Each week, I first summarize my adventures in making music. Lately, I have been composing tracks for the Disquiet Junto, the Naviar Records Haiku Music Challenge and, this year for the first time, Weekly Beats. I also have other projects and collaborations I will share occasionally.
I also bring together the perspective I shared in posts on social media (currently Mastodon) about the music industry in the section: Music + Tech + Law. These thoughts are intended to come from me as a consumer of, and participant in, the entertainment business. However, I cannot completely separate the thoughts I generate from the part of my brain I use for my day job as a lawyer experienced in technology contracts and intellectual property.*
My Music
It has been a rough couple of weeks.** I just barely made Weekly Beats submissions last week and the week before, so I was not sure going into this week whether Week 13 was the end for me and Weekly Beats 2024. Later in the week this week, I started to put my head down and focus on this track without any expectations and I am really happy with how it came out. I decided to start with samples - just random loops I have from free sample packs in Splice. I found a handful that were in the same key and used Simpler devices in Ableton to slice each one up, then I played out various patterns using a basic MIDI keyboard. I then went to my library in Ableton and looked for loops and one-shots in the same key. I built the beat last, which is not my usual workflow and I am pleased with how it came together on top of all the samples and other sounds. The drum sounds all came from the same stock Ableton kit and might not be what I would have chosen if I picked each one by hand, but I think they work pretty well with the rest of the sounds. When I first moved to Arrangement View, the song was much longer, but I kept cutting it and cutting it and it turned out to be a pretty short song. One element I do not have is any sort of pad underlying everything, but that is okay to me. It is a very rhythm-heavy track and most of the sounds play a percussive role.
Music + Tech + Law
**I expect to start back up on Music + Tech + Law posts next week.
*My opinions are not my employer’s and this material does not create an attorney-client relationship, is not intended to convey legal or ethics advice, and does not guarantee the same or similar results in all cases.
Miscellaneous on Music
I love this story about a 66-year-old musician. I can be so self-conscious sometimes about making electronic music when I’m so far removed from my twenty-something self who would stay out late at the clubs. My hair is graying, I go to bed early, I have a bad back… Still, I keep making music that interests me with the outlook that I want it to be something I will keep doing for years to come. This artist is an inspiration and gives me confidence that making music can be a part of the rest of my life.
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