Human Music

Some thoughts on human made vs prompted music

Someone recently posted on Facebook that they’re about to release their first album. An album of AI generated music. Out of curiosity I listened to 20 seconds of their preview track. To me it’s soulless and instantly forgettable and easily recognisable as non-human. I wonder what the prompt writer thinks about it. Do they think it sounds like human made music? If so, is that because they have never been in a rehearsal space, a recording studio, had to try multiple takes of the same section? Am I just being a snob? I don’t think so. Imagine if you rocked up in the Stone Age and were able to generate cave art. Artificially generated cave art trained on the ochres and pigments used in real cave art, depicting ancient scenes which never happened in real life.

When AI first became available for public use I dabbled with it briefly, not to create music but as a sounding board. I realised how sycophantic it was and now I don’t use it.

Also, I have to say, by any measure of mainstream success I am a failure when it comes to music. That doesn’t mean I’ll ever give up as success means something different to me now. I doubt anyone will read this, but if they do and they’re an offended AI music prompter, I said it first.

Anyway, that twenty seconds has got me thinking about some of the things I love about making music with my hands, brain, real instruments and other people.

1. Nerding out.
I am a gear nerd, and I have had to restrain myself on multiple occasions from ruining my credit score and by purchasing shiny things with knobs, pots and faders. In a recent session for Glad Town Ghost I spent a good amount of time tweaking a synth patch in Logic Pro for one of his upcoming tracks. Once that was done I went to my hardware synth and recreated, as closely as possible, a patch for live shows. I remember it was very cold, I had to wear my big fleece and double socks to stay warm. It was a lovely couple of hours, and finding out that GTG loved it made even more enjoyable.

2. Other people.
I am by nature an introvert and very comfortable in my own company for long periods of time. When it comes to making music I could be the same, and I have been on occasion. However, there’s something about meeting people, forging relationships and gelling musically that is magic. I had a chat with a producer this week about an album we’re working on. He’d sent me a guide track for a new song and we got chatting about reference tracks, we both had in mind the same ones and spent a while talking enthusiastically about how Hammond organ can be used in different ways to support and enhance a song. Most of my friendships have been made through music. Friends from bands I’ve played in, or from recording on their songs. I love the moment when something starts to groove and gel in a song, because you’ve locked in with another person and can anticipate what they’re going to do next. A band I was in a few years, The John P Taylor Band is like that. When I listen to the songs we made I think about those shared moments in rehearsals and recording sessions.

3. The moment.
   I think most musicians and songwriters have experienced this, the moment an idea explodes in the imagination from a kernel to a fully formed song. Someone said to me recently if you keep actively writing and strengthening the skills then those moments will happen more often. For some reason, the few times it’s happened to me have been when I’ve been tired, coming off a long run of front shifts, suffering from a sleep deficit. I read somewhere that a tired brain can enhance creativity as there is reduced inhibition, mind wandering and unusual connections between diffuse subjects. It happened to me recently. A fully formed song ended up on a page of A4 within 10 minutes. It’s a magical moment that can’t be forced, it just happens.
   

   Anyway, bye.