From a powerful computer on a small wooden desk in a corner of her master bedroom, Kim Robben becomes "Kim Seifert," international singing star in Second Life.

For the uninitiated, Second Life is like Webkinz for adults -- just without the plush toys, kid-safe language and restrictions on interactions between members. It's a multiplayer, online, 3-D virtual fantasy world where members (or residents as they're known) live, work, play and can become anyone or anything they desire.

With the aid of a small mixing board, a TV monitor, and a CD/DVD player that can play karaoke-style background tracks and project lyrics onto the monitor, Ms. Robben transforms into "Kim Seifert," a one-woman band.

"I'm not that high tech," says the 42-year-old from Greensburg. "I use the backing tracks, I cue up the tracks and I gotta fix all the knobbies and I'm not a sound tech."

A Second Life member for more than two years, Ms. Robben has sung in country and honky tonk bands off and on during the years. However, she started singing live in Second Life only about a year ago after people at a real-life Second Life convention heard her perform and encouraged her to sing online.

"Kim Seifert" performs at live music clubs in Second Life about 10 times a week and is booked through April. Venue owners pay her 5,000 to 6,000 Lindens -- a Linden is Second Life's monetary unit -- or about $25 a show, plus she receives tips, which she shares with the venue.

Depending on the exchange rate, about 266 Lindens equal $1. Residents can sell Lindens for U.S. dollars on the Second Life Web site.

Between performing and selling merchandise in Second Life -- everything from clothes to prefab homes -- she makes about $400 to $500 a week. That's about what she used to make as a part-time paralegal.

On this particular afternoon, she's performing at "The Vibe," a virtual club owned by another Second Life member from England. A friend who writes the arrangements for some of her original songs is in Denmark.

Her avatar -- the computer animated on-screen persona of her in Second Life -- is blond and dressed in blue jeans and a black, long-sleeved sweater, as is she. The only difference between Ms. Robben and her alter ego "Kim Seifert" is the footwear. She's wearing little white socks, while "Kim Seifert" is decked out in black, spike-heeled boots.

"Hi, everybody, here at 'The Vibe,' " she says into her microphone to the gathering crowd. "Feel Free to IM with whatever requests you have."

As she sings, toe-tapping and dancing on her plush beige bedroom carpet, her voice streams live into "The Vibe" where other Second Life members' avatars -- animated figures and characters in the virtual club on her computer screen -- see her on stage and dance and request songs via instant messages.

With headphones on, so that she can hear the background music, which streams on a slight delay, she launches into a full-throated rendition of K.T. Tunstall's "Black Horse & the Cherry Tree."

"Woo-hoo, woo-hoo

"Well my heart knows me better than I know myself ...''

The crowd applauds, hoots and hollers when she's done.

"Thank you very much," she says to one fan.

"Bless your beautiful heart," she says to another.

And the song requests keep filling up her computer screen.

"I really should mark these," she says vamping, in a smooth, radio DJ tone as she flips through her CD catalog trying to find the music track for one of her originals.

"Kim Seifert" has a fan club of 660, which is huge considering Second Life system limitations currently allow only 100 residents to gather in any one place at any one time in the vast Second Life universe, which includes 12.5 million registered residents.

Ms. Robben, a mother of four and grandmother to an adorable 1-year-old, Christopher, loves that she can earn a living without leaving home and sometimes even in her PJs.

"It has given me so much more time with my kids," she says. "I used to spend an hour and a half just to get to work when I worked [as a paralegal] in the D.C. area."

At first, her children didn't like her performing on Second Life. Now, they don't mind.

"It's really cool to have her famous, even if it is an online game," says her son, Jacob, 11.

"It gives me more time with her," says Isaac, 9, who sometimes likes to act out the songs as his mother sings.

When her husband, Jim, is out of town on business, their avatars meet up in Second Life.

"I get to spend time with him in there, and it's kind of cool," she says.

A photo of her performing is featured in the soon-to-be-released picture book "America At Home: A Close-up Look at How We Live." She also recently won the Best of Second Life Vocalist contest.

She has a My Space page featuring some of her music and fans have posted more than 30 "Kim Seifert" music videos on YouTube.com.

"Kim Seifert" has performed at Second Life benefit concerts for AIDS, the American Cancer Society and animal rescue groups. In addition to singing covers of popular songs -- from Gretchen Wilson to Elton John -- she has written nine original songs and is saving money to record a CD. She also is learning to play guitar.

"I'm going to do this [next] one for my mom," she tells the crowd back at "The Vibe." Then, launches into one of her original tunes, "Twister in Heels."

"Well, he woke up in the mornin', it seemed like a pretty nice day ...''

Her mother, Kay Bolen of Wichita, Kan., runs Kay's Tiki Lounge, as LadyKay Gable in Second Life and Ms. Robben performs there regularly.

"I have always thought that Kim had a beautiful voice," says Mrs. Bolen, 68, a two-time cancer survivor who has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Relay for Life American Cancer Society charity in Second Life. "She's finally getting the recognition that she's deserved for years."

Mrs. Bolen most loves the fact that she can talk with her daughter each day via Second Life.

"We can spend time together, and I can give her a virtual hug," Ms. Robben says.

She ends her hour-long set with an a capella rendition of "Amazing Grace," which she also dedicates to her mom.

The crowd cheers and claps. Someone yells "Excellent!"

"I'm extremely proud of her," says Mrs. Bolen, who also runs a Second Life modeling agency and has made friends around the world via SL. "I have her [perform] at the Tiki and if I didn't think she was any good, I wouldn't have her."

Ms. Robben, too, has made fans and friends worldwide.

"I enjoy it because I've met a lot of nice people," she says. "It's always interesting to meet the person behind the avatar."

Most of all, making a living on Second Life is a welcome change from her old paralegal job, when she always felt she was on one side or the other of some conflict.

"Now, I do things that help people and make them happy."

For more information, visit www.kimseifert.com and www.secondlife.com.