“The best part of being a DJ is socializing, making people have a good time with the music they like, and…” Missy O’Donnell, better known as DJ Missy in the nightclub circuit, pauses, looking for the exact word.
“No, that’s all there is to it: a DJ is supposed to make others have a good time. That’s how the DJ gets their kicks,” she adds with a smile.
How do you get to become a DJ in Second Life?
“For starters, you need a decent computer, speakers, a good Internet connection, and a DJ tool like SAMS, MIXXX, or others. It also helps to have a program that can convert files on YouTube to MP3 to be used in your DJ tool,” she explains. “Oh, and if you’re going to use voice, you’ll need a microphone or headphones with a microphone, too.”
She checks something in her notes and adds,“The software I use is SAMS. I used to use MIXXX; it’s free and pretty good, but I like some of the features that SAMS has.”
So, you have to pay for SAMS. Is that expensive?
“Yes, I think now it has a monthly cost, but when I got it, I made a one-time payment for the program.”
“Oh, and you need a stream,” she adds hastily. “I almost forgot that! I use SHOUTcast, and I get it through a site in Second Life called StreamHood. It’s not too expensive, I think I pay L$25 per week for my stream.”
That’s a very reasonable price. But that is not all you need.
“Of course, you need music, too. I get my music now just from YouTube, so there’s no cost to download it. Something I think is important with the music is that I try to get clean versions from YouTube. Sometimes the official music videos have other things going on, like background sounds and talking, so I try to find the album version.”
DJ MISSY
PHOTOS: COCO ST GEORGE
Once you have your hardware, your software, and your music, what’s next? How do you prepare for a session?
“Oh, I love making my playlists. I spend time during the week moving a few songs over to the playlist for the week. Then the day before my set, I go through the list and move songs into place for the final playlist,” she reveals. “I make playlists that are several hours long for each session, so I always have plenty of backup music for whatever circumstance might arise.”
Obviously, the list must be flexible in case the audience makes requests.
“That’s right. I’ve got a folder with other songs, like VIP faves or songs that are traditional for the venue, and I move them over during the set to play them at the right time. On the other hand, there are times I get so many requests that a good part of my playlist doesn’t get played.”
much younger but really wasn’t that good at it. My husband is amazing with music and used to teach the piano to kids until the COVID pandemic; then he just decided to stop.”
“Oh, and I listen to music a lot for the story in the song. I have a lot of songs memorized because I love the stories in them, and I just don’t think music today has the same storytelling. But I still like the rhythm of music today.”
Then she takes a walk down memory lane, about her early times as a DJ.
She adds, “In an average twohours session, I usually play somewhere between 25 and 45 songs, depending on each one’s length. A lot of newer pop songs are only a few minutes long, but songs from the 70s and 80s can be 5 or 6 minutes long.”
For example, she specifies, “My list for last Saturday was seven hours long, but the set was only going to be two and a half hours long.”Making the playlists isn’t a hard chore. Especially if you like making them, as is the case with DJ Missy. She explains that she has in mind the playlist all week long, “but if you put it all together, I think I probably spend about 2 or 3 hours getting to the final playlist.”
“I think it’s fun. I listen to music while I get it ready so the time passes, and I like trying to make a playlist I think people will like,” she adds with a sweet smile.
No wonder DJ Missy has a personal connection with music in real life, as well.
“I’ve always loved music, almost all types and genres,” she explains. “I played the flute when I was
“When I came to SL, I had a friend who was a DJ, so we went once to a club called Zue Nightlife, and I joined to be a hostess there. My friend left SL not much later, and I hosted for a few other DJs— evenutally someone said I should try DJing,” she recalls. “So Zue gave me some help with MIXXX and the stream and with DJing, and I just started DJing there a couple nights a week. It was a really popular sim back then; I had a lot of fun, and it just became something I made part of my SL. That was some five years ago.”
“I give a lot of credit for my DJing to Betty Johnson in SL,” she continues. “She really helped me and talked to me a lot about things, and I took her advice and made my own things to add to it.”
“Right now, I DJ at BlackHouse two times a week, and at a club called Miktopia every other Sunday. Its owner, Mikhayla, is my oldest online friend.”
