Songdays

There are 3 basic rules for the Songday "system":

• A song started on a certain date
• A song finished on a certain date
• A song about a certain date in time 

The process involves randomly selecting words and phrases from the diary and using the natural rhythms in the words to make the core riffs. The rhythms of words are a kind of "drum" and drive the pulse of he music and directs the flow of meaning, expressed through melody and harmony. It's similar to black-out poetry (or reverse redaction) where only the used words and phrases are visible.

The process is not unlike working in series in visual art.

Each day I jot down these rhythms manually in the Songday Diary, my sketchbook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An AI-analysis: While I agree with its assessment, my take is much more mechanical. They seem to analyze what I'm doing as being what a composer would do for a period film, setting the stage for a specific historical framework. But what I'm essentially doing is randomly cherry-picking certain words that sound musical from the diary and using their rhythms to drive the music. It might not have any historical value at all. Its analysis is essentially drawing a conclusion that is partially true, but if you talk to the actual artist, they'll say something completely different. What it is missing are the three basic rules of the Songday system: a song based on a certain date, a song started on a certain day, or a song finished on a certain day. While the diary entry may be from the 1930s, I may use the date that I started it or the date that I finished it. It depends on the decision I make when it's finished.

We have to be really careful in how AI describes what we're doing and what our real intentions are. Artists need to speak for themselves as much as they can so that people aren’t confused about the process. But even before AI, someone else could describe an artist’s process that wouldn't be accurate, even the gallery representing them. I think all artists and musicians should write as much as possible. It's definitely not hard these days, because you can just dictate everything. As polished as these analyses are, they just flow over you, and you forget that there might be some overembellishments going on.

 Sum II.1 is the first album in the series drawn from diary entries.