LOTRO: Friday in The Green Dragon

Ah, The Green Dragon.  Mentioned in both the original novels and the films, this pub is commonly used for RP (Role Play) events among hobbit players.  I've been doing RP since before the internet went mainstream, and one of my quirks is that I like taking songs from our world and rewriting the lyrics a bit to make them fit the world of my character.

My friend Lina playing the lute
while the gathered crowd dances.

Evidently, I'm not the only one, because LOTRO is the first MMO I've played that has a music system.  You equip an instrument, type a slash command, and your character animates playing the instrument.  You can play freestyle by hitting the number keys like a piano, or you can load up an ABC file which contains musical notation similar to a MIDI file.  An add-on called Songbook makes it even easier, by turning the slash commands into buttons.

Playing with my band, the Brandywine Badgers.

Where the music system really shines is in the ability to synchronize songs with multiple parts. This allows players to form bands and adds a whole new dimension to RP.  Turbine really put a lot of thought into keeping RP players happy, yet another reason why I feel compelled to fork over a bit of money for VIP membership.  Players actually organize concerts and music festivals that draw huge crowds.