AI and Why I Write Songs

It’s old news now, but everyone’s freaking out about AI and music.  Will musicians be replaced?  Spotify has been covertly featuring AI content for a while.  The Velvet Sundown created a fuss when it fooled a lot of people into thinking it was a real band.  The best analysis I’ve seen, though, is that AI isn’t a musical problem; it’s an economic one.  The primary impact is on profits from recordings.

I’ve heard a few AI songs that sounded decent.  The Velvet Sundown, for instance, sounded pretty convincing, if not inspiring musically.  The lyrics struck me as rather insipid though.  Not that people listen that closely to lyrics (or even care whether they make a whole lot of sense).  To me, though, AI-generated music generally sounds cliche.

Some songwriters are using AI to help them write songs.  (AI is helping me to write this blog in the form of spellcheck and the image :-D) Some say that it helps them with musical ideas.  Others use it for lyrical inspiration.  I haven’t used it and am not sure I ever will.

I’ll explain.

I currently have a melody on heavy rotation in my head.  I woke up with it a couple of mornings ago.  I pretty quickly came up with a  form for the song.  Lyrically, I’m still at a loss.  The phrase “Can’t you see…” naturally came to me, but I haven’t gotten much further.  It’s a bit frustrating, but it’s also wonderful.

Why?

The PROCESS of writing a song is just as important to me as the actual end result.   I’m at my happiest when I have song ideas bouncing around in my head: melodies, lyrics, riffs.  

Sometimes the process is almost immediate.

Sometimes it takes days or weeks before the song feels complete.

Sometimes it takes months or years: I periodically review old ideas and sometimes come across one that strikes a chord :-D, and I go on to complete it.  

Some ideas just end up being duds.

And this is what I love about being a musician: the creative PROCESS (inspiration, development, performance, refining and even rearranging a so-called “finished” song–they’re never actually finished; songs are living entities just like we are!) 

I’m so lucky to not be under profit pressure.  

I can work at my own pace and ENJOY. 

14 October 2025

If you want to make money making music, streaming is most definitely NOT the way to go.   For small, independent artists, Spotify is pretty much the worst bet going.  The going rate on streaming sites is less than half a cent per play.  Spotify has decided that small artists don't even deserve that.  The money generated by small artists' streams is basically confiscated ($47 million when all the tenths of a penny are added up) and given to big label artists who are already sitting pretty.  You might argue that dispensing pennies to millions of little artists means a lot of extra administrative work, but that's not the case.  Spotify still has to do the same amount of paperwork whether or not they pay small artists.  And what about the publicity and prestige of having one's music on Spotify.?  All very well, but people will just keep listening there and never go to You Tube, Apple Music, Deezer, or another site that pays.  And now Spotify has reserved the right to remix and modify any music or photo one puts on their platform.  We small musicians are providing the raw materials that make the rich even richer.   So, goodby Spotify!  I urge music lovers to move to other streaming services.  The above-mentioned YouTube Apple Music, and Deezer, all pay us little guys.  Tidal, Google, Pandora, and Amazon do too.  Just about everybody else does!  Like so many things in this high tech, modern world, Spotify's end product is very slick and convenient, but the people who are actually creating the essential thing are paid sweatshop wages. 

 8 October 2025

A friend arranged for us to get an old piano that was being given away. The brand name is “Fiedler”, German for fiddler—funny that a fiddler would be making pianos. It was built in 1919 in Leipzig, Germany. Obviously it’s been through a lot, since it’s over 100 years old. It’s in decent shape, but some of the hammers are worn and a few strings have seen better days.

It has a warm sound, and the old, tan wood has mellowed in color, adding to the coziness of our living room.

I love it!

There’s something about an acoustic piano (the vibrations maybe) that even the very best electric keyboards just can’t replicate.

Even when our old piano is out of tune, it’s still a pleasure to play. Admittedly, I’m not playing any Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, or whatnot where the purity of tone is more important. But for country and rock n roll it’s great.

My old mandolin (also over 100 years old) and my harmonicas also have this soulful quality of being just slightly out of tune. So do Frank Sinatra and Johnny Cash when they sing. Or a blues guitarist who bends a note ever so slightly to put it a tiny bit out of tune.

These are the Greek imperfections that carry us beyond perfection to inspiration.    

Nov 7 2024

You've probably heard it a little differently, but I remember a light bulb flipping on in my mind when I first heard this stated by an educator, Mr. Purdy (sorry don't remember his first name).

Several times now I've heard about rock musicians who as they were starting out sat around playing one chord for hours on end.

Dave Grohl said something to the effect that rock and roll is about three guys practicing in a garage, sweating and sounding terrible until they eventually start to sound good.

I remember my stepmother commenting on my "enthusiasm" as I played my drum pad set for hours.

Not an original idea (see Sir Ken Robinson), but I think a lot of us are educated out of our enthusiasms.

I know that I've spent a lot my life fighting against some of these "educated" feelings.

Many an artist will tell you that children are wonderful artists up until a certain age when they begin to "know better."

Picasso said, "It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child."

I believe that talent is enthusiasm demonstrated over and over.

Help yourself and those around you to rediscover that childlike enthusiasm and reap the benefits.

🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶

Photo from oiamusic.com

Jan 10 2021