Inner Motion Music

New Music Video Coming Tomorrow

To commemorate the final episode of the series, I made a cover of "Your New Home" from The Amazing Digital Circus. The video will be alive in about 25 hours from now if you want to check it out!

4 days ago | [YT] | 13

Inner Motion Music

A question for people who listen to the music I post on here:

How much do the visual elements add to your level of enjoyment of the music (specifically on YouTube)

1 week ago | [YT] | 4

Inner Motion Music

New track coming next week (plus a superfluous story below for anyone that cares to read it)!

This is basically just an update on my computer saga. After reading a bunch of forums, I decided to try to reset the CMOS of my computer and now it won’t power on at all. So I bought a refurbished laptop as an interim replacement.

It’s an 2021 Apple MacBook Pro M1. I’ve been hearing good things about them for years and so far I’m pretty impressed with it. It’ll allow me to get back to making things, although in a somewhat limited capacity as I gradually make the switch.

I appreciate everyone reading my mini essays while I was technologically limited. Writing is something I’ve always enjoyed, and I think I’m going to continue with that idea occasionally.

That’s all I have for now. Hope you’re having a great day.

1 week ago | [YT] | 14

Inner Motion Music

Experimenting with the new set up. It’s coming along bit by bit. Hopefully new music and videos won’t be far away. Thanks for your patience!

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 15

Inner Motion Music

Thoughts on A.I. (Part Two: Copyright)

Perhaps the most dominant narrative around A.I. is that of disruption. Ask any random person on the street what they know about A.I., and you're likely to hear about how it's going to take everyone's job. While I don't trivialize the potential for such potential outcomes, I hear less about the implications of A.I. on copyright. The point about job loss at least has the counterpoint of new jobs being created. However, in a worst case scenario, the effects of A.I. on copyright could be far more subversive. So let's take a minute to look at copyright before the world of generative A.I.

It's my belief that the music industry was already about 30 years behind on copyright law before the advent of generative A.I. Think back to the 1980's when sampling became widely used by music producers. This novel technique, enabled by the technological advancements of it's day, lead to an opaque legal environment around the idea of ownership of intellectual property. Since then, the legal system has been operating off it's back foot, with it's primary tool for settling copyright disputes being "fair use"; the application of which is often vague and arbitrary.

Then, beginning with things like Napster and Bit Torrent, we saw the dawning of the age of digital distribution. This carried us through to today where streaming services like Spotify and YouTube have become the primary platforms for accessing music. Anyone who's tried to distribute music through these services knows how obtuse the restrictions on copyright can be. Due to the inability of the legal system to sufficiently adapt to the rapidly changing environment, the platforms essentially wash their hands of liability and in effect, defer to the entities with the deepest pockets.

Now, in the age of generative A.I., things become even more concerning. I remember watching a video by ‪@VenusTheory‬ discussing how an A.I. model used his original music as a reference to create a new piece of music. The purveyor of the model was then able to file a copyright claim against Venus Theory's own source material that was used as the basis. If that doesn't tell you everything you need to know, I don't know what will. We're now living through a time where completely automated channels can produce content (the term actually applies here), then levy copyright claims against the source material upon which it's derivatives are based; thus stealing from the original artist on both the front end, as well as the back.

Someone whose views have resonated with me around this topic is computer scientist Jaron Lanier. I've heard Jaron express that a situation like this could be best served by a profit sharing model, which could extend to any discipline where an A.I. is using existing source material to produce content. He posits a kind of weighting structure wherein the degree to which any given piece of data contributed to the final product would be entitled to a certain portion of the revenues generated in perpetuity (essentially a granular system of royalties). As things exist right now, artists and creators have little legal protections (if any), and while individual platforms sometimes offer the ability to opt out of having one's work be used in training A.I. models, this isn't the standard on the whole. The path we are on is one where we are once again ceding more and more ownership to the tech industry.

I believe this to be a salient example of the intersection between art and policy, and one very worthy of consideration. It is a slippery slope which will be hard to recover from post hoc, once precedents are set. The primary obstacle towards implementing this kind of a system is not building the infrastructure. It is enacting the political will to make it the reality.