After all has been said and done, DJ Missy finds the best part of being a DJ is having the chance to help people have a good time. “I think I have the most fun when people hear a song I picked and say things like they love the song and haven’t heard it in a long time.”
“But all in all,” she adds, “it’s about spending time with friends and playing music for them, which is just the best part of being a DJ.”
A DJ gig also implies a financial aspect. How does DJ Missy handle that?
“Well, I really don’t DJ to make a lot of lindens. On my Wednesday night sets at BlackHouse, I don’t even use a tip jar— I just ask for any tips to go to the club as donations. I guess I make really good tips at the Saturday set, and I appreciate them all, but that’s not why I DJ; I DJ for fun and the tips are just a nice extra.”
Finally, DJ Missy has a piece of advice for those wanting to become a DJ: “Get involved in a chat with the crowd Just playing music and not being in the chat seems disconnected to me. Many times, chat has prompted me to find a song and play it outside my playlist, and I think people like that; besides, it gets everyone chatting and having fun.”
Okay everyone, I am having a hard time containing my excitement for today’s tour. I know that I was pretty much bouncing off the walls during our last exploration, but I may just be shooting to the moon and back at the place that we are heading to soon. Before I tell you where we’ll be off to in a bit and why I am stoked to be going there, I must advise that those who are into ghost hunting will want to have your equipment with you. Trust me. As you probably have guessed, we’re journeying to a location where spirits lurk. Those in the know are aware that I love all things spooky. So, I’m pumped that we will be traveling to a spot where it is just that. Now is probably a good time to tell you where we will be off to: we have been invited to check out Winchester Harbor! So, if you’re ready, then let’s go!
I apologize if I am about to sound like a broken record to those who have gone on my tours before. I just want to make sure the expectations for the people who haven’t are realistic. When I host explorations, I don’t take you to every point of interest on a sim; I think that it’s important for many reasons to find some of the spots on your own. Now that has been said, let’s mosey along to the first area that I want everyone to see.
Here we are at The River. While you may not think that it is anything spectacular, I feel that this space could be perfect for date nights or family picnics, as there is a firepit and a gazebo nearby. Sticking with the nautical theme, we’ll now go to the Blue Bay Swamp. One might believe that a place like this might not conjure up lovely images in your mind. But as you can see, this spot is actually quite charming. With a small home that features a wraparound porch and a clairsentient living room, I can envision many folks coming back here time and time again to enjoy this cozy yet vivid place.
Well friends, let us now go to the Mystery Mansion. As the name applies, this space holds many secrets
PHOTOS: IVOCENO ROSSINI
behind its frightfully cute walls. I have a feeling, though, that we will never discover what they are, as the ‘residents’ here are eerily quiet. We will now journey on to the heart of this sim, The Harbor. At The Harbor, you can grab a refreshing beverage at its bar and either sit by a window or on the dock and wave to the giant octopus. The Fortune Teller is very close to here; so why don’t we go pay them a visit next. It seems that the seer is not in today, but I am glad that we still got to see the cool area in which they do readings in. If you would prefer to design the future of your dreams instead of being told of what it will be, then we should go to the last spot of the day now: The Apothecary. For those who don’t know what an Apothecary is, it is a place to purchase herbs and other natural consumables to put into potions and include in spells. The Apothecary here features everything that I just mentioned a typical one having, as well as some books and a measuring instrument.
After I received the offer for us to visit Winchester Harbor, I had the chance to talk to the manager, Lilly Blackwood, about the sim. Ms. Blackwood explained to me that the place was gifted to her by her husband, so she decided to name it after him, while also creating her dream of a haunted location set in an eternal Autumn.
You really should plan a trip to Winchester Harbor at some point in the month of October if at all possible. Ms. Blackwood mentioned that a forest filled with some new inhabitants to the area will be debuting. I know that I will definitely be back to see that. Perhaps I will go again to the Mystery Mansion and see if the ‘housemates’ there will reveal the home’s story. Stay tuned...
he night is young on the good ship Summer Reign, a yacht-turned-dance floor. But this ship’s crew is different. They are dancers, partiers, and practitioners of good times, all under the guidance of DJ B Smooth.
As his stage name implies, Bryson Capellini is a DJ. “What’s so unusual about that?” you may say. After all, Second Life is full of DJs. True, but most are not like Bryson, who currently ranks as one of the most popular in the SL metaverse.
