I played maraca better than the computer and I just had to yap about it.
Tools are cool.
A lot of folks out there are using tools that do a lot of necessary work for them in my opinion. They’re only robbing themselves.
I struggled starting out in a lot of areas. One of them was doing things in the computer that I knew how to do outside of it. Convenience. Now? Even just a maraca track? I’m playing it.
What happened when I took this approach was everything meant more and sounded better. I used deliberate action instead of passive choosing. I recorded something. After I put all the tracks together, it had a movement I felt good about. A pulse. AI still struggles with that.
Does not compute.. does not compute..
Making music isn’t about convenience. It’s about making something inside your head come to life. Creation. AI can’t do that, either. It simply combs the internet for what’s out there to spit out what you asked for.
What is “doing music” to you?
I don’t know what music is to you. I don’t know how other folks think. I don’t know what sends you to orbit when you hear it. I can only make what I like these days. AI seems to be for folks who only want to make what someone else likes. That’s a very capitalist reason to make music. Not wrong, but not really genuine either.
A computer is a valuable tool. AI is a wasteful crutch when it comes to making songs. The good stuff is in the brains. Robots do not have those, yet.
There’s also something to be said for “I did that.” For me, I feel proud when a song hits me right that I’m on. I don’t feel that way unless I actually did it. It’s one of the feelings I go for. I have robbed myself of that numerous times. Not doing that again.
The maraca is a good example. I can punch in a computer maraca in no time. Maybe no one will notice. But when I hold it up to maraca tracks I made myself, there’s no comparison. I can almost see me playing it. Visuals like that give me good feelings about being on to something.
Computers do not have personality, yet. It doesn’t make sense to invite someone with no pulse and no personality to play on an emotional tune. Better off doing it myself.
Sometimes I turn the lights low and kick on the fire screen. It can get a little Twin Peaks in here with the delay and the bass set right. Enjoy.
A jam on fretless bass to djembe
Return to home
(Sometimes you have to wear a Dolly Parton shirt. Like, when going to the DMV. Everyone loves Dolly. 2 hour wait was 30 minutes. Pro-tip.)