HeyJaredHack Music Theory
The unorthodoX thoughts of multi award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony. Older episodes were co-hosted by his wife and protégé Kate Harmony.
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 5
- Latest publication
- Sep 16, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 17, 2026
Latest episodes
AI Hitmaker to AI Hitman. (opens the original)
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AI Hitmaker to AI Hitman . Wow, that escalated fast! It was only two years ago that I was sitting here at my desk watching a video on how generative-AI was now able to make music. I remember thinking: Man, that song sounds awful, and super fake too! Fast forward a couple years to now, and hardly anyone can tell the difference between human and fully AI-generated songs. In fact, it’s worse than that, because humans have a bad habit of editing and tuning their recordings until they sound 100% mech
This Song Makes You Feel Good. (opens the original)
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Counterclockwise Music . This Song Makes You Feel Good. When I listen to “Kokomo” by the Beach Boys, I’m instantly transported back to my childhood in the ‘80s. In fact, if I close my eyes while listening to it, I’m right there in my childhood house lying on my back with my headphones on, singing away to Mike Love and the boys. I can actually feel that old carpet under my back, and the warm African wind blowing in through my window. In my mind, I’m really there. And I’m a kid again. It’s so powe
Odd Time Signatures That Aren’t Odd. (opens the original)
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Odd Time Signatures That Aren’t Odd . Rare Rhythms That Move People. American band Death Cab for Cutie recently released their new album “I Built You a Tower”, and the song “Stone Over Water” is a brilliant example of how to make music that’s rhythmically interesting without sacrificing its ability to move people, aka its danceability. And that’s a vital element of music, not to be underestimated. Because, if people can’t tap their foot or bob their head along to your song, they’ll find it frust
Wanting Fans Is Not Wanting Validation. (opens the original)
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Wanting Fans Is Not Wanting Validation . Music is social. No fans = No relationships. My previous essay, titled “Making Music Is Bad for Mental Health”, was a kind of eulogy to the pre-smartphone fan. You know, that person who used to listen with all their attention. Nowadays, people don’t really do anything with all their attention, and this indifference is why us creatives are struggling so much with our mental health. It’s painful to share our art with a world that’s too addicted to their pho
Making Music Is Bad for Your Mental Health. (opens the original)
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Making Music Is Bad for Your Mental Health . Songs need listeners, but most people are too busy scrolling nowadays. You’ve just finished a new song. You love it! You’re beyond thrilled. You can’t wait for people to hear it, so you excitedly upload it and click publish. And you wait. And you wait some more. Then you refresh. Maybe it just needed a refresh. No. Still nothing. Ah! There’s a notification now. Jack192837465 gave it a thumbs up! But, your song is five minutes long, and you uploaded it
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