This video is a conversation with Charlie Hooper-Williams, a composer, pianist, and software developer, who shares insights on his creative process, live performances, the classical music world, and the impact of AI on art.
Key Discussion Points
* Background and Work
* Charlie Hooper-Williams is a composer, pianist, and software developer who was part of the team that created the music identification app, Shazam [00:02].
* He defines his musical style as part of the "post-classical," "indie classical," or "neo-classical" movement, focusing on creating music that connects emotionally with the audience [02:48].
* He studied piano performance as an undergraduate at Northwestern [03:11].
* Live Performances and Technology
* He currently performs solo on a portable acoustic piano and utilizes a unique live visual system that he coded himself [00:18].
* The system listens to what he plays and creates real-time visuals ( [19:54] ) projected onto a screen and six light towers [19:06].
* His shows vary, ranging from small, intimate village halls to large festivals like Glastonbury [25:50]. He also enjoys performing in movie theaters, utilizing the massive screen and quality sound [33:49].
* The Creative Process
* He discusses the idea that no art is wholly new; a composer is a "sum of everything you've ever heard and done and seen" [10:09]. The artist's job is to digest those influences so that the final product is truly their own [10:24].
* He finds the process of writing music includes phases of feeling his work is "terrible" ( [06:07] ), a common experience for creatives, which is why he values creative peers and mentors [07:27].
* The World of Classical Music
* He believes that post-World War II academic music created a split by prioritizing music that was difficult and experimental over music that was entertaining and connected with a general audience [03:06:01].
* He is excited by contemporary composers like Caroline Shaw, who are experimental but still "fun and exciting" [38:43].
* AI in Music
* He finds AI to be a helpful tool for things like summarizing and grant applications ( [43:25] ), but he maintains a strong critical judgment when using it [42:56].
* He is not yet impressed by AI-generated music ( [45:40] ) and speculates that the future will see a split between easily-generated AI background music and human-made art that people actively listen to for the sake of human-to-human connection [46:32].
Recommendations
Charlie Hooper-Williams recommends the following post-classical artists:
* Nils Frahm [51:22]
* Poppy Ackroyd
* Olafur Arnalds
* Max Richter
You can find his music and updates by searching his name or visiting his website, charliehooperwilliams.com [51:55].
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