Computer Music Haiku

Every autumn for the past 12 years, I've traveled to a remote ranch in Texas for the Fat Man's Project Bar-B-Q, an amazing computer-music conference. Its goal is to shape the future of music hardware and software, and it's been quite successful.

Each year, about half of the 50-odd attendees are new, so introduction night is important. One year, everyone introduced themselves in haiku form, describing their background and interests in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. Today I came across a few haiku I wrote, setting the scene and reflecting my goal of helping more people start making music on computers. Can you think of more?

Fallen leaves crunching
Sweet barbecue ribs sizzling
Sound is essential

Composing music
On computers would be huge
If it weren't so hard

Digital music
Can always be improved, y'all
Crank it up to 1
[Crank It Up to 1 was the working title of my book, The Art of Digital Music.]

Rigid computers
Can work in harmony with
Messy musicians

Art is disruptive
Computers — strong but stubborn
Let's show them who's boss

Distortion is art
PCs — boringly precise
Think outside the box

Autumn in Texas
Fire up the grill and the
Future of music