PICTURE THIS

Like other recent South by Southwest keynote speakers, Pete Townshend had something to plug during his appearance last month at the annual music conference/festival in Austin, Texas.

He referred to his venture then as the Method, and today (April 25) in London, he officially launched it as the Lifehouse Method.

In a nutshell, the project's Internet-based software creates music, allowing a user to "sit" for a musical portrait as if being painted. During the process, a sitter will be asked to provide a sound, a voice sample, an image and a rhythm. Once a portrait is complete, it can be downloaded.

A team of composers, which will include Townshend, occasionally will listen to these portraits and, according to the Lifehouse Method site, "select a few for further development/elaboration."

Registration begins Tuesday (May 1); members can sit for up to three free "portraits" until July 31.

BIG BUCKS RAISED IN THE BIG CITY

The Edge's 1975 Gibson Les Paul was sold for $240,000 on Saturday (April 21) as part of Music Rising's Icons of Music auction held in New York.

A guitar once owned by Jimi Hendrix netted $410,000. In total, the auction of instruments and music memorabilia raised $2.5 million.