Traci Nubalo - The Word

CraigGore Redfield’s release “True” is very deeply within this category for me. When I first took a listen (after having been positively impressed by Craig’s live SL show) I was a bit taken aback in that I was just not knocked out! I mean, I liked it, but it just didn’t hit me in that “deeply-satisfied” sweet spot. But a week later there I was, listening again and again and appreciating and digging the tracks more each time! In fact, it wasn’t until I received a “We Miss You” note from some of the other pieces of music in my collection that I realized the depth of enjoyment that I was getting from this sparkling new project! I was truly beginning to understand why iTunes had named “True” to it’s “New and Noteworthy” list. One I “got it” this record had me body, mind and soul.

The only explanation I have is that “True” is a deceptively subtle song collection. In those first couple of listens I seem to have missed some things that were revealed later, as I went deeper and deeper into the disk. To begin with Redfield - a Tennessee boy - started off with some damn fine songs for this project. There had been no denying this from the start. And the compositions seem to have been very well-treated during the recording process by the stellar collection of musicians that Craig chose for the studio. He makes excellent use of the pedal-steel-driven acoustic sound delivered by members of the great kd lang’s band. They produce a sonic signature which has, of course, served lang very well over the years, and they help create a unique Redfield sound on the new release, which we brought up in the interview.

I had known from the first time I saw him live that I was going to write this article. After all, I regard Redfield to be on of SL’s top composer/performers. But once we decided to actually get it done things got off to a very slow start. After a number of frustrating delays Craig and I were finally able to sit down for what turned into a delightful and most-informative discussion. We were joined by my gorgeous Mistress, the amazing Miss Linda Doune, who is also a member of Palais’ executive staff. On hand to document the event visually was the remarkable photographer Jami Mills who has been my photographic “partner in crime” for so many of these journalistic adventures. As is my habit, I opened the interview with some “tech talk”:

Traci Nubalo: Craig, my readers always seem to enjoy a little technical background. So I’d like to begin by asking you about the really crisp, clean live sound that we enjoy from you. What guitars are you using?
CraigGore Redfield: Thanks. I use an acoustic Gibson Hummingbird from the early nineties and I play into a nice condenser mic. I do not plug in. This is how acoustics sound best.
TN: Any effects?
CR: I stream though an audio program. There a little compression and reverb
TN: Awesome. How about vocals?
CR: I sing through a really awesome tube mic into a tube preamp. This is a studio quality setup; I can record a CD here in my little studio with guitar and vocals that would sound comparable to a CD.
TN: Using the same gear that you use live in SL?
CR: Yes. I made my first solo CD on this gear.
TN: Is that how you recorded "True"?
CR: No. I recorded “True” at the studio of the producer, using much more gear.
TN: I see. I want to talk about “True” a bit more but let’s stay with a different technical discussion for a bit. You have a fabulous guitar sound on the disk. Even though it's not out front in the mix, as it is in your live show, your right hand seems important to me.
CR: Somebody knows how to listen. *smile*
TN: Can we talk about that a bit? What's going on?
CR: With my right hand?
TN: Yes, the theme statements, etc.
CR: Sure. Upon writing this record I taught my self fingerstyle guitar. I decided that I needed a way to express myself differently.
TN: Aha. Bingo. Were you a flat picker?
CR: Yes. I was solely a flat picker; but it wasn’t working for me anymore.
TN: How long had you been picking?
CR: 20 years, Traci. And I've been playing fingerstyle for three years now. My current style is known as Travis picking. The bass line is played with the thumb.
TN: Yes, alternating.
CR: Yes, and it was murder to learn it. Then I thought I had learned it. But when I tried to sing at the same time I ended up having to learn it all over again with the vocalization in mind.
TN: But it’s well worth it both live and on the recording.
CR: Thank you. It is so rewarding. I have such a great time playing solo.
TN: To me, it's the "heart" of your current sound, Craig.
CR: Agreed. It really evoked a whole new kind of song, too.
TN: So, you reinvented yourself as a guitarist for this record. And you brought aboard a very special team of musicians.
CR: I am so lucky. Josh Grange agreed to produce -
TN: Yes!
CR: He is a noted "utility player" and producer. He plays for kd lang. In fact, he’s out on tour with her at the moment.
TN: Readers, a “utility player“ is one who plays lots of instruments, creating a variety of options that can be used in the mixing process to blend the perfect sound for a particular song.
CR: Lord, yes. He’s a genius. He really is one of the great players of my generation.
TN: Agreed.
CR: He plays pedal steel, banjo, acoustic guitar..
TN: Who has he worked with?
CR: Dixie Chicks, kd, Dwight Yoakum. So many…
TN: Any big names? LOL
CR: LOL He's still underrated. But so brilliant.
TN: He is the kd lang sound, in my opinion.
CR: He has contributed lots to her sure, for sure.
TN: Who else is on “True”?
CR: Bass - Ian Walker, who at the time was with kd and now is producing and writing with various artists. On drums, Mitch Marine, drummer for Dwight, Brave Combo, a great session guy...and Daniel Clarke on keyboards. He’s played with Ryan Adams, Dixie Chicks. He’s also out with kd now.
TN: To the new listener - on Craig’s disk you might recognize a little of that "kd sound" but the group has artfully managed to serve Craig's songs so well, and so originally.
CR: Well. Thanks. I think that we relate pedal steel to her sound. But what is different about mine is the fingerstyle guitar. But I agree the hi fi production quality is common to both.
TN: So you and Josh often play in amazing counterpoint to one another but you also stack the sounds very tightly at times. It’s a great, full sound.
CR: Thank you.

