Recent dispatches from the outside world...
"So, what are you doing on Christmas Day? I'll be going to the movies..." [Ackland's Myspace blog]
Winston Ackland isn't sure how the editor of Marley & Me, the upcoming movie based on the beloved man-and-his-dog memoir, first heard his music. Maybe it was in Second Life, where Winston is a regular live performer, or "Maybe he had the CD just laying around there or something." However he did, Mark Livolsi selected Ackland's bassa nova cover of Nirvana's "Lithium" during the post-production process. "It's common for editors to put music against picture as a sort of placeholder. Sometimes, as in this case, the music sticks."
Which is why Winston Ackland's performance will wind up in the Owen Wilson/Jennifer Anniston film opening this Christmas, one of Hollywood's biggest release days. As such, this represents one of the most prominent breakthroughs for an unsigned artist who devotes much of their career to performing in Second Life.
Unlike Von Johin, the blues performer whose avatar was signed with a real world record label earlier this year, Ackland says he'll list his real name in the movie's credits. "I guess I'm sort of outing myself in SL with this, aren't I?" he muses to me.
Ackland didn't originally come into Second Life to perform music, he tells me. "I love the idea of wandering a virtual world that isn't all about killing, etc. And I like to build." Last January he discovered the metaverse music scene, and after learning to stream audio, has been performing ever since, earning part of his income through tips. "I'm certainly in it more
for the music and the connection to the people I meet in-world than the
money," he says, laughing, "But I do like the money."
Winston Ackland knows many musicians like him who promote themselves in-world, many
who merge their identities. By contrast, "I have maintained distance
between Winston and real life, figuring that the wall between the two
would fall down on its own some day." For him, that date just happens to be this Christmas on thousands of movie screens.
Ackland's Second Life-centric Myspace page is here. His CD Baby disc featuring his real life name and his dreamy, quirky take on Kurt Cobain's depressive alt-rock classic, is here.
Image credit: Ackland's Myspace page. Thanks to Jura Shepherd for the tip!
Woot! Congrats Winston, from the T of the T&A :) Big love xx
Posted by: Toxic Menges | Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 01:11 PM
Congrats Winston and Sesi
Posted by: Delinda Dyrssen | Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 01:20 PM
HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE!
Posted by: Doubledown Tandino | Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 01:33 PM
From the A of Wins' T&A :)
CONGRATS, ACKLANDS!!! <3 you :)
Posted by: Annunziata Macchi | Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 02:17 PM
Definite congratulations to Winston! But my question is: who'd dumping the sack of hammers on his head in that photo (grin)?
Posted by: Harper Ganesvoort | Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 08:13 AM
lots of adds on myspace
on this site: http://tinyurl.com/6hv3qq
Posted by: megamega | Thursday, October 23, 2008 at 03:36 AM