#51 "Softly Now" -- I'm An AI Cheater Now

1 day ago by @jerrypettit

Liner Notes

SONG #51my First Experience With AI Song Generation

I'm a math nerd (it was my major in college), so I've kept up on the development of AI--and especially more recently as it has encroached on the music industry.

Do I wish AI wasn't doing music? Yes. But is it? Yes--and consequently we need to decide whether to impotently just express our "Hate"...and maybe just quit--or maybe we sigh and accept it and learn how to deal with it. Like we did back in the 70s/80s (?) with synthesizers and MIDI. (Sorry classical orchestra players and recording studio owners). Turns out that the "do it from home" technological explosion was, in my opinion, a good thing.

I wrote these lyrics and then went to UDIO.com and gave it a "text prompt" along the lines of "do a 1940s-style swing song, male vocal, blah, blah"--I don't remember my exact words. I don't think I used the word "Sinatra"--UDIO doesn't like that kind of thing, copyright-wise--but it definitely came out sounding like him, in my opinion.

UDIO required some work (less than an hour total, though) to "extend" the piece past its (at the time) 30 second limit. (Lately I've come across LOUDME.ai that will do a full 3-minutes song).

AND THIS SONG IS AWESOME!! Great arrangement, great vocal and an INCREDIBLE horn section Interlude at about the 1-minute mark.

Can I take much credit for this? No. I really can't. MAYBE if I used the other software out there to remove the vocal and put in my own, I'd feel a LITTLE better about it being "mostly" my "composition". But...no.

Still. It's cheating. So is MIDI, my Band In A Box, using my Captain Melody to try and come up with my pitiful melodies, using your mouse to make edits in your DAW, and using Melodyne/Autotune (which is on virtually EVERY recording you hear now).

I hope you enjoy this song I cheated on!

Lyrics

SOFTLY NOW

Words & Music
By
Jerry Pettit
Facebook.com/JerryPettitMusic

SOFTLY NOW, as the night falls down,
In your arms, I find my way around.
Whispered words, in the candle's glow,
In this quiet, our love will grow.

Every touch, every sigh,
Underneath the evening sky,
Heart to heart, hand in hand,
Here we are, in our dreamland.

Chorus:
SOFTLY NOW, embrace the night,
In your eyes, I see the light.
Hold me close, feel my heartbeat's vow,
In this moment, SOFTLY NOW.

Gently now, the world fades away,
In your smile, I'VE found my day.
Every breath, a melody,
In this silence, you and me.

MUSICAL INTERLUDE

Every kiss, every smile,
Makes this journey so worthwhile,
Side by side, in this dance,
In your love, I find my chance.

SOFTLY NOW, as we drift to sleep,
In your love, my heart I'll keep.
Through the dreams, we'll find somehow,
Our forever, SOFTLY NOW.

Chorus:
SOFTLY NOW, embrace the night,
In your eyes, I see the light.
Hold me close, feel my heartbeat's vow,
In this moment, SOFTLY NOW.

© 2024, Jerry Pettit

Comments