HearMe
The album was made with the help of HearMe – a new web and mobile app built on ethical and responsible AI practices to support human-centered songwriting. The app encourages and teaches users to play instruments, sing, write lyrics, and develop their musicianship and artistry. It also provides musical visualization and learning activities aimed at explaining musical concepts and teaching musical skills. The motivation behind HearMe is to address the gaps in current musical AI generation, which separates humans from active and meaningful engagement with music making. Instead, HearMe aims to support and enhance the cognitive, emotional, and social benefits of physical and active musical engagement. The app does not allow for text prompting, only musical input. The album is all is human written and played as well.
Q&A
01
How was the app HearMe used in making the album?
When working on a song, I used the app's built-in tools to come up with lyrics and musical ideas, which I played on a piano, guitar, bass, and drums. I would then listen to how the app puts my inputs together, providing me with new musical ideas and instruction on how to play. I would use these ideas to compose and play my own songs.
02
How is making music with HearMe different from how have made music in the past?
As a jazz musician, most of my music so far has been in that genre. During the pandemic, my students and I developed a generative AI app to write lyrics to some of my jazz tunes, which lead to the album "Better Late." In HearMe I reversed the process: it is the first time my research has inspired me to write my own lyrics, and to collaborate with AI in composing music to lyrics.
03
Why the name HearMe?
The name reflects the human need to be heard in a world that seems to move towards AI automation. It also refers to the name of a proposal I wrote to fund the project titled “Human Ethics for Advancing Robotic Musical Intelligence” (HEAR MI).
04
Who are the musicians on the album?
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Gil Weinberg: piano, keys, guitar, bass, drums and voice in all songs except:
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Sharon Solly-Weinberg: voice on "Storm", "We're Done", and "Autumn Wind."
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Guy Tesler: bass on "We're Done."
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