Lee Barry's Blog, page 38
March 8, 2020
What Else Is There To Do?
A big part of getting the answers you want is asking the good questions. Why do we need AI for this?
When ideas strike at the moment I’m improvising I have to attempt to capture them. That’s when things slow way down--because you’re in writing and or production mode, and you tend to want to follow down that path. The initial questions (at least for me) are: what is the best tempo, and what is
When ideas strike at the moment I’m improvising I have to attempt to capture them. That’s when things slow way down--because you’re in writing and or production mode, and you tend to want to follow down that path. The initial questions (at least for me) are: what is the best tempo, and what is

Published on March 08, 2020 12:58
March 1, 2020
Good Faith, Bad Faith (You Know We've Had Our Share)
Always consider the effect the future will have on your work--or how you understand others' work.
Cold War Steve recently appropriated Hopper's People in the Sun (1963) with a streaking Trump, alluding to what I assume is "the emperor's new clothes."
Parody, of course, is fair use under the copyright law, but is it fair to artists to not fully understand the artists' intentions? But
Cold War Steve recently appropriated Hopper's People in the Sun (1963) with a streaking Trump, alluding to what I assume is "the emperor's new clothes."
Parody, of course, is fair use under the copyright law, but is it fair to artists to not fully understand the artists' intentions? But

Published on March 01, 2020 12:55
Good Faith, Bad Faith (You Know we've Had Our Share)
Always consider the effect the future will have on your work--or how you understand others' work. Cold War Steve recently appropriated Hopper's People in the Sun (1963) with a streaking Trump, alluding to what I assume is "the emperor's new clothes." Parody, of course, is fair use under the copyright law, but is it fair to artists to not fully understand the artists' intentions? But then

Published on March 01, 2020 12:55
February 23, 2020
Computering
Lots of my in-person conversations of late have usually involved some ranting about the incursion of computing in everything and everyone. The more I think out loud about AI the more I become more blasé or cynical about it. I had thought perhaps I might use it as a way to generate rhythm tracks when I get an idea while playing around on a guitar. What you want ultimately is to use the

Published on February 23, 2020 12:58
February 16, 2020
Creativity Testing
Eero Saarinen’s Architectural Aptitude Test
In my album of 12 solo piano pieces ("Rifts"), the only rule was that each piece would be in the Lydian mode--one for each key. It's "home" chord (Key of C):
Here is an example of a similar set of simple rules applied to visual art, combining the rectilinear and curvilinear, and using a set of 12 colors. (Similar to the creativity tests they
In my album of 12 solo piano pieces ("Rifts"), the only rule was that each piece would be in the Lydian mode--one for each key. It's "home" chord (Key of C):
Here is an example of a similar set of simple rules applied to visual art, combining the rectilinear and curvilinear, and using a set of 12 colors. (Similar to the creativity tests they

Published on February 16, 2020 12:12
February 8, 2020
Riffs
Bare Trees is the title track from the Fleetwood Mac album released in 1972.
What’s remarkable is that it’s composed almost entirely of riffs (6!) in E Mixolydian/Blues with a few random lyrics mapped over them.
The lyric is beautifully denuded.
The fact that "dummy" lyrics were used indicates that lyrics in pop songs aren't really essential when music can take the spotlight. Lyrics are
What’s remarkable is that it’s composed almost entirely of riffs (6!) in E Mixolydian/Blues with a few random lyrics mapped over them.
The lyric is beautifully denuded.
The fact that "dummy" lyrics were used indicates that lyrics in pop songs aren't really essential when music can take the spotlight. Lyrics are

Published on February 08, 2020 07:03
February 6, 2020
On Photography
The earliest surviving camera photograph, 1826 or 1827, known as View from the Window at Le Gras
Entries from Dynaxiom pertaining to photography:
1791. Photography is an easy way to "tag" beauty.
1779. In some ways, the digital realm has made us blind to minute details, while exaggerating others. High-resolution imagery that is backlit is a different perceptual phenomenon than looking at
Entries from Dynaxiom pertaining to photography:
1791. Photography is an easy way to "tag" beauty.
1779. In some ways, the digital realm has made us blind to minute details, while exaggerating others. High-resolution imagery that is backlit is a different perceptual phenomenon than looking at

Published on February 06, 2020 18:35
February 2, 2020
On Music
My version of the "Fripporisms" (Barryisms)--essentially all the Dynaxioms that have "music" in them.
1884. An album of music created with AI is no more interesting than an album that uses a wah-wah pedal on every track.
1866. Playing music can be interpreted as a hedonistic interpretation of Now, and is both a kind of temporary "inebriation" and a sobering pursuit of aesthetic
1884. An album of music created with AI is no more interesting than an album that uses a wah-wah pedal on every track.
1866. Playing music can be interpreted as a hedonistic interpretation of Now, and is both a kind of temporary "inebriation" and a sobering pursuit of aesthetic

Published on February 02, 2020 13:50
The Music of Language (Cont.)
On Twitter, someone posted a clip of Anthony Hopkins reciting the last stanza of the Dylan Thomas poem Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, in a post related to Brexit. I was moved by the natural prosody and the natural rhythms in the words in its recitation.
It is written in the form of a villanelle, a ballad-like song with no fixed form. Both Thomas and Hopkins seem to evoke a march
It is written in the form of a villanelle, a ballad-like song with no fixed form. Both Thomas and Hopkins seem to evoke a march

Published on February 02, 2020 08:02
January 26, 2020
Realpolitik (On Marianne Williamson)
Rose Cross of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
Marianne Williamson intrigues me in many ways, but I'm not sure why. On one hand, I think she has a huge ego (self--small 's'), but on the other hand, I think there's a real sense of integrity that might override the ego. She's mindful of it, which is another way of saying that she has the various random "wills" figured out. To be
Marianne Williamson intrigues me in many ways, but I'm not sure why. On one hand, I think she has a huge ego (self--small 's'), but on the other hand, I think there's a real sense of integrity that might override the ego. She's mindful of it, which is another way of saying that she has the various random "wills" figured out. To be

Published on January 26, 2020 13:10