Hack Music Theory

Replaced by Robots.

The truth is that AI has already taken over.

Before I read my new essay, I just wanna let you know that everything on our website is now half price. Whether you’re a complete beginner wanting to learn how to make music for the first time, or whether you’re intermediate (or even advanced) wanting to elevate your music from good to great, there’s a course or PDF to help you reach that next level. And they cover all genres, too.

And just a heads up that unless the AI robots stop stealing my work, I’m going to have to close down Hack Music Theory on May 1st 2027, so if you’ve ever been tempted to learn my secret Song-Whispering method for making great music, then enroll soon!

To be clear, I’ll still be posting regularly, but only on Substack. If you wanna keep following my work, then please subscribe at rayharmony.substack.com. It’s free to subscribe, and I don’t put any of my posts behind a paywall, they’re all free!

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Enjoy, and now here’s my latest essay, which explains the reason for having to close down Hack Music Theory after being in business for 10 years. Thanks for reading, and a heartfelt thank-you for being here. You are deeply valued.

There’s been a lot of talk recently about the alleged over-reaction to threats of AI stealing jobs and replacing people, but in reality, AI has already stolen countless jobs and replaced countless people. This is not speculation, it’s recent history. I can personally confirm this, because I’ve been replaced by robots.

Have you been replaced, too? If so, please share your experience in the comments. It’s vital to speak out about this, as it seems most people don’t know that this has already happened for many of us. Or maybe they’re just in denial? I guess it’s all fun and games until the robots come for their jobs. Then they’ll believe us.

So why is there all this talk about people over-reacting? Well, it’s a textbook gaslighting campaign. If you’re like me, then you can spot these a mile away nowadays. Same technique, different details. Welcome to Animal Farm.

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They need us to deny our senses, because we’re looking around at the world and can see all the robots that have already replaced humans. Just look at the checkouts in stores. They’re almost all self-checkout robots. There are hardly any checkout staff any more. And when you email most companies now, you get a reply from an AI agent. That’s at least one or two humans replaced by robots in small companies, and tens or even hundreds in big corporations. The evidence is everywhere. We can all see it (and verify it) for ourselves.

So, this essay is my attempt to counter the gaslighting campaign, and to acknowledge all my fellow brothers and sisters who’ve also been replaced by robots. I see you, and I see your suffering. Please know that you’re not alone, and you’re definitely not crazy. We are indeed living in a world where humans (and humanity) are rapidly disappearing. And please know that you’re in the right for not being happy with how things are unfolding.

Here’s some more evidence, from my experience. Google analytics emails me a report every month for the Hack Music Theory website. When I compare the numbers from 2021 to 2026, Hack Music Theory turned up in a similar amount of searches. There are still almost 100K people every month being offered my teachings in their search results. But (and it’s a massive but), the number of people who actually end up on our website has decreased by about 90%.

And in turn, our income has also decreased by about 90%. And for the record, we weren’t making tons of money before the AI era, we were getting less than a high-school teacher makes.

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So when all these AI fanboys on all these podcasts are saying that AI won’t steal jobs, please know that they’re lying. AI has not only stolen countless jobs already, it continues to violate copyrights and steal intellectual property every second of every day and night.

When people ask AI about music theory, it comes to my website and YouTube channel (as well as other teachers’ websites and YouTube channels) and steals our teachings, then gives it to the person who searched, as if the robot wrote that explanation itself. And now that the person has that explanation right there on the same screen, there’s no need for them to visit our website. Every day and every night AI continues to steal our intellectual property and give it away for free. How is this legal?

And yes, I’ve heard all the defenses and excuses and arguments, and how I just need to get with the times and change how I do things. But I’m a teacher. I’m in my late 40s, and teaching is the only thing I’ve ever done. After high school, I moved to Los Angeles to study music, then moved to London where I was a college lecturer for 10 years, and then transitioned to teaching privately and online when I moved to Canada. I teach. It’s what I do. It’s what I’ve done for over 30 years.

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And this is not about identity, because I don’t see myself as a teacher, it’s just my job. Whether or not I have a natural talent for teaching is irrelevant, because I’ve spent decades learning and practicing in order to continually improve my teaching skills. And teaching is certainly not a lucrative career, so while it’s common for people my age to own a house and have kids, I rent a basement suite, I don’t have any kids, and I only spend money on bills, food, and books. Yet I’m still struggling to scrape by every month.

But I’m told: I just need to retrain as something else. Apparently one door closes, and another one opens. Or so they say. Retraining costs money, though, which I don’t have, because we’ve had to spend our savings on paying rent and buying groceries. So at the age of almost 50 I have to somehow find the money to retrain and launch a new career?! Oh, and then after all that, I’ll be competing with people half my age. Will all those people who’re telling us that we just need to retrain be telling themselves that story when the robots steal their jobs? Probably not.

And then there’s the lie of “transferable skills”. Have you also heard that one? “Oh don’t worry, the skills you gained from teaching music for 31 years are transferable, you can use them in a different career.” I know there’s an element of truth in that. Of course there is. But as always, the best lies are built on foundations of truth.

So yes, maybe 10% or 20% of my skills are transferable, but 80% or 90% of them are not, because those skills are specific to music. And anyone else who’s also decades deep into a career will have the same problem: Our skills are highly specialized, and therefore hardly any of those skills are realistically transferable, in any meaningful way.

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So, what’s the solution? I don’t know. All I know is that resistance is the first step. Resist the robots. Avoid AI. Support humans. Don’t use the self-checkout in stores, go to the human instead. Look them in the eyes, and connect. And when you do online searches, always go to the source websites that the robots are stealing that intellectual property from.

Also, please visit the website Writers Against AI and check out my fellow writers who’re celebrating human creativity and resisting the temptation to use AI in their writing. These courageous humans deserve our support.

Anyway, I’m sorry for the depressing topic today, but it’s vital that we have these difficult conversations now, before things go any further. So I hope this at least gave you something to ponder. And just before I go. If you’re interested in making music yourself, you can download my Free Book and Free PDF Tutorials. I’ve got resources for songwriters and producers at every level, from complete beginner all the way up to advanced.

Lastly, if you’d like me to keep doing this work, you can become a paid subscriber on my Substack.

And a heartfelt thank-you to all the kind people currently paying. There are 19 of you at the moment. I know each one of you by name. I see you, and I thank you for sticking with me through this difficult time. It means the world to me. And please know that I’m working really hard on overcoming my depression and anxiety, so I can post more regularly once again.

If you can’t afford to become a paid subscriber or make a one-off contribution right now, though, no problem, you can give the podcast a 5-star rating in your app. That helps support my work, too. Thanks for being here, my friend, you are truly valued and appreciated. I’m Ray Harmony, and I hope you’ll join me again next time. Until then, remember to stop and smell the music.

Photo by Mart Production

 

 

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About.

 

Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more. Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 255,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs! Everything here is 100% Human and 0% AI.

 

 

Photo by igovar igovar