And lastly, think for a moment about how a system like that would invert the narrative of A.I. taking jobs. If artists and craftspeople knew that they would be appropriately valued and compensated for their work, they would likely feel more motivated to contribute, and inspired to create.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 15

Inner Motion Music

Toughts on A.I. (Part One: A 30,000 Foot View)

I believe the most useful way to begin this series will be to establish some context for how I see the A.I. space as a whole. Before I get into the meat of the discussion, let me first say that I view the label of "Artificial Intelligence" as mostly being a marketing term. In my understanding, the underlying technology is in essense, a highly sophisticated probability calculator mapped on to different situations (words, pixels, audio waveforms, etc). These frameworks are nominally intended to assist humans complete tasks, but calling them "assistive technologies" wouldn't have the same sizzle as does "Artificial Intelligence." It would be more difficult for a CEO to raise billions of dollars from venture capital firms by selling an elaborate auto-complete algorithm than it would be by selling a mysterious black box that conjures visions of HAL3000, and which may or may not have a 25% chance of leading humanity into an extinction level event.

With that said, I would describe myself as being agnostic when it comes to the actual technology component. The world we live in is one of growth and development, and while on an individual level we may support or oppose the advancement of different technologies for our own personal reasons, there is little we can do to stop the forward momentum of technological advancement as a whole. And just as there are technologies we may oppose, there are those which each of us adopt and become part of daily lives (for better, or for worse).

I can even go so far as to say that there are things which I find interesting and compelling about A.I. In the most basic sense, I think something like a large language model (LLM), acting as a "living" compendium of recorded human thought, is kind of an interesting anthropological concept. Another idea I find compelling would be the use of A.I. in medical research. If, in theory, an A.I. could help accelerate medical research, thereby saving lives and reducing suffering, I think that would be a good thing (assuming the cost of doing so to be reasonable).

So the concerns I have are less to do with the technology itself. They are with how it will be implemented. For instance, think of the field of atomic energy. We've used the same essential underlying technology both to enable life, as well as destroy it. Which direction we take with A.I. will come down to the policy decisions made by the powers that be. And at present, I have little faith that the current path we are on is one that is prioritizing the benefit of society writ large.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 16

Inner Motion Music

Thoughts on A.I. (Introduction)

My guess is that half way through 2026, most of us are pretty well acquainted with the subject of A.I., and have probably formed some opinions on it. While I'm by no means an expert, the A.I. space is something I've been following somewhat closely for a number of years and as such, I've accumulated a lot of thoughts about it from a variety of perspectives. I figured that this would be a good way to test the waters of expressing them, so over the coming days, I'm going to share them in a series of mini-essays. Each part will approach A.I. from a different angle, as I see it.

Before I jump in, I feel it necessary to add the following disclaimer: In simple terms, the purpose of this channel is to share art and education. While I do possess my own world views, my intent has always been to keep this channel isolated from politics. That said, the reality is that any nuanced discussion of a subject like A.I. requires acknowledging that there are inevitable touch points where art and policy meet (mainly as it relates to economics). And I would also be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the role art has played (and continues to play) throughout human history as being a means of expressing philosophical views, often relating to political conditions. In sum, these mini-essays will not contain partisan opinions, but there will be discussions about the current state of the A.I. industry as they relate to various dimensions of policy.

If you're down with that, I'd love for you to read them. The first will be up tomorrow.

2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 16

Inner Motion Music

The value of sucking at something.



I suck at billiards. I suck at driving stick shift cars. I suck at doing long division. And I probably suck at lots of other things. In fact, when you consider how many things there are in the world, I probably suck at most of them. And you know what? I don't care that I suck at those things. But there are a few select things that I REALLY care about not sucking at. I care so much about not sucking at them, that sometimes I start to feel like I maybe I actually do suck. Here's something that I like to do to help me break out of that kind of thought pattern.


I try to learn about something new. This could take the form of a developing a skill, or it could simply be studying a subject that is foreign to me. I do so not with the intention of mastering it, or even becoming competent at it. I do it simply to do it. Sometimes I may find that I actually end up enjoying it, and sometimes I won't end up sticking with it very long. But the value of the simple act of doing can be quite profound. Here's what it looks like in practice:


One night many years ago, I played a cello at a friends' apartment and had an amazing experience with it. From then on, the idea of playing the cello lived in the back of my mind. I would often think about how much depth it would add to my palette of musical expression. It felt so natural to me that I thought I'd pick it up with ease. Then about 3 years ago, I finally bought one.


