Musimmersion
“…I wish for you eyes that can see inside, a soul that’ll never hide from the truth you can’t deny…”
~ Grace McDunnough, “Wish For You”
Up until now, I haven’t mentioned Musimmersion ’09 on my blog. It wasn’t an oversight, but merely a lack of ability to translate my feelings into words regarding the topic. But time, as they say, is short, and the tale, she needs telling.
Musimmersion - Wish For You
So what is it? Put simply, Musimmersion is an audio-visual virtual performance art experience, conceived, constructed and performed by my beloved siren, Grace McDunnough. Oh, wait, there’s nothing simple about that. If you’re of my generation I could explain to you that it’s a concert held in oldskool MTV style via a diorama Disneyland ride, but I think that’s even less helpful.
The first Musimmersion launched in September of 2007 (I wrote about it here on Linden Lifestyles). It was then, and remains now, the kind of project SL should be about. Creative builds. Live music. Art. Poetry. Expression. It’s the type of experience that reminds you this little wonderland we play in isn’t just about blind consumerism.
You begin your journey in the welcome area where Gothtastic Glamor Grace greets you from within her oversized vintage TV. Generally Noelani Lightfoot, me, or a combination of the two of us herd cats — erm, I mean, help get guests to read the provided notecard, set their preferences for optimized viewing, and usher them into the special carriage seating required to escort the group through the different builds. There is a little radio noir piece that plays so that attendees can verify their parcel streaming is enabled and working. Once everyone is in place, Grace then begins to broadcast her performance and move her captive audience through the Musimmersion campus.
This Musimmersion sequel features ten all-original songs, each with their own individual sets. The music is performed and composed entirely by Grace. Eight of the tunes feature lyrics penned by me. All of the sets, except one, were constructed by Grace herself utilizing a combination of grid-gathered art pieces and her own building skills. One set, that of our collaborative song “Plain Jane and Proud Elizabeth” Grace generously trusted me to build when I asked to please be allowed to participate. I am ever humbled and honored that she continues to let me dip my toes into the creative waters of her talent, and cannot help feeling intimidated by the responsibility of measuring up to the standards she sets by just being herself. As a poet, I cannot imagine a more rewarding gift than hearing her warble my words and it is a particular flavor of joy I never get tired of sipping.
Lest I give you the wrong impression, please do not look at this as any sort of collaboration project. Whatever teeny part I get to play is but a single drop in a vast sea. Musimmerion is the blood, sweat, and tears of a single woman — our Ms. Grace; it is a showcase of her amazing talent and it is the sort of thing that makes me ever proud to adore her shamelessly and call her my friend.
You may have picked up on this, but let me state for the record, this is not my most objective entry. Judge me if you must, but until you’ve heard the lady you cannot understand the effervescent intoxication of lullaby she wraps your senses into. She is melty melty chocolate and caramel flavored kisses in aural form and I honestly don’t believe I’ve yet recovered from the first time I heard her. With any luck, I never will.
It is not all sweet syrup and morning pancakes, however. Logistically, Musimmersion is a somewhat fickle and rather nutty menopausal bitch. There are only 20 seats available per hour-long performance and each audience member needs to arrive with enough time to check their settings and take their seat prior to launch time. This procedure sounds simple, but it just flies in the face of all that is SL. Let’s face it. We go where we want, when we want, and take whatever (and, often, whoever) we want along the way. Stores do not have shop hours, if an event is public, you show up whenever the hell you want. RL concepts like waiting around for an event (let alone being on time for one) just confuses the synapses.
Generally, when Grace does closed or invitation-only performances things go somewhat smoothly, but opening them up to general admittance has been a bit of an…adventure. Still, Gracie says she plans to continue to run semi-regular performances through mid-July and if you want to catch a set, you’ll want to IM her and get your name on the roster for one of the remaining runs. The next one is this Thursday, I believe, but you can always check the OFFICIAL SITE for dates and times. Alternately, you can IM her for an invite to her group or follow her on twitter and keep an eye out for announcements.
It should be mentioned, and repeatedly, that Musimmersion is hosted on the SIM of Blank Canvas on space maintained and provided generously by our kilted and much-adored friend, Sean McPherson. Sean is one of the nicest fellows you ever did meet (honestly, I didn’t know they still made this model — it’s enough to restore your faith in mankind) and invites other artists whose creative ambitions might be bigger than their current prim allowance to apply for space on his SIM where they can unveil their artistry to others.
For More Information:
Grace McDunnough’s Official Site
Musimmersion’s Official Site