Meet Pianist Louis Volare aka (in real life) Louis Landon

Tuesday January 8, 2007, I attempted to attend a concert held in the Somewhere Else Club located on the sim Asadal. I was excited thinking I was going to be able to hear Louis Landon…err…Volare…tickling the ivory of his preferred musical instrument, but I was unable to secure a much in demand spot on that sim. I should not have been surprised the capacity of the sim had been reached, Louis is that talented. I think what surprised me the most is the fact that Second Life residents are that interested in solo piano music.

After the time his performance was to end, I instant messaged him to congratulate him on drawing a sim capacity crowd and just happened to mention I would be interested in including a story about him on this blog. Louis was kind enough to invite me over for a conversation. What follows is the fruit of that time spent with Louis.

After brief greeting formalities, I dove right into shooting questions at him. The first being would he share information about his world tours. I now imagine that he smiled and rolled his eyes, but answered, “Probably the best way to go about you getting info like that is to go to louislandon.com It’s all there.”

photos property of Louis Landon used with permission

Louis began playing the piano at an early age and continued until his early teens. At which time he picked up the electric guitar, started imitating such greats as Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, and Eric Clapton, playing the blues and rock and roll. When he turned twenty, he entered Berklee College of Music to study jazz and switched back to piano as his prime instrument. Eventually he met a saxophone player, John Payne, and headed out on a three year tour.

In the late seventies, Louis joined The John Hall Band who opened on tour for “Little Feat”, toured with Rupert ‘Pina Colada’ Holmes, worked with Ross Enterprises producing music for commercials, films, and videos. Oh, least I forget, during the summers he toured both nationally and internationally with the great Russian dancer, choreographer, and actor Mikhail Baryshnikov.

The late eighties brought Louis into contact with the National Basketball Association producing music for their television commercials. In 1991, Louis officially opened his own music production and record company… Landon Music Company. In 2000, he joined Pucho and his Latin Soul Brothers on tours to Malaysia, Istanbul, Turkey, and South America.

“I know it sounds glorious, but it was a job. My problem was I wasn’t doing what I really wanted to do – play my own music.” Louis once said in a quote to The Times Herald Record.

Asked how he came to Second Life, Louis answered, “I was on MySpace, and someone I met there turned me onto a guy who was promoting her. He actually promoted my CD in RL. Anyway, I came here and saw it as a tremendous marketing opportunity and it’s a lot of fun. It hooks me into a great audience. Plus, I can play concerts for 50 to 60 people every night from the comfort of my own home. It’s great practice for me. I also have been doing a lot of improv and everyone seems to love it.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if hundreds of people are now very aware of my music for the first time. If people hear my music and like it, and perhaps buy the CD. Then I have gained a fan. And everyone who buys my new CD, UNWIND, loves it People have been, for the most part, very supportive and very happy to have me perform here.”

Asked if he regularly fills sims, his response was,” I definitely have a following now. I started a fan club and I have a CEO who runs it and a VP who takes care of my Euro concerts. I am looking to put together a street team of strong fans who will go out there and find people to join my club and come to my concerts. Trying to build a buzz here (in Second Life) that will hopefully carry over in RL. I think this place is absolutely amazing. Eventually it will probably get like MySpace, but right now there are quality people on it who know what’s going on. I wouldn’t be able to do it if I hadn’t found really good fans who want to help me make it happen. So, this has been really great so far. I only see it getting better.”

I asked Louis if he spent much time in Second Life other than his concerts and promotions… “Not really. I have no time. I mean I like flying around and socializing with people I meet, but I’ve got a very busy, time consuming life. It’s not easy being an independent recording artist who can support a family.”

To my statement: Your talent should very well afford you that! His response was, “Thank you, but talent without proper business doesn’t afford very much at all. There are a lot of talented people out there. I am a late bloomer. It took me a long time to find my niche and really go for it. I have been all over the place musically. And I have come back to playing solo piano. I love it. I also love to sing, but I think my strength is more in my piano playing.”

After taking up more than my fair share of Louis “Volare” Landon’s valuable time, I was able to leave with the feeling I had met with an educated gentle/businessman with a true passion for his music who cares about creating “a more peaceful world by writing and performing music from the heart.” It was a pleasure to meet you Louis! You may not be taking a Limo to the Gulf Stream to get your music to the people, but you are getting your music to the people around the world… maybe only 40 to 60 at a time… but your music is definitely getting there!

Other Live Performer Reviews