AI music will change the world

When I was 16, I bought my first MIDI keyboard. I thought this was the magical piece of technology that would let me emulate the gentle beauty of my heroes at the time - James Blake.. Deadmau5 & others - artists who knew chords that make me melt. I’d played the guitar for a few years, but it was difficult. My proudest moment was pulling off Yellow Brick Road by Angus and Julia Stone. And maybe Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson.

The lonely bedroom producer

Producing music on a computer presented an almost insurmountable challenge. When you play the guitar, it sounds pretty similar to your favorite songs. But loading up a few synths and drum machines, you’ll quickly discover there’s an entire gulf of sound design, mixing and mastering tricks separating you, and the perfect end result you’re used to hearing. (Not to mention years and years of practice.)

How could I ever come close to what my heroes were doing? Technical difficulties aside, I knew nothing about song structure and music theory in general. I scoffed at the idea that you could “learn” music. How could something so beautiful and teeming with life force - be taught? Filled with teenage pride and folly - I didn’t learn much, and I was afraid to share anything I made. To be vulnerable. I continued to experiment, by myself.

That was my biggest mistake, the lesson I never learned: In art, you can’t hide. You need a community. You can absolutely make music on your own. But to share it with friends and build creative camraderie … there is nothing else like it. To jam out with a friend, having good, silly fun - is an irreplacable feeling. Music creation is strangely infectuous. People respond to the energy, and creation spawns more creation. Life begets life. You will cause someone to think - “Oh, maybe I should make some stuff too.”

Human after all

Enter, Suno’s CEO Mike Something Something (not worth remembering) uttering: “The majority of people don't enjoy the majority of the time they spend making music”. (after scraping the internet to steal all music, made by everyone, ever.)

This is why AI music will change the world. Because the KIDS ARE FUCKING FUMING, and they’re making scrappy, imperfect music like you wouldn’t believe. And it’s resonating. Gen Z (and probably some millenials), are racking up millions of views absolutely tearing AI music apart. You’ve all seen the graduation speakers being booed. Not only has everyone in this generation been told their jobs will be replaced - they’re coming for the artists too, WITHOUT CONSENT.

An entire generation of people is learning that being radically human, and anti-AI.. can be enough. To be scrappy, embracing your flaws and just MAKING MUSIC AND ART BECAUSE YOU WANT TO - can be a recipe for success. They’re realizing that there’s a place in the world for their art, for their music. That it has value. That, at the very least, what they make is coming from an ancient, intrinsic drive within - to express ourselves. It’s entirely possible that GenAI music tools could have been developed slowly, and responsibly - in a way that people are more keen to accept. But the tech world and music industry chose (their) convenience and speed at all costs.

I’m still making music. I’ve been sharing it, among friends, slowly but surely. It’s not amazing, but it’s mine. No matter how hard it is to make something great, the creative process alone is so satisfying that any shortcut would simply not make sense. Using GenAI would be a creatively dissatisfying non sequitur. It’s just not tempting, or appealing. (Sorry, Mike.)

I know that when I finally finish my first music project, I’ll know exactly what’s in the sauce. I’ll be able to trace memories, moments and inspirations to every little audible and inaudible decision. A product of who I am. Not of some gigawatt data center.

(side note: I’m not trying to argue all GenAI in all fields is bad. It’s not. I’m also not trying to discredit all music production tools that use ML or speed up the creation process. I’m trying to say I’m excited for all the beautiful music that will come from all the pissed off musicians.)