He wears his name as a badge of honor.
He added, “As an example, I would play, say, Al Green, and see the effects it had on my family.” He learned a lot from his self-taught childhood days.
“I saw how adults were excited if I played certain songs. That is how I learned to read a crowd, which I still do today.”
“Back in my day, the name ‘DJ’ was an honor, given to you by other DJs,” he says.
“I got my name, ‘Smooth,’ from the way I transition tracks,” the music mixer adds, as he prepares for tonight’s gig, expecting to draw— and this is not a typo —90 to 100 attendees. He learned his craft at an early age.
“I guess I started ‘DJ training’ around age 13,” DJ our house parties or when my parents were playing card games. I played the music from my mom and dad’s record collection.”
Fast forward to today, where his ‘family’ includes hundreds of fans from across the world. DJ B Smooth makes DJing seem easy. It is not. DJing is an art form that few have mastered. He is one of the few.
“Know your audience,” he adamantly proclaims. Each crowd at each gig has a unique collective personality. “This is more than just listening to music tracks. Get your audience engaged.”
In reading people, Smooth learned to sense people’s moods. “You may be having a bad day, problems in a relationship, or whatever,” he says. “I watch for signs in the local chat. I watch for gestures that give me a
He will test a song and gauge reaction.
“For example, if I play something from the 70s wild, I stay with that for a while and then move on.”
Lockwood
PHOTO: REIGN CONGREJO
PHOTO: CARA PAINE
PHOTO: REIGN CONGREJO
Another way of testing the audience’s mood is more direct. Just ask them.
Smooth notes, “During a gig, I will say, ‘if you’re feeling a vibe, put ‘1’ on the screen. If I see 1,1,1,1,1,1….I know I am being well received.”
“Of course, someone will also type a song they want to hear. I mix the request in with something I’m playing. This also lets them know I am doing this live, not prerecorded.”
Smooth notes, “It is easy to download someone else’s mix for an hour. There are some DJs that do that and pass it off like it is their own. I do not do that.”
The man of musical acclaim states that in addition to being a DJ, he is a student of the craft. “When I am not DJing, I am searching for music old and new to add to my set.” During his sets, many musical genres are presented: hip hop, funk, Motown, and beyond. But with great songs comes great power.
“Music is energy to people,” he says. If you harness that energy through the mix played, the audience loves you. Selecting the tunes that generate energy is key.
“Many DJs play top 100 music,” notes Smooth. “There’s nothing wrong with that, but we hear the Top 100 every day, all day, on the radio. I prefer to pull music you haven’t heard from in a while. I also like to play original songs that are examples of what is new.”
As a result, his audience demographics cover a broad range of young and old, men and women, because there is something for everybody. “I love seeing a young person’s face light up up the first time they hear the Temptations or Janice Joplin,” he says. “But most importantly, this is about the way the audience member feels during my set.”
He adds, “I want to know, do they feel the DJ appreciated them being here or was he just interested in the lindens? I am working for them to have a good time.”
PHOTO: CARA PAINE
Smooth also credits his hostess, Amir. “Like me, she wants our visitors to have a good time. Amir does not wear an auto greeter. She greets the person personally. She reaches out to each guest.”
The work is against all odds. Second Life’s dance clubs’ survival rates rival those of a catfish in a skillet. Smooth is the exception.
“This is not easy work,” he says. “It takes a lot of work, time, and energy. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. You have to love this, and I do.”
He also notes, “I never forget that I have a platform to inspire someone. I can help them take the edge off, release steam, or maybe briefly help them forget about troubling issues.”
During his startup, DJ B Smooth’s group was 150. Today it is almost 600. During the early days, crowds of 8 were not uncommon. Today crowds of 100+ are not uncommon.
His current venues include Cascade Skate Rink, Velvet Impression, The Grove, and Summer Reign, named for his wife, Reign Congrejo.
Don’t try this at home. Only a talented few have long lasting success. You may be smooth, but you’re not DJ B Smooth. Now appearing at a club near you, as the hits just keep on coming.