Rooted by this astonishing gathering of super players, the tracks unfold along their way with an organic, enjoyable feel. The true center of this release is in the writing, however, I was interested in Redfield’s inner process. So I asked him to give us a brief peek behind the “compositional curtain”:

TN: In terms of composition, did you write at all in the studio?
CR: No, Ma’am. All by myself at home. It just poured out of me.
TN: Tell us about that feeling, Craig. What’s it like when it really flows?
CR: It’s an urge; it’s like a hunger to describe my feelings and to express myself. I have it all the time - a craving. And when the notes and words come together it feels like elation. Like a drug.
TN: One of our favorites is “Tiny Bombs“. Can you talk about that a little? CR: Sure. It’s the story of a woman who is unheard. She’s afraid; captive to a life. And she plays herself like a character, while inwardly she longs for something different. She hurts. I think that’s pretty common, Traci. We all want the courage to live a full life - to be true to ourselves.
TN: Yes, it is a common theme in life, but your description is SO right on.
CR: Thanks.
TN: Craig, what you just described brings us to a central theme of this article. It's something that I noticed about “True”. There is a deep sense of subtlety; it’s like the disk demands several listens at least.
CR: Thank you. May I speak about that subtlety aspect?
TN: Please.
CR: Traci, I have worked and worked and worked and worked to be able to bring that to my writing. I try to make a song specific and universal so you are aware of it consciously, but not browbeat the listener with it. And if the listener would like to go deep they can go miles and yet still enjoy what they hear. So, you have no idea how much that comment honors me.

On “Diamonds”, one of my favorite tracks, Redfield reminds us to recognize the good that comes along with every situation in life. The group creates a hauntingly-open production feel that gives the listener an audio seat in the booth right alongside the players. In one of the CD’s tastier interactions Craig’s gorgeous voice cries, “Don’t forget the diamonds we find along the way,” while Josh Grange provides a chilling underpinning on pedal steel. One thing that really comes through is that this is a band that not only listens to one another - they hear one another!

I had noticed early on that with his newly-learned fingerstyle guitar work, Craig is able to state the central themes to his songs very powerfully on the recording. On disk these statements might often be found tucked back among the other excellent instruments in the sublime mix. In the live arena, however, these right-hand guitar figures become the entirety of Redfield’s ability to state his theme. This creates a wonderfully-powerful sense of presence and motion in the live tunes, especially in the ear of the listener who has already enjoyed the recorded version of “True”.

In his SL performances CraigGore Redfield’s fans will be treated to the most stripped-down possible delivery of his poetry. No loops, no tracks, no pedals - just that amazing right hand guitar work backing the sweetest voice possible. The message of the show carries a depth of bittersweetness rarely found on inworld stages, and the man delivers with the best of them. This is a guy who is coming into his own as both a player and a poet. He deserves to be listened to, and more than once if my experience is to teach a lesson.

We engaged Craig in a brief discussion of his excellent live work, and then took a peek into his future plans. Craig closed the interview with a sweet and loving message to his many SL fans, who show up at his gigs filled with love and admiration for the man in return.

