By Brian Hamning
The last time technology revolutionized music, I resisted it. This time, I’m embracing it—and it’s giving me something I thought I’d lost forever.
Nearly three decades ago, digital audio workstations, realistic instrument samples, drum machines, synthesizers, and computer software began transforming music production. The live-band approach I’d known was increasingly sharing the spotlight with an entirely new way of creating music. I struggled to accept that change, and somewhere along the way, I lost much of the joy I once found in making music.
That technological evolution is documented in MusicRadar’s “21st Century Music Technology: A Gear Timeline”, highlighting innovations such as Propellerhead Reason, Ableton Live, Native Instruments Kontakt, and Apple’s GarageBand that helped reshape modern music production.
Now, AI-assisted music is bringing another major disruption. I understand the controversy surrounding it, and I respect the concerns about authenticity, artistry, and the future of musicians. Those conversations matter.
But this time, I’m choosing a different path.
Rather than resist the disruption, I’m embracing the creative possibilities it offers. This technology has given me another chance to let my imagination breathe—to bring my lyrics, harmonies, musical arrangements, and production ideas to life in ways that once seemed beyond my reach.
The technology may help bring the music to life, but the stories, emotions, creative direction, and artistic choices remain deeply personal.
For me, this journey is about much more than making music. It’s about rediscovering a part of myself I thought I had lost.
And after all these years, I’m finally finding peace with music again.
As I grow older, I’m increasingly aware that my body isn’t what it once was. The physical limitations of aging are slowly becoming part of my reality, but something remarkable is happening at the same time. While my body may be slowing down, my soul is finding new life through music. My imagination hasn’t faded, my desire to create hasn’t diminished, and the passion I once feared I’d lost is alive and thriving again.
Perhaps that’s what makes this second chance so meaningful. At a time when life is gradually taking certain things away, music is giving something precious back to me.
My body may be growing older, but my creative spirit has never felt more alive.
I’m genuinely grateful to the people at the forefront of developing these technologies and making these creative opportunities possible. What they’ve helped make possible means more to me than I can easily express, for reasons that may not always be obvious or easy for others to understand.
I don’t expect everyone to share my perspective, and that’s okay. I simply hope people will listen with an open mind and recognize the human creativity, emotion, and intention behind the music.
Through Brian’s Not Dead Yet and my side projects, Weston Saylor and Patch Kinston, I’m exploring different musical styles, telling stories, and creating the kind of music I’ve carried inside me for years. Each project represents another opportunity to express something meaningful, and I’m grateful to have that opportunity again.
I don’t know exactly where this next chapter will lead, but I’m enjoying the creative journey in a way I haven’t experienced in a very long time.
Sometimes progress isn’t just about discovering something new. It’s about finding your way back to something you loved all along.
— Brian Hamning
Lyricist | Guitarist | AI-Assisted Music Producer
