see the original and what I updated. I can change my mind too. I am human and we all change our minds. But I will tell you my reasons for all that. I don't go back and erase things so you can all see the mistakes that I make. I got nothing to hide.

And of course sometimes updates are not enough and I will post new articles to clarify my positions and also to reexamine an artist. You don't have to be an artist to tell me to go and take a second look. If you are a fan and you think I was incorrect in my review, be it I was too nice or too mean, let me know! I will definitely take them all into consideration and check it out again. I promise I will catch it on the second time around if what you are saying is true!

So please do take advantage of these second looks. I am not here to get anyone. I am here to give people my honest opinion.

Well that's my rant for the day. I have been typing all night long to explain to some people what I was doing and now here. I will however release my first original music review here of another Second Life Musician, which also happens to be a sort of Second Look request!