Stay Home and Go Out!
The music didn’t die from Covid, but live entertainment did.
Cambodians know what it is like for the music to die, all the music and all the musicians. Back in the 1970s, the Khmer Rouge knew that artists were their natural enemy, their biggest threat in the long run. So they killed them. Every one they could find.
Only a few musicians survived and they are celebrated today when their songs are played, especially in remote parts of of the country where Cambodian people haven’t heard their own music for two generations. Even if it takes the Khmer Magic Music Bus long hard hours over ‘roads’ that are also ‘streams to get there.’
But now it’s: Covid-19, Performing Artists-0.
The Virus is dominating and unless people take some creative risks and try new channels, we will all have lost something precious.
What if you’re not John Legend or Lady Gaga or someone with rock star resources? I mention them because they have both used VR in or as live performance. John Legend in particular has produced fully immersive VR stories with spatial audio sound tracks.
What if you’re just a person who knows some musicians in Southeast Asia and knows how to schedule an event in AltspaceVR, one of the most popular social VR platforms? Is it a slam-dunk to put on a show?
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Not exactly.
In truth, there are other ‘just a person’ artists of various types who are performing in VR now and using some form of virtual tip jar to derive a meager income from it.
One person doing stand-up comedy? That’s pretty easy, technically.
One vocalist with an instrument? Now two sounds have to be mixed and the right levels need to be produced. The VR Headset microphone does OK with vocals, but the guitar or other instrumentation will not be picked up well.
It’s the same problem when more artists and instruments are added. Every audio source needs its own microphone, which needs to connected wirelessly or with a cable into an external audio mixer. Audio Mixers are easy to come by. There are electronics stores in Phnom Penh where we could get what we needed for under $100.
But how do you get the sound into VR? Headsets are the only way into the virtual world, so how do you get the sound to the headset?
With software of course, desktop PC software designed to take mixed audio into the form VR wants, as if someone were saying it into their headset.
Voice Meter is the software. Everyone is using I think, including John Legend.
Then what? There is only one way out of the PC and into VR — through that Headset, specifically a Headset like the Oculus Quest with a cable designed to connect to a PC.
It doesn’t look that difficult but it’s fussy and we were constantly missing the right connector or the right laptop. I say ‘we;’ in fact, I was in the U.S., about 5,000 miles away from the live musicians and helpers setting up mixers and looking for cables.
We felt completely present with each other at our rehearsals, which was half the reason I’m doing this production in the first place. Rehearsals are the same in any world, lots of waiting around, lots of chilling. I love hanging out with them. When things don’t work right, they keep their cool, and plug away at it. I couldn’t do much to help, though, because even though I was with them I wasn’t with them.
Eventually we/they figured it out, got a sweet sound coming out of Phnom Penh and into our virtual theater.
Unfortunately, we had to strike the set at the end of every practice and every performance. It’s not like there’s a permanent VR studio. Every time we gather, we have to start all over and there’s always a bit of cross-our-fingers and hoping we can make it work again this time.
Last week was our launch — the first Event in a four-show program we will put on over the next six weeks. It was set to start at 10 pm eastern time, 7 pm west coast time. I’m on the west coast and the Host of the Event. Also the producer, director, and filing clerk.
At 6:57 pm pdt, we had nothing.
The magic wasn’t happening for the Magic Music Bus Band.
Our main vocalist, who basically carries the show because she is so strong, sounded like she was whispering into a strong wind. Instrumentation was non-existent. And no one was freaking out. Things would fall into place, we knew it. Of course it would be nice if they would fall in the next three minutes, very nice.
Which is what happened, and not for the first time in my so-called career. Also, there was nothing sacred about 7 pm. This is VR. I could tell stories until they got things working, but I didn’t have to because at 7:00 pm everyone in the virtual auditorium heard Seyma Thorn say, ‘do you hear me now, Tom?
We did.
Holocaust survivor, musician, and master story teller Arn Chorn Pond gave us brief history lesson that ended up inspiring.
His avatar was there on the stage and the people in the audience could definitely feel his live presence.
Some people even know where Cambodia is now.
Arn has spoken all over the world for audiences of every size and description. I don’t believe that he has ever once used a script. It is obvious to anyone listening. Words come straight from his heart and just flow out of him when he gets it going.
He is still learning about VR. He sees that funny looking people are out there in a theater looking at him and listening to him and that’s about all he needs.
We chose a variety show format, where the form is always the same but the material is different every time.
Each of the shows has a Then-and-Now theme.
We celebrate one of the Master Artists who helped rebuild the traditions.
And we celebrate young people, keeping traditions alive and reaching out all over Cambodia.
In between, Seyma sings. She is in Phnom Penh and others are there with her. She is aware of her audience and has learned how to use her avatar effectively to help it be the singer people are hearing.
She moves her arms. She walks around. She sang a beautiful song, accompanied by Thuch Savang, about the sound of the guitar.
She was setting the table and getting us warmed up.
The main course was Kong Nai, the greatest Master of Cambodia’s classic instrument, the Chapei. Kong Nai is a Khmer Rap Star. He is still alive. He has performed for royalty and he has been as down and out as anyone can be.
Arn told us all about him, glancing back at the pictures, turning to the audience and remembering a story. Like the time Kong Nai played for Jacqueline Kennedy when she visited the country and stayed at the Raffles Hotel in Phnom Penh.
He eventually remembered to mention that Master Kong Nai has been blind since childhood, that he is sometimes referred to as the Ray Charles of Cambodia.
We listened to a few pieces:
His music filled the room. It is very easy to come and go in VR, maybe too easy. It can be difficult to hold an audience. When Kong Nai’s music was playing, I didn’t see anyone leaving.
In the second half, we introduced Kong Gea, a young man who has studied the Chapei. He played live and the Master and Student contrast was all part of the show. He even improvised a verse of Chapei-style rap in English, which received many heart emojis.
In about forty-five minutes we reached the end. Amazingly, nothing broke, This time.
We have three more shows to go.
The transitions weren’t always smooth, and we forgot to change Seyma’s avatar. Kong Gea looked like her on stage, and like himself in the big picture behind him. It could have been worse.
Try it yourself.
You like to perform? There is a way to do it in a virtual place where lots of people can come to enjoy your performance.
You like to watch live performers? It is happening in VR. You don’t need a baby sitter. You don’t have to find a parking place or pay the valet parking dude.
Stay Home and Go Out!
Our next show is November 5, 2020, featuring Master Chek Mach and Vermiculturist Sothearath Sok. It’s FREE. All our shows are free. But you can buy a $15 ticket at Eventbrite as a donation, lots-of-people-doing-a-little fundraising for the Arts. Thanks.
Don’t forget to give us your 👏 !
