There's a unique facet of musicianship that doesn’t often get much notice—sometimes not even among musicians. It’s the art of playing accompaniment with intention, experience, and patience: building the solid support that lets a performance — and a vocalist, soloist, or lead — truly shine. It's something that AI cannot ever really replicate or reproduce either. Over the last few decades, modern music has removed much of the human element through digital recording, mixing, and auto-tune. We have, over time, created a runway for AI-generated music to flourish and be accepted. We are at a crossroads, recorded music sounds more robotic; AI is continuing to mimic human music at a level I never thought it could reach.
Live music was the haven of the actual musician. Still, even that is often supplemented by pre-recorded tracks—a constant struggle for most mid- to high-level performing bands—from cover bands to full-production bands, from every genre, including pop, rock, country, hip-hop, R&B, and Praise & Worship—working in live formats has to contend with. What tracks to use or not use. Where to use them or not. I can assure you that every mid- to high-level production band you see nowadays is using them; the only difference is at what level they are being used.
I also want to stand up and say something about the unsung high-level musicians in most 'better' bands you'll see locally, regionally, and beyond. Something that AI does not get right on any level, and its absence is the 'tell' I hear in most every AI-generated music 'product' I've heard. (*And I've done working with Suno myself, sometimes with incredible results, but again, not human).
In bands, duos, or any ensemble, the musicians who serve the song and never chase the spotlight often remind me of the role players on a championship team or the character actors in a great film cast. Their artistry is quiet but critical. They hold down the groove, keep the moments in time, and bring subtle color and taste—not to show off, but to elevate the whole experience.
What's sad is how little most audiences (and sometimes even fellow musicians) notice the dedication that goes into truly listening, building, and staying out of the melody’s way. As someone who’s often played the “supportive” part behind incredible vocalists, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is: when you know your job isn’t to compete, but to create room for the song (and the singer) to soar, the magic really happens.
So here’s some overdue respect for the musicians who:
Hit every mark and never get in the way. Build the foundation and let others fly.
Use dynamics, timing, voicing, and timbre for the good of the song—not for personal glory.
Because at the end of the day, the “stars” may get the limelight, but it takes a whole ensemble—a foundation—to lift a performance. And there's profound artistry in that, too.
And AI can never reach that. Humans react in the moment; AI is programmed. Personally, as a musician, I've always thought of performing live as "chasing moments" where the energy, the room, the crowd, the band, everything HITS and you FEEL it as much or more than you HEAR it. AI cannot ever do that. It's just machine karaoke, even at the highest level.
Live music was the haven of the actual musician. Still, even that is often supplemented by pre-recorded tracks—a constant struggle for most mid- to high-level performing bands—from cover bands to full-production bands, from every genre, including pop, rock, country, hip-hop, R&B, and Praise & Worship—working in live formats has to contend with. What tracks to use or not use. Where to use them or not. I can assure you that every mid- to high-level production band you see nowadays is using them; the only difference is at what level they are being used.
I also want to stand up and say something about the unsung high-level musicians in most 'better' bands you'll see locally, regionally, and beyond. Something that AI does not get right on any level, and its absence is the 'tell' I hear in most every AI-generated music 'product' I've heard. (*And I've done working with Suno myself, sometimes with incredible results, but again, not human).
In bands, duos, or any ensemble, the musicians who serve the song and never chase the spotlight often remind me of the role players on a championship team or the character actors in a great film cast. Their artistry is quiet but critical. They hold down the groove, keep the moments in time, and bring subtle color and taste—not to show off, but to elevate the whole experience.
What's sad is how little most audiences (and sometimes even fellow musicians) notice the dedication that goes into truly listening, building, and staying out of the melody’s way. As someone who’s often played the “supportive” part behind incredible vocalists, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is: when you know your job isn’t to compete, but to create room for the song (and the singer) to soar, the magic really happens.
So here’s some overdue respect for the musicians who:
Hit every mark and never get in the way. Build the foundation and let others fly.
Use dynamics, timing, voicing, and timbre for the good of the song—not for personal glory.
Because at the end of the day, the “stars” may get the limelight, but it takes a whole ensemble—a foundation—to lift a performance. And there's profound artistry in that, too.
And AI can never reach that. Humans react in the moment; AI is programmed. Personally, as a musician, I've always thought of performing live as "chasing moments" where the energy, the room, the crowd, the band, everything HITS and you FEEL it as much or more than you HEAR it. AI cannot ever do that. It's just machine karaoke, even at the highest level.