TN: How are things going for you in the live SL scene? (I love your live show, by the way).
CR: Things are good Traci. Oh thanks. Its an extension of my writing - a present tense expression of my feelings, and a connection to my fellow man.
TN: This is why I mentioned your right hand work at the outset. If the listener has heard the disk first, they will be delighted with how your right hand work subtly states the themes on the recording, yet stands out in the live show. I love how you treat the listener to a second "vision" if they have already heard the disk.
CR: Right. Thanks. Traci, we all need love, myself included. And that’s what “live” is. It’s the connection; emoting together. I need them to complete it. We finish it together.
TN: And they love you live, Craig.
CR: Yes. It feels amazing. Every day someone approaches and says "I felt". That makes it all worth it. You know, people are so beautiful; all the differences. The colors of feelings; ideas; viewpoints. I get to swim in that. *BIG smile*
TN: Wow. Your happiness really shows in the live performance.
CR: Thanks.
TN: What's next for you?
CR: I am touring RL and doing more SL shows. And I am proud to announce
that I am writing two new records. One for me and one for a new trio I am starting. I met a RL record producer here that has become a brother to me and a female singer that has moved me so deeply that I have to make records with them.
TN: I know your fans will be eagerly awaiting both of those projects.
Well, Craig - speaking of your SL fans - this is where you get to speak directly to them.
CR: So glad to get a chance to do that.
TN: What would you like to say to the many Palais SL Magazine readers who are fans of yours?
CG: I love you so much and thank you from my depths for being with me here and being so generous with love and appreciation.

And - there is always hope.

So - Hope.

To contact CraigGore Redfield log on to www.craiggore.com or contact his wonderful inworld manager Katejupitar Rae. And support your SL musicians and venues.

One of the great joys of my years in Second Life has been the owning and training of my artificial intelligence dog, a gorgeous black lab named Bella. When we first got her I had no idea what an wonderful and fun adventure was about to unfold for me and my SL family. We took Bella home and found that she was a bit on the, shall we say, rambunctious side. She loved to run all over the sim, as any RL dog might. She loved to jump into the water which our SL home was next to. She even loved to sit in her food and water dishes, a trait that I knew from RL was peculiar to Labrador retrievers.

But she also had some rather irritating traits such as excessive barking and even a nasty, frightening growl that we really disliked, especially when company was visiting. We learned that this is where the AI aspect came in for the VKC dog. Whenever Bella did a behavior that we disapproved of we would type “Bella bad” into open chat. Similarly, positive behaviors would be rewarded with “Bella good”.

Over time we began to see changes in her. And over these few years Bella has become a fun, fascinating companion. But there’s a deeper tale to be told. After purchasing Bella we began to interact with an AI dog trainer named Vitolo Rossini. He’s also known as The DogFather.

Vito is a fun, 59-year-old guy who is the owner and operator of Dog Park in Rhoda. We SL dog owners know him as someone who is passionate about the dogs and their owners and is always willing to help by answering questions, holding training classes and generally being a source of information and inspiration. Those of us who know him all agree that a more kind and fun-loving soul is to be found nowhere else in Second Life. On more than a few occasions we were delighted by his friendliness and willingness to spend as much time as necessary to make our dog-owning experience all it could be. He would even end each visit bowing from the waist saying, “Bowing with respect.“ As I got to know Vito more he began to open up to me about his past and how he became The DogFather.

In 2003 Mr. Rossini was a practicing martial arts teacher in Tucson, AZ who spent his days happily selling ice cream from his neighborhood truck. One day at work he was run over by another vehicle. In that instant Vitolo Rossini became a victim of TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). He spent 6 ½ weeks in a coma and two more years in rehabilitation. While being driven to an appointment one day he struck up a conversation with his Paramedic Services driver thus meeting his current wife of four years Patty.

In a recent chat he described the condition in which this horrible accident has left his body: “I am currently partially paralyzed on my left side. I have moderate to severe spasticity, primarily on the left side of my entire body, but it moves to the right side as well. I walk with the assistance of a walker (or dual canes) and I have chronic double vision, which is corrected by prisms in my glasses.”

Rossini also says that he suffers from short-term memory loss and is in a great deal of pain. He takes medications to control the spasticity and pain, but finds that sufficient pain meds seem to dull his mind. So he chooses to live in significant pain, but he’s able to stay alert.

