Dolmere Talamasca - Second Life "resident"

Cylindrian Rutabaga: They introduced me to SL and well came in about the same time... where we met Frogg Marlowe on our First Day
Dolmere: I'm most familiar with Mel, though I believe I've seen at least one set by Russell.
Cylindrian Rutabaga: hahahah... oh yes
Cylindrian Rutabaga giggles
Cylindrian Rutabaga: So we all came in SL in January of this year, 2006. We started broadcasting shows at a place called The Gathering, on Iris... each doing a 30 or so minute set
Dolmere: So the four of you joined together to perform in the beginning?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: yes, we were all introduced to SL by a lady named Wisper Amos...she had heard us in the other chat program and informed us about SL
Cylindrian Rutabaga: actually, I believe, Neil and Russell were the first of our group in

Dolmere: What was the other chat program?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: PalTalk
Dolmere: So PalTalk is just an audio chat program? No avatars or visual representation?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: Correct, there are no avatars at all... just audio rooms where we'd raise hands to take turns at the mic to do one song each
Cylindrian Rutabaga: sound quality is not nearly as clear as SL... but the responses from the listeners are immediate. They're real time, there's no delay
Dolmere: Nice, the delay is a bit of a... problem... that still needs to be solved
Cylindrian Rutabaga: Depends on what I'm using, I have found the delay not to be as bad since broadcasting on my new laptop and using the FireWire External Soundcard

Dolmere: What artists would you say you are most influenced by?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: hmmm... I believe I'd have to say Patty Griffin inspires me tremendously because of her life story and her depth of songwriting... and she's a redhead
Cylindrian Rutabaga: I admire women who have gone through difficult and challenging experiences... and do something productive with that history, and use it as a way of helping others... for that fact, Tori Amos is also a great influence.
Dolmere: Have any Second Life artists influenced your original music since you have started playing and listening here?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: Why yes, as a matter of fact, they have... Juel Resistance has influenced my songwriting a great deal as of late because of her rawness and writing about those things that people generally can't put into words... raw emotion songs
Dolmere: During many of your sets you play cover songs in medley format. Can you tell us more about that?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: I enjoy the flow to a performance... and taking the listener on a journey of sorts... I tend to not like breaks in the feel of the songs... especially on the piano... I tend to pick songs that are easily moved into without having to transpose the key and allowing the listener to just sit back and soak it all in uninterrupted... unless, of course, I start giggling.
Cylindrian Rutabaga: The piano is my premiere instrument and the one I can do some solo "fills" on whereas the guitar... I feel I'm limited by lack of experience. One day I'll get there. ;)
Dolmere: What gave you the idea?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: I think it came from my own need to just play non-stop.... and seeing what songs I could fuse together was a challenge that I thought would be really interesting to try.
Cylindrian Rutabaga: Honestly, between songs, I have no idea what to say... and it's easier just to speak in musical form for me.
Cylindrian Rutabaga: So a combination of those two things. :)

Dolmere: Get technical - what does your setup look like to allow you to stream into Second Life?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: OK... the setup has changed now... that I have some new equipment.
Cylindrian Rutabaga: The mic/keys/guitar are hooked into a Motu Traveller... which then runs through a small reverb processor... back into the Motu then into the laptop via a FireWire connection... all through SimpleCast/SAM Broadcaster into THE WORLD!!!!
Dolmere: nice
Cylindrian Rutabaga: I'll be testing the new laptop and Motu Traveler tomorrow night when I play at Jittery Joe's and broadcast into Muse Isle in SL via Phreak Radio....
Dolmere: Continue getting technical - what does your setup look like in order to simulcast from say Jittery Joe's coffe shop (a local venue that you have played live at)?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: OK... here's the set up. The keys/guitar/mics will be hooked into my Behringer Mixer... running into the room via the main speakers... then I connect from the moniter output on the mixer into the Motu Traveler into the Laptop via the Firewire Connection into Simplecast and then THE WORLD!!!!
Cylindrian Rutabaga grins
Dolmere: Have you been playing out in local clubs besides the occasional Jittery Joe's appearance?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: I play Joe's once a month... so that's my one regular show... then if I get invited I'll appear at Smiths Olde Bar on their Singer/Songwriter Expo nights
[13:53] Cylindrian Rutabaga: I just received an e-mail from a coffeeshop in the Raleigh/Durham area, The Royal Bean... they want me to come there Jan 13th to do a show/broadcast
Dolmere: Nice
Cylindrian Rutabaga: Yes, I still have to see if I can work that one out. :)
Cylindrian Rutabaga: I'll be going up to Minneapolis soon... tho'

Dolmere: What inspires you musically and lyrically? When does the muse speak to you the most?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: Oh my goodness... many things inspire me. Nature mostly... I love the outdoors, creation, life, beauty, innocence, those things inspire me... but also... those darker parts of life as well... need a place to go.... so I am also inspired by tragedy, sorrow, ugliness, pain.
Cylindrian Rutabaga: I have tended to use music and songwriting as a way of coping with those darker parts of life... and thinking out loud.... songwriting helps me to process life.
Cylindrian Rutabaga: My hope is that others will find understanding in the songs... and see they are not alone in some of those things. Circumstances may be different... but honestly what does that matter in the end.
Dolmere: I've heard you tell some stories about how some of your original songs came to be. Would you share some more detail with us?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: I'll talk about "Song for Mothers"... which is on my CD. That tells the story of 3 women in my life, 3 "mothers", my REAL mom who suffered through a divorce that was incredibly painful (and how I coped with that was to go to the mountains... nature...)
Cylindrian Rutabaga: the second is my "adopted mom", Melba, who's son, Christian was murdered 4 years ago in Atlanta, for $20.
Cylindrian Rutabaga: the third is my Mother in Law, who's husband committed suicide and she essentially "died" that day herself....
Cylindrian Rutabaga: it is a song about coping and giving yourself time to "feel" those things that are painful... and to encourage them that there is Life after Death, hope after times of hopelessness
Dolmere: That's going to come across funny posted to my blog as an ending to that touching story. My readers can cope with it.
Cylindrian Rutabaga: ok...?
Dolmere: The Life after Death part... given my militant atheism.
Cylindrian Rutabaga: ooooooh... I'm speaking from the.... point of view as LIVING in LIFE itself after the loss of someone else.
Dolmere: :) All good, hon, I'm just playing as usual. I use humor in odd places of course.
Cylindrian Rutabaga: Oh... yes... the humor in odd places... I got ya... I just wanted to make sure you didn't misunderstand what I was saying... due to my long-windedness (long-typiness)
Cylindrian Rutabaga grins

