Songs for Transitioning

Introduction

Songs for Transitioning' has been designed to produce a unique piece of art – a song that captures the uniqueness and essence of the person it is written for and about. It has the power to support the transitioning of a dying loved one and their family and friends. It has the power to heal, uplift spirits, and help everyone involved work through the stages of grief.

This first iteration, of the service, has been designed specifically for my local Thames Community so we can iron out any kinks and understand what it actually takes to provide. In time, I, and I suspect a team, will begin designing this service for other communities around Aotearoa New Zealand and even more broadly, the world.

However, if you live outside of Thames and would like to try it out for yourself and a dying loved one, please contact me. We can do the initial step, the Conversation, online with family and friends. While it is more powerful energetically to do in-person, family and friends often live all over the place these days, so doing it online is frequently the only option.

AI enabling human creativity

I use AI to curate each song, which has made a service like this possible without the expense and time constraints. If you were to ask a musician to create a similar song, they would most likely go through a process similar to what's outlined below. The main differences would be the cost, the style of musical arrangement, they might (though not always) play an instrument themselves and the time it takes to produce (months vs 1-2 weeks).

However, some people have  a strong reaction to using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create art. I tend to agree with this sentiment because what it usually produces is a mishmash of other people's art and has the feel of a Tupperware container. However, through my own testing and research, I've discovered that AI can actually enable the human creative process to produce something surprisingly beautiful, 'on point' and unique.

This makes sense because the words used are yours, arranged into song form; the music style is your choice (AI can replicate this); and the curation process is guided by me or someone on the team, a human, who can listen deeply and relate. I think if you allow yourself to experience the process, you will find it deeply personal and very human—something AI can only assist with, not lead. And to be brutally honest, without AI assistance, this service could not exist.