In 2006 Vito discovered SL, and found a world perfectly suited to his limitations. He found that he could function fully in SL, and do things that impossible for him in RL. Using this new-found freedom he quickly got involved with AI dogs and their owners, discovering that he had a knack for the scripting languages used in the virtual pets. Soon he had created Dog Park and developed the TBI Center that flies above it. Other TBI patients heard about Vito’s work in SL and followed him here. Many of them purchased AI dogs and began attending the numerous training classes offered by him.

Some amazing things began to happen. At first Vito got reports that the TBI patients who had AI dogs were beginning to experience new and different kinds of dreaming experiences, often followed by positive emotional changes in life. Vito: “Owning and training a dog in SL creates a form of relationship between person and the K9. This shift in focus distracts a resident from the pressure that often accompanies learning; he is able to achieve learning without stress. A reason for this is that the participant feels as though he is playing with and loving a pet, rather than mentally putting emphasis on the often-scary process of learning new concepts.

“Second Life gives us (TBI patients) a new chance to function. We have notes to remind us of what we are doing, and a handy inventory window which reminds us of our tools. We are more able to function independently, and these tools offer us helpful assistance. As we use the tools and increasingly learn to function independently, our brains begin to build new neural pathways - new synaptic connections. This results in people finding new ways to think and function."

I asked Vito what it is about Second Life (and other virtual worlds) that attracts millions of us, whether physically-challenged or not. “There are no limits as we traverse the metaverse; there are fewer physical or personal constraints,” he replied. “When one becomes an avatar they also become free, in a sense. One finds a place where he can be amazed, or even just begin to feel comfortable within once again. We begin to make friends more easily and start to enjoy learning about others. Communication is of great value to all human beings and even more so to those who are home bound via injuries and for other reasons. And SL fills this need!”

At this point I felt like we had moved universes away from AI dogs and K9 training classes. The conversation had morphed into a fascinating new look at virtual worlds and their potential uses as platforms for personal growth and change.

The DogFather then made a startling claim: he believes that at least half of SL residents are in some way at least partially bound to the home. This shocked me until he pointed out that being “home bound” needn’t mean living in a wheelchair.

He wisely stated, “There are the physically homebound - but there are also the emotionally homebound, and the spiritually homebound residents. The physically homebound encompass many disabling conditions. But some people feel like they can't face the public for whatever reasons - valid or not. Emotionally homebound people have thoughts within that do not allow them to feel comfortable out in public: ‘I am too ugly,’ ‘I am not good enough,’ ‘I am stupid.’ Some are afraid of strangers, some of germs.

A person becomes spiritually homebound when they find that there is nothing that they have in common with others. They feel that they ‘can't relate’, and so they withdraw. In each of these cases, Second Life allows some interaction with a ‘world’ and with real people. It‘s a ‘window to the world’ in more ways than we might be aware of. ”

It dawned on me that most men and women in the world exhibit symptoms of such spiritual malaise. Essentially, we are lonely. We are seeking connection - every one of us. And for most of us finding deep connection in what we call the “real world” is becoming as increasingly-difficult process.

Yet, from the adversity that befell one simple man springs a vision of a greater Awareness. Via the unexpected vehicle of pixel pets many of us are finding fresh avenues to happier lives. New vistas in personal growth are appearing and many are finding freedom in areas that once felt restricted.

Perhaps you’ll decide to pay a visit to Rhoda, where you’ll find dozens of AI dogs to play with and be amazed by. You might choose to teleport to the TBI Center high in the sky above Dog Park or spend some peaceful time in the gorgeous meditation area adjoining the Center. But by all means make it a point to get to know the man whose wisdom and vision is quietly changing and enriching so many troubled lives on a daily basis.

Vito Rossini will tell you that the six-and-a-half weeks he spent in a coma brought him to his true potential to live his life in service to others. He will tell you that practicing good karma in SL is as important and effective as it is in first life. And he will ask you to always be aware of the fact that the avatar you are interacting with online may be suffering some very real physical, emotional or spiritual challenges that you will never know about.

And this guru-in-disguise will ask you to remember that each moment in Second Life is a gift and an opportunity. We are given this new life and we are offered the chance to create our virtual world in a way that centers us in peace and understanding of one another.

Copyright © 2011 Traci Nubalo/PURE Magazine. All rights reserved.