Field Notes
On the Frontier
This is a living laboratory. It features experiments in human-AI collaboration, creativity, and business management.
Embryonique (2005)
One of the best things to happen to me as a songwriter was to make music using FrutiyLoops. A friend I worked with in the Twin Cities added the program onto my computer and soon I was creating all sorts of songs with the program.
Badlands (2006)
Badlands is the first album where I thought I might be writing legitimately good music. One of these songs (“Deserter”) would show up as the opening track on the second Lower Stacks album Love In All Directions (2018). That version is nearly all instrumental. This one is sadder and slower and has singing. I think this one is better.
Using AI Without Letting It Do Too Much
Even though I didn’t use what AI suggested, I liked the idea of bridging, so I kept that. I also like that idea that the website would be a collaboration between (or a combintation of) the traditional and the new. So even when I don’t adopt the writing, it’s often very helpful to have something to consider and to pick the parts that I connect with, and then go from there.
How I’m Organizing and Releasing Over 300 Songs Online
I left the music section of the “Works” tab for last because that is where I had the most content to upload and organize. Over 300 songs! Most of which I wrote in my 20s. I told myself I’d create an album cover for each (using Midjourney), but I wasn’t sure how the process would develop. Today I found out.