PHOTO: CARA PAINE
Cherishville, Fall 2024
Tuscan Hills 59 211 35
Photo: Twain Orfan
WALKING ON SUNSHINE ROCK YOUR RACK 2024
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, breast cancer is one of the leading health crises for women. 13% of women, and an ever-increasing percentage of men, will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. There is currently no known cure for breast cancer, and its early diagnosis is critical to survival. Therefore, early detection must be an option for everyone.
Rock Your Rack, the annual charity event supporting the work of the National Breast Cancer Foundation, is here in Second Life once again for its 12th season with the theme “Walking on Sunshine”.
This event is all about raising funds for early detection services for all in need. The founder of Rock Your Rack is Jamee Sandalwood, and she knows the importance of early detection. Jamee was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer at the age of 38, before breast cancer screening is covered for women in the US. Most insurance carriers only cover it under the age of 40 if there is a known family history, which Jamee didn’t have.
Since she was fortunate enough to have a fantastic health team that diagnosed and treated her quickly, she feels that her mission now is to provide the same opportunities to those who otherwise would not have many options. Every year, her labor of love, Rock Your Rack, runs 10 days in early October with the participation of designers, musicians, dancers, models, artists, and more all giving their time and talents for this great cause. Last year, they donated over $9,500 USD to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
This year’s event opens on Friday, October 2nd, and will close on Sunday, October 13th. There are over 60 designer booths, each with a limited-edition item, an exclusive event item, and a 10L hunt item, plus other items of the designers’ choice. The event features not only women’s fashion, but also home
Jamee Sandalwood
PHOTOS: JAMEE SANDALWOOD
So much can be done and seen this year, and we hope you will spend lots of time there to support the cause. Be sure to check out a concert on the main concert stage while you are there. It’s the best stage and light show on the grid, designed and built by the amazing Brad Tylman. The sim was built and decorated by Jamee Sandalwood with the assistance of Isobel Belfire.
Jamee is very humble and doesn’t like to get all the credit for all the work that goes into this event every year. She just hopes that people will come, enjoy the event, the sim, the fun and, if they can, support the work of the National Breast Cancer Foundation by donating into one of the donation kiosks around the sim, purchasing items from the vendors at the event, or by donating to the RL portal they have on their website. Together, we can make a difference.
BOSL FLICKR SPOTLIGHT
BOSL FLICKR SPOTLIGHT
PHOTO: WILLOW
PHOTO: SHINJEKYO
PHOTO: LOLITA PARAGORN
PHOTO: TASHA RAINFORD
BOSL FLICKR SPOTLIGHT
PHOTO: SERENA SNOWFIELD
PHOTO: WILLOW TEGAN TENBY
PHOTO: WILLOW FELIPE PEARL
PHOTO: PLEASURE Ó RIAGÁIN
PHOTO: DIMITRI VORTEX
PHOTO: WILLOW SASKIA RIEKO
PHOTO: WILLOW PHOTO:ROXAANE MISS FRANCE 2018
PHOTO: WILLOW EMERELLE CORE
PHOTO: GORBA MCMAHON
PHOTO: WILLOW MARK MIRROR
BOSL FLICKR SPOTLIGHT
RESTLESS ZOMBIES SEASONAL DELICACIES PREP!!!
PHOTO: WILLOW RUDHMELLOWEN LAGUNA
BOSL FLICKR SPOTLIGHT
RESTLESS ZOMBIES HELLO AND GOODBYE
PHOTO: SHIRLEY UBORSTEIN
PHOTO: WILLOW MARK MIRROR BOSL FLICKR SPOTLIGHT
RESTLESS ZOMBIES LONER
PHOTO: WILLOW T H O R N
RESTLESS ZOMBIES KISS ME BEFORE YOU LEAVE
PHOTO: JULLIETTE PARX
PHOTO: WILLOW MARK MIRROR BOSL FLICKR SPOTLIGHT
RESTLESS ZOMBIES JUST LIKE A PAINTING
PHOTO: WILLOW TASHA RAINFORD
PHOTO: ANAIS
PHOTO: WILLOW MARK MIRROR BOSL FLICKR SPOTLIGHT
THE CHANGING SEASON
PHOTO: WILLOW TABITHA SCHNYDER
BOSL Arts DANTE HELIOS
DANTE HELIOS
DANTE HELIOS
DANTE HELIOS
DANTE HELIOS
DANTE
HELIOS THROUGH OCTOBER 26 TH
@ BOSLARTS
Waterfront Cafe Gallery
Having been interested in Art for most of my life, it was initially the visual aspects of SL that attracted me and made me want to explore what it had to offer. Unlike landscape photography in RL, it is possible to control the light and even the landscape itself when making SL photos. So making my own Windlight settings has become a big part of how I work here.
