Keep Music Real
I recently had the opportunity to take part in Tom Lee Music’s Keep Music Real campaign, and it’s something I’m genuinely proud to be involved in.
At a time when AI-generated music is becoming more common, faster, cheaper, and endlessly replicable this campaign is about spotlighting something that can’t be automated: real musicians, real instruments, and real community.
Tom Lee Music has long been a cornerstone of the Vancouver music scene, not just as a place to buy gear, but as a hub where musicians connect, learn, and grow. Keep Music Real highlights local talent from across the city, bringing attention to the artists who are actually out there writing songs, playing shows, and shaping the sound of Vancouver right now. I was honoured to be included among so many inspiring musicians.
AI can imitate style.
It can analyse patterns.
But it can’t replace the human experience behind music.
Real music comes from lived moments such as heartbreak, joy, frustration, obsession and from hours spent practising in bedrooms, garages, and rehearsal spaces. It comes from hands on strings, It comes from mistakes, imperfections, and emotion you can’t code into an algorithm.
Real music stores matter for the same reason. Places like Tom Lee Music aren’t just retail spaces they’re where first instruments are bought, where advice is shared, where young musicians get encouragement, and where careers quietly begin. Losing those spaces would mean losing part of the ecosystem that keeps music alive at a grassroots level.
Being part of Keep Music Real felt like standing up for that ecosystem. For musicians. For local scenes. For the idea that music should still be something felt, not just generated.
Technology will keep evolving and that’s not inherently a bad thing. But real music, made by real people, played through real instruments, in real rooms, still matters. And it’s worth protecting.
I’m grateful to Tom Lee Music for championing local artists and reminding people why authenticity in music is something we should never take for granted.
Keep music real.