the marly milena music library co-sponsored by community virtual library
In 2025, the Marly Marlena Music Library, co-sponsored by the Community Virtual Library and Octagon: Creative Exploration, found a new home at Inspiration Bay in the Whole Brain Health area of Second Life.
The library is named after Marly Marlena, the founder of Octagon and proponent of the Marly Marlena Music Library.
To learn more about Octagon, join the Octagon: Creative Exploration group in Second Life. Octagon hosts diverse events, including art, music, and therapy exercises and exhibits.
This particular Community Virtual Library is dedicated to the music and musicians of Second Life.
There is a wall that showcases information about all the Musicians of the Month.
On the second floor are music pods where user can hear songs by original composers in Second Life who have donate their songs to the library.
Here is a viewpoint from the third floor that is looking down on the second floor of the Marly Marlena Music Library.
The third floor consists of a casual loft for relaxation and music enjoyment.
Here is some more about the Marly Milena Music Library and Guidelines, per September 2025 from the Community Virtual Library website:
about the marly milena music library
Library Mission:
Find, connect, and support composers and performers in Second Life and to catalog, display, and document/preserve their original music in varying formats.
Library Vision:
Be a vibrant hub for musicians and music lovers in virtual worlds.
Library Goals:
- Find and connect composers in SL & display/catalog their music.
- Encourage performers who give concerts in SL to submit concert recordings for display and sharing at the library.
- Display and share scores for SL pianists, etc. that might be interested in playing the pieces.
- Display and share public domain books about music, famous composers, singers, etc.
- Host periodic garden performances
- Foster creative discussions about music in Second Life
- Educate people about music in Second Life through our collection, exhibits, discussions, and other events.
These goals may broaden in the future to include other virtual world artists, etc. But for now, we will focus on: Second Life composers and performers and their original works–especially works about, written for, or performed in Second Life.
Musician of the month concert
See the YouTube playlist to view the Marlena Malena Music Library playlist of past performances.
contribute to the music library
You can nominate yourself or another Second Life musician for inclusion in the Music Library. To do so, fill out our Music Library Nomination Form.
Nominated musicians will be contacted by the Music Library Selection Committee and asked to submit two samples of their music.
Eligibility:
All musicians included in the library must create original music. Their compositions must be about, inspired by, created in, performed in, or otherwise related to Second Life.
Artists who are no longer in Second Life or who have passed on are eligible for nomination as long as their music included in the library is relevant to Second Life.
Selection Committee & Guidelines
Selection:
Due to limited space, the library’s collection focuses on musicians who appeal to general and moderate audiences who have made a significant contribution to music in Second Life. Selections are made by a diverse committee of musicians, music lovers, and music experts who take the following criteria into account:
- Is this music? (Does it contain “vocal, instrumental, or mechanical sounds having rhythm, melody, or harmony“?)
- Is this music original? (Does this artist only do covers? If music is not completely original [parody, for example], will displaying the content in the library violate the original composer’s copyright?)
- Is the music suitable for a general or moderate audience? (Are there explicit lyrics? Is the music excessively violent or sexual? Would educators be comfortable bringing a class of adults to listen to this music?)
- Has the musician made an impact in Second Life? (Is their music widely available? Do they have a following? Is their music performed regularly or well-known?)
- If the musician is new to Second Life and/or creating music (they have less experience and/or haven’t built a fanbase yet), does their music sound good? (Does this musician have potential to make an impact in Second Life?)
As libraries are anti-censorship and dedicated to serving our communities, the above criteria is open to adjustment based on community feedback. If you have questions or comments about the selection criteria, please contact katsii.tennen in Second Life.
If you are interested in serving on the Music Library Acquisitions Committee, please fill out the Music Library Selection Committee Nomination Form.
Copyright:
All content in the library must be assigned a Creative Commons license. CC licenses provide a simple, standardized way to give permission or restrict the ways others can share and use your work.
For more information, research copyright law as it applies to nonprofit organizations and creative works in the U.S. For legal advice, please contact a copyright lawyer.
Visit the Marly Marlena Music Library at SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Inspiration%20Bay/19/90/23
To learn more about Community Virtual Library, join the Second Life Library 2.0 group in Second Life or visit the Community Virtual Library homepage.
For a video showing what a recent experience at the Marly Milena Music Library is like at this new location, check out this excerpt from the Virtual Worlds MOOC 2025 on YouTube featuring Grace Loudon.