There are two branches to my SL photography, landscapes and erotica. Both of these themes fascinate me and continue to bring me pleasuse in SL. I enjoy exploring beautiful sims and trying to capture the feeling of being there. I also enjoy seeing how women are far freer to express their sexuality in SL through their avis than they are in RL.
I've been in SL for many years now and am continuously inspired by the developing creativity of its artists and designers as well as some amazing people who I've met and befriended over the years.
Both strands of my work can be seen more fully on flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/133213823@N02/
BOSL FASHION TREND fashion forward HALLOWEEN
BOSL FASHION TREND
PHOTO: STEVIE BASEVI
MODEL: MILA BLAUVELT
BOSL FASHION TREND
PHOTO: NÉMESIS
MODEL: ADONIS HANSOME
BOSL FASHION TREND
PHOTO: TIYIALIC
MODEL: AVAJEAN WESTLAND
BOSL FASHION TREND
PHOTO: JAMEE SANDALWOOD
MODEL: DRESDEN COUERBLANC
BOSL FASHION TREND
PHOTO: TIYIALIC
MODEL: ISSY FLATLEY
BOSL FASHION TREND
PHOTO: STEVIE BASEVI
BOSL FASHION TREND
PHOTO: NÉMESIS
MODEL: LOLITA PARAGORN
BOSL FASHION TREND
PHOTO: TIYIALIC
MODEL: LUA VENDETTA
BOSL FASHION TREND
PHOTO: NÉMESIS
MODEL: NÉMESIS
BOSL FASHION TREND
PHOTO: STEVIE BASEVI
MODEL: SELENE TAKEDA
CREDITS FASHION STYLE
CARD
MILA BLAUVELT MOVIE: LADY CRUEL
Skirt | Lana -The Clara Gown
Shoes | Pure Poison - Nova Socks and Sandals
Hair | Truth - Void
Makeup | Slackgirl - BOM EvoX 39
Puppy Hand | Marketplace - Dalmation Puppy
ADONIS HANSOME MOVIE: CRUELLA
Shirt | Chrno - Sum 24 nost zebra
Pants | Noche - Latex Leggings
Cape | Amadeus - Cruella
Shoes | Cult - Silas
Gloves | Real Evil - Slick
Glasses | Since1975 - RiRi
Hat | Vesta - Euri
AVAJEAN WESTLAND MOVIE: HELLRAISER
Dress | Madame Noir - Aramis Gown
Helmet | The Forge - Spiked - Silver
Shoes | Gos - Chastity Spiked Pumps - Pony
Collar | Deranged - Hundred Needles Collar
Jewelry | Bunk - Nose Spikes
Nails | Lepunk - TransBlack Needle Nails
DRESDEN COUERBLANC - MOVIE: AMERICAN PSYCHO
Top | Deadwool - Sean Jacket (duke - pin cerulean) and Vest
Bottom | Deadwool - Sean Trousers duke Bag | Abbs-olute Brat - Men's Power Bag
Eyewear | Zoom - Clubber Glasses 2021
Outwear | Archivefaction - Hurricane Trench Coat
Footwear | Sixis - Keith Loafers
Hair | Modulus - Gary Hair
Accessories | Contraption - Dapper Dandy's Gloves
Makeup | Emerged - Face Blood Splatter
Props | Pixel Art - Hatchet
ISSY FLATLEY MOVIE: SAW
Tie | V8 Underground - Jigsaw Tie
Jacket | EK - Gloria V Neck Jacket
Shirt | V8 Underground - Jigsaw Gloves and Shirt
Pant | Ghee - Keira Pants
Shoes | Cult - Aniyah
Hair | Truth - Arden
Makeup | Scratch - Jigsaw Makeup
JONELLEDEVONSHIRE RESIDENT MOVIE: SCREAM
Bodysuit | Dernier - Christy Hooded Bodysuit Black