CNN covers Second Life music scene – is the media softening their attitude?

I’m a little late picking up this article, but CNN published a piece last month about the music scene in Second Life. There are a few things to be taken from this and first I see being a sign that the media is calming it’s attitude towards SL. Since 2007 it’s become the cliche to knock Second Life as overratted and passe. Scores of blogs have questioned whether or not Twitter is the “next Second Life,” using the virtual world as a derogatory term. Interesting then, that CNN would be writing a positive article about it and the power of its music scene.

Hey, I’m all for it. Virtual worlds are the next step in how we navigate the web. Second Life may end up being what MySpace is to social media, but for now there is nothing else like it thus far and the community is still thriving. In January 2009 the Gartner Hype Cycle for social virtual worlds was published, suggesting that Second Life would suffer an inevitable media backlash continuing downwards while more focused applications were created and matured. 2009 is the turning point in this chart, and I think this article is supportive of the cycle’s hypothesis.

SL musicians are offered an alternative venue

Once again, I think the reporting in this article was great and really points out what makes a live music performance on Second Life unique and special. There is a lot of talent in the world, and great bands with a lot of skill go unnoticed every day. It’s hard to promote live shows and generate support without a great amount of effort on the artist’s part. Even if you upload your totally rad music video on YouTube doesn’t mean anyone is going to watch it. Everyone has an opportunity in SL with such a niche community, and stay at home moms, older folks, and the disenfranchised can perform for audiences they would never see in real life or have the time to develop.

Chase Straight, Music Community Manager