I basically agree with Ted's position throughout, but another ancillary point needs some discussion. AI generated music would not have such an easy go of it if much of the music, composed by "humans," it seeks to imitate weren't so insufferably bad in the first place. I made my living as a studio musician in Nashville for years, and back…
I basically agree with Ted's position throughout, but another ancillary point needs some discussion. AI generated music would not have such an easy go of it if much of the music, composed by "humans," it seeks to imitate weren't so insufferably bad in the first place. I made my living as a studio musician in Nashville for years, and back in the day (the 1980s and 90s), session players would quietly complain about how bad the material that we had to record was so utterly pedestrian. Most any generic country song by the star du jour sounded like a joke when compared to Hank Williams, but that same piece of tripe would sound like Gershwin compared to what is coming out of Nashville today. Modern country music, taken on average, is so stupid now (both melodically and lyrically) that AI has no trouble leveling up to the standards practiced by Music Row.
Although some of Stapleton's music isn't what I would call "country," I would have to admit that he is one exception to my diatribe. It is true that Hank was one of a kind, but the presence of Bach and Mozart in the timeline certainly didn't stop Beethoven.
I spent about 10 years on the artist/pub deal-chasing writer side of things and I can verify that there are a lot of great songs still being written here, but the artists often have to fight for them because the labels want songs that sound good on the radio and those are often not the same as the great songs as I'm sure you recall from your time in the business.
The writers are often very talented, but you have a handful of the same people writing most of the big singles that come out, and they're incentivized to write for the radio because that's how you make money as a writer now that album cuts pay next to nothing. Music Row being infested with condos now is a really good metaphor for what's happened to the music industry here over time.
I basically agree with Ted's position throughout, but another ancillary point needs some discussion. AI generated music would not have such an easy go of it if much of the music, composed by "humans," it seeks to imitate weren't so insufferably bad in the first place. I made my living as a studio musician in Nashville for years, and back in the day (the 1980s and 90s), session players would quietly complain about how bad the material that we had to record was so utterly pedestrian. Most any generic country song by the star du jour sounded like a joke when compared to Hank Williams, but that same piece of tripe would sound like Gershwin compared to what is coming out of Nashville today. Modern country music, taken on average, is so stupid now (both melodically and lyrically) that AI has no trouble leveling up to the standards practiced by Music Row.
As a on again/off again country fan, I sadly have to agree. Curious, what do you think of Chris Stapleton's music?
I mean, Hank was one of a kind. So not sure that is entirely fair. But yeah, they don't make 'em like that any more.
Although some of Stapleton's music isn't what I would call "country," I would have to admit that he is one exception to my diatribe. It is true that Hank was one of a kind, but the presence of Bach and Mozart in the timeline certainly didn't stop Beethoven.
I spent about 10 years on the artist/pub deal-chasing writer side of things and I can verify that there are a lot of great songs still being written here, but the artists often have to fight for them because the labels want songs that sound good on the radio and those are often not the same as the great songs as I'm sure you recall from your time in the business.
The writers are often very talented, but you have a handful of the same people writing most of the big singles that come out, and they're incentivized to write for the radio because that's how you make money as a writer now that album cuts pay next to nothing. Music Row being infested with condos now is a really good metaphor for what's happened to the music industry here over time.