Dolmere: Do you rehearse/practice offline or mostly keep your "chops" up form in-world and live performances? How much do you practice during a given week?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: I practice ALL the time, actually... tho', sometimes I may use SL performances as rehearsals to try out new material, but I tend to want to keep SL Performances as near to real life shows as possible. I like my songs to be refined and not experiemental... unless of course I SAY "by the way... I'm experimenting with this song... tell me what you think" kind of thing.
Dolmere: Who are your favorite Second Life musicians?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: Frogg Marlowe and Jaycatt Nico, Mel Cheeky, Juel Resistance, Lyndon Heart, and Fflewddur Llanfair
Dolmere: What is your favorite venue to play in Second Life?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: why the Shelter of course.....
Cylindrian Rutabaga: ;)
Dolmere: haha
Cylindrian Rutabaga: and Muse Isle
Dolmere: The Shelter in Exile thanks you for the plug.
Dolmere: How do you decide on specific cover songs?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: If a song moves me then I want to learn it
Cylindrian Rutabaga: pretty simple, eh?
Dolmere: pretty simple
Cylindrian Rutabaga: Think that was the shortest answer I've ever given
Dolmere: Does it have to move you far? Across the street? Take the building with it? (There's that silly humor thing again. Reminder to self: if you have to explain it, it's not funny.)
Cylindrian Rutabaga: Hmmm sometimes it can cause near spontaneous combustion but when I feel the fire in my toes, I take a shower

Dolmere: What are your personal favorite songs from your set?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: Wow... my set changes a lot these days with the introduction of newly written songs.
Cylindrian Rutabaga: favourite songs....would have to be ...lately..
Cylindrian Rutabaga: St. Theresa by Joan Osbourne, She...one of my own....and
Cylindrian Rutabaga: Song of the Sparrow...one of my new ones
Dolmere: I've not heard you cover Joan Osborne but I warn you I may faint if I do. How cool is that!
Cylindrian Rutabaga: hahahaha...that's great...hopefully I do her song justice.
Dolmere: That's a great song too
Cylindrian Rutabaga: I'll look for the pile of bones on the ground as an indicator of whether or not its good
Dolmere: What are your thoughts on the current state of live music in Second Life?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: Oh wow... it's INCREDIBLE!!! Actually... I find myself so busy with my own work that I get surprised when I hear of a new Musician in SL... I really want to hear Maximillion Kleene, I've heard wonderful things about him
Cylindrian Rutabaga: A lot of Musicians in SL have come from PalTalk so I'm familiar with them already... and try to make it to shows when I can.
Dolmere: Your giggle is beautiful. Do you find a lot of humour in life?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: Absolutely... even at the most inopportune times I find humor...tho', I generally have to explain myself later

Dolmere: What are your strongest traits?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: I don't know that I'm really strong... maybe perseverance? I get really focused and even when getting knocked back I tend to jump up and keep going
Cylindrian Rutabaga: I went rock climbing... and couldn't QUIT... you know? HAD to make it to the top, tho it about killed me.
Dolmere: What are your long term goals?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: To support my family doing something that I love, making music and to live life to its fullest... and show my kids that you can dream big and make it happen.
Dolmere: When I was putting my questions together I asked some of your friends and mine if they had any questions to add
Cylindrian Rutabaga: uh oh
Dolmere: I usually do that in case someone has a burning question
Cylindrian Rutabaga: you're asking for trouble sometimes with that one
Dolmere: This one is from our friend Cainin Griffith: what color underwear is she wearing?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: AHAHAHAH
Cylindrian Rutabaga: Cainin is hilarious... always making me laugh....
Cylindrian Rutabaga: I tend to match my underwear to my outer clothes

--Here's an upskirt to see if she's lying--

--Her glitch pants didn't reveal anything so let's try a down blouse shot--

Dolmere: He's a funny guy, I like hanging out with you two when possible :)
Cylindrian Rutabaga: oh yea

--OK, feeling guilty about upskirting Cylindrian here's an upskirt of yours truly--

--Here's a down blouse to round things out for you--

Dolmere: Anything else you would like to share with the 2.5 people who read my blog?
Cylindrian Rutabaga: yes... thank you to the 2.5 people who read Dolmere's Blog... you've made my life 2.5 people um.... what am I trying to say... um... BETTER?
Dolmere: :)
Cylindrian Rutabaga: haahaha
Dolmere: haha
Cylindrian Rutabaga: oh, and I
Cylindrian Rutabaga: am
Cylindrian Rutabaga: a
Cylindrian Rutabaga: dork
Cylindrian Rutabaga: hahahah
Dolmere: You are, but we love you for it
Dolmere: Thanks much for your time today Cylindrian - always a pleasure talking to you
Cylindrian Rutabaga: absolutely, Dolmere... you are a joy.
Cylindrian Rutabaga: and thank you to you and the others at The Shelter in Exile for this fine venue and support of Live INDIE Musicians in SL.