I practiced everyday for a Summer. I started with basic bowing of open strings, trying to get a good sound and figure out the mechanics. Then I progressed to playing some scales. It turns out, it was a lot harder than I anticipated. I used it on some recording projects, but never got particularly good at it. Eventually, I stopped practicing, and the idea of adding it to my aforementioned palette of expression faded. But I'm so glad I went through that little journey. Here's why...




For one, eavesdropping on the world of a cellist gave me a fresh perspective from which to view concepts which were already familiar to me, but this wasn't the most profound benefit. Embarking on learning something new; thinking of myself a "beginner", freed me of self imposed expectations.



I gave myself permission to suck at it. I find that there's a tendency to affix the entirety of one's identity and sense of self worth in the things we "do." This arises from the ego, and sense of pride. Having no expectations; committing to a process instead of a result; allowing yourself to be "bad" at something, can be tremendously liberating. I found that I engaged in the practice of playing cello in a much more immediate way. That is to say, my mind was free of the self judgment and criticism that can often arise when I'm working on things I'm more emotionally invested in. It also helped me connect more directly to my sense of curiosity.


So if you feel like negative self talk is something that you struggle with, try allowing yourself to suck at something else. It may be a tremendous gift that you can take into your practice of the things you actually do care about.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 34

Inner Motion Music

Dealing With Stress As A "Content Creator"

I put "Content Creator" in quotes because personally, I dislike the term. I find it to be soulless and reductive. Nevertheless, the world of content creation is so varied and robust, that I (begrudgingly) acknowledge it's utility as a catch-all term to refer to all of the stuff that's uploaded to various platforms each day.

Endeavoring to create a social media presence on any platform can become wrought with stress. Things like imposter syndrome, chasing hits of dopamine, and simply just maintaining an upload schedule can become significant mental challenges one must content with. Here are a few things that help me manage those stresses.

First and foremost, I recognize the state of play. All social media platforms make their money in two ways: selling ads, and rent seeking. As far as the corporate entities that own the digital infrastructure are concerned, you exist on their platform to service one (or both) of these ends. Then consider that the vast minority of people (perhaps as little as 1%) make a full time living off their social media.

While it would be easy to descend into a nihilistic tirade from here, that's not the point I'm trying to make. Viewing things through that lens helps me zoom out and look at the bigger picture. When I see things from that perspective, it becomes easy to prioritize my own needs (and the needs of my audience) over the needs of the platform.

The genesis of this micro blogging idea was the main computer that I use for music and video production dying — an extremely discouraging and disheartening situation. There was a point this week where I was literally yelling into my phone, arguing with customer service robot. What did I do? After recognizing the absurity of the situation, I hung up the phone and went for a walk (which is when I took these pictures).

The decision I had to make was this: do I focus on the aggravation of it all; how much it was going to cost; how an extended absence would hurt my channel? Or do I just... not? I chose the latter. Stepping out of the immediate situation, changing my surroundings, and thinking about other things was a much better choice for my overall well being.

The moral of the story is: we all have different demands, and life situations. Regardless of what the stressor is, you can acquire tools for dealing with it. Develop a clear perspective that prioritizes your own well being over the benefit of that which doesn't offer you commensurate compensation for your efforts (in whatever ways you define the terms).

P.S. if you have experience with this, and/or strategies of your own for dealing with stress, please share them!

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 29

Inner Motion Music

Long time viewers of this channel may recall that I’ve been engaged in a multi-year battle with my computer. As of yesterday, it appears that I have lost that battle.

Don’t worry, this isn’t a “poor me” post. It may be a couple of weeks before I can post any new videos on here, but I’m working on a solution. In the meantime, I’m going to be using these posts as a way to avoid going dark, and thus risking algorithmic banishment.

I don’t know how many people actually see these, but I’m going to be treating them like microblogs over this period of time while I get a new computer set up. Many of them will discuss subjects that I’ve considered making full videos about, but haven’t done so for one reason or another.

So that’s all I have for now. Thanks for your patience and support while I get this sorted out. Oh, and I almost forgot, but the accompanying picture is of a piece of Sicilian pizza from Ignazio’s in DUMBO, Brooklyn that I ate before a gig last night. I always leave early when I play out there so I can have enough time to get one.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 37