London Singer-Songwriter With Parkinson’s Uses AI Tools to Complete Album

Samuel Smith, a 49-year-old London-based singer-songwriter, released his second album “The Art of Letting Go” after using AI platforms Suno and Udio to generate demo arrangements for the instrumental track “Horizon” when Parkinson’s disease limited his ability to play guitar.

Smith was diagnosed with the progressive neurological disorder in 2020. He said tremors, stiffness and fatigue caused his guitar skills to deteriorate during the more than a year he worked on the album.

He created the demos by humming rough melodies into his phone and uploading the recordings into the song generators. ” Smith said producing convincing demos required “50, 100, 150 attempts” and extensive editing. He uploads his own lyrics and music; the AI does not create them.

The album was produced by Grammy-winning pianist and producer Matt Rollings. Musicians on the record include 16-time Grammy winner Jerry Douglas, Alison Brown, Stuart Duncan, Bryan Sutton, Viktor Krauss, Jonatha Brooke and Glen Phillips. ” He said he had a window of about 10 minutes in the studio when his arm freed up and he was able to play.

“So in the end, I was able to capture the last breath of my guitar playing,” he said. Smith released his debut album “In the Springtime” in 2023. He said he wanted to give his two sons, ages 4 and 17, a way to remember when he could perform and record music himself.

On May 21, Smith collaborated with the Berklee Music and Health Institute for an event in New York that brought together music industry leaders, researchers and clinicians to examine how music can support people living with neurological conditions. Smith said: “AI is not replacing anything for me. It’s unlocking, it’s enabling.

He added: “My message would be that if these companies want to show they’ve got a place, a role in society, then step up. ” Smith said: “My 4-year-old is probably never going to remember me playing, and it’s heartbreaking. ” Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Records sued Suno and Udio in June 2024.

Universal later reached a settlement and partnership deal with Udio. Warner did the same with Suno. ” Ruaidhri Mannion, who teaches at Brunel University of London, said technology like affordable digital recording software “effectively democratized the making of music” in recent decades.

He said AI tools that generate polished-sounding material from voice or text prompts could work in the same way by helping songwriters and musicians communicate ideas and collaborate more easily.