SLMC

Demure Tones · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Posts: 4

...about those who sing to backing tracks (mostly karaoke)? *blushes with shame*

RayW · Joined: 05 Sep 2007 Posts: 563 Location: Twin Cities, MN

... in truth ... I'm jealous!

I think the audiance, in general, likes a good tune and a good time. If that's through great vocals to backing tracks, I'm all for it.

In fact, I have three songs that I use my own BT for the instrumentals because i simply can not play them on guitar to any great effect.

But, I really love playing my 12-string. So, that's what I do for most of them.

Good question. Smile

EDIT: Oh, no need for shame. Doing what you love is good. Doing what you love well is GREAT!
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ticious · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 2085 Location: Chicago

Is a beautiful and well trained voice not considered an instrument? And perhaps the most unique, personal and intimate of all instruments? Okay, I'm not a musician, I'm a listener (the person you're performing for Wink

) but I truly do admire vocalists as well as guitarists, pianists, musicians who compose electronically (is there an 'ist' for this type of musician yet), drummers, saxophonists, violinists. . . . . . okay, made my point. Moving on now.
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elvisduffy · Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Posts: 192

I happen to enjoy the authenticity of live playing. Maybe cause I'm a guitar man. Even tho I'm strumming electric here on SL I enjoy the acoustic strums even more. My opinion is worth only what you play for it. Laughing

The good side is the groove is solid. Somehow canned background vocals go against my ideas of live. However, looping artists who do live looping are a lot of fun.

To grab me with a backing track I'll really want to hear you personality shining through.
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Norris Shepherd · Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:41 pm Post subject:

Heya Demure. Nice to meet you.

I would suggest reading through previous posts in this forum. This issue has been hashed and re-hashed and re-told and re-thought and re-cycled LOTS here. Smile

Here's a summary: Some people don't care, some people do.

If it's what you want to do, then do it. Those who prefer live musicians will go to those shows instead. Smile

I'll keep an eye out for you in-world.

EvaMoon · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 454

The important thing is to bring something unique to each song. Using karaoke tracks can make that challenging in that they don't let you recast the original arrangements. So it takes a little more effort on your part to put your own self into it and make it something other than a reprise of the original. Also think about the show as a whole - not just the songs. What kind of stories are you telling with the songs? What do they mean to you? People want to connect and be pulled in.

Check out Kim Seifert for an example of someone who does this well.
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ticious · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 2085 Location: Chicago

Silas Scarborough · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 1184 Location: Rhode Island

If Kim Seifert didn't use karaoke / back tracks, I'd never have heard her sing and we never would have made a recording together.

Make no mistake that people will slam you for using back tracks and they'll call it karaoke if they are going for blood. Kim has taken a great many of the beatings for you so I doubt it would be so bad starting out now but they did some pretty evil stuff to her.

What the hell, here's a bit more detail as this damn sure should not be forgotten. There was a period in which virtually every gig she tried to do for us was attacked by griefers. In almost two years, I've been griefed in a set only once. For her, the griefing was happening virtually every day and sometimes more than once. Sure, other places were getting griefed but the attack on her was personal and relentless and, to my knowledge, it wasn't happening to anyone else.

I've seen this lady almost crack from what they were doing to her in a set but someone in the audience would offer another place to play and Kim, through her tears, would grab the mike and the show would go on at the new place. Paid her dues? Man, you're damn right she did!

The Lindens seem to have been doing something in the background about griefers as there hasn't been that much going on lately so please don't take this message as an attempt to scare you as that's not my intention. What I would like to do is congratulate Kim on having the heart to get through all that and make it safe(r) for those who came after her.

P.S. I have no idea who 'they' might be. 'They' are the people who make you take your shoes off when you get onto airplanes, put Republicans in the White House, put those stupid labels on mattresses, etc. You know, they!
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Zak Claxton · Joined: 16 Oct 2007 Posts: 2008 Location: Podul/33/243/154/

It's fine. Do whatever it is your audience likes. Have fun. Smile

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vonjohin · Joined: 19 Sep 2007 Posts: 458 Location: Nashville, TN

I personally am not interested in playing to backing tracks, which is why I chose to do acoustic blues here. Ironically, I have probably 8 electrics for every acoustic I own (I know, its a disease). I don't use an electric, because I don't want to play to backing tracks because I find them personally to be limiting or impossible for spontaneous and extended improvisation, they require some level of set-list planning, and it just doesn't appeal to me to sing and play guitar over them, electric or acoustic.

It would not matter to me if I recorded the tracks all myself, or if they were original multi-tracks of the artist I was covering. I just don't personally want to, so I don't. I do have some incredible bootleg multi-tracks, it's tempting, but if for instance, I tried to sing Killer Queen, it would be comical at best!

I don't know anyone who out of hat dismisses those who use backing tracks, loopers, drum machines or anything else in a negative way, because of their use of those tools.

What I have I've heard is some ugly comments about some who use backing tracks who in turn sound like karaoke night performers because they can't sing, can't hit a note, the song is in a key that they can't hit and it didn't occur to them to change it, they can't sing in time to the track, and their performances show them to be what they are, karaoke singers performing in SL.

There are plenty of them, let's be honest. That said, there are plenty of "karaoke" live instrument players in the same league. It takes all kinds to make the world go around. For many, Second Life is the first time they have ever actually performed in their lives "in front of an audience." They are hobbyists, having fun, chasing a dream and there is nothing wrong with it. Nothing. At all. Period.

I don't feel negatively toward a great singer giving a great performance to a backing track and cut them down because they use a backing track.

In short, if somebody is dismissive of a great singer because that singer uses a tool like backing tracks, that somebody is a tool. Smile

On the other hand we all know what suck means subjectively to each of us when we hear it, and it would happen with or without a track.