WEBVTT 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:03.800 (Transcribed by Sonix.ai - Remove this message by upgrading your Sonix account) My GPA went from a 3.0 to a 3.9 for the year. 00:00:03.800 --> 00:00:07.560 I started listening to Lo-Fi to figure out if there's any causation behind that 00:00:07.560 --> 00:00:12.200 correlation. I tried to teach an AI to generate the ideal study music. 00:00:12.440 --> 00:00:16.240 I feel like you could listen to it if the volume was at like one, 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:19.160 and then you walked away and you listened to different music. 00:00:19.320 --> 00:00:20.720 Please don't release it. 00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:25.440 Let me explain. Thank you to The Great Courses Plus for sponsoring this video. 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:28.680 When it comes down to focus, I have two modes. 00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:33.200 I either start a task, blink, and suddenly it's six hours later and 00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:40.920 I skip two meals, or I surround myself with a controlled level of distraction. 00:00:41.720 --> 00:00:44.720 What are you doing? I'm focusing. 00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:53.680 That was until I found lo-fi hip-hop chill beats to study/relax to sparkle emoji. 00:00:53.800 --> 00:00:56.760 The titles are a bit much, but you know what? I'm talking about, 00:00:56.760 --> 00:01:01.828 this girl. Anyway, I started listening to it back in 2018 and I saw my GPA just [explosion 00:01:01.828 --> 00:01:05.230 sound] and sure, there are several reasons as to why that could have happened, 00:01:05.230 --> 00:01:09.630 but Lo-Fi music definitely makes me feel like I'm better at focusing. 00:01:09.910 --> 00:01:13.230 Not every song, some slap a little too hard and pull me right out of the zone, 00:01:13.230 --> 00:01:15.430 but there is a sweet spot. 00:01:15.510 --> 00:01:19.430 So today in this video, you and I are going to figure out why Lo-Fi 00:01:19.470 --> 00:01:21.590 Hip Hop might help you focus. 00:01:21.590 --> 00:01:28.350 And if we can teach an AI to generate the perfect mix. 00:01:31.310 --> 00:01:35.750 So I started my research by looking into the history of Lo-Fi Hip hop. 00:01:36.070 --> 00:01:39.470 After that, I got a bit more familiar with other experiments people have done with 00:01:39.470 --> 00:01:43.470 machine learning to generate new music, and I've got two big takeaways from my 00:01:43.470 --> 00:01:47.670 initial readings. The first has to do with the structure of Lo-Fi Hip Hop. 00:01:48.030 --> 00:01:51.310 Its iconic sound is composed of three parts. 00:01:51.310 --> 00:01:54.910 The first, a jazzy instrumental, the second, 00:01:54.910 --> 00:01:57.990 a drum beat combo of bass and snares called Boom BAP. 00:01:58.310 --> 00:02:03.070 It's played intentionally off kilter in a style pioneered by the producer and rapper J 00:02:03.070 --> 00:02:08.340 Dilla. And finally, intentional environmental noise that leans even further into the 00:02:08.340 --> 00:02:10.700 imperfections that define the genre. 00:02:11.260 --> 00:02:16.420 It usually plays at around 70 to 95 beats per minute and falls within this range of 00:02:16.420 --> 00:02:20.700 frequencies. And that gives me a few key characteristics to look into when trying to 00:02:20.700 --> 00:02:25.740 figure out why Lo-Fi can help people focus, but it also leads to a second thing. 00:02:25.740 --> 00:02:29.740 It's an ingredient list and recipe for the things I need to teach my machine. 00:02:29.820 --> 00:02:33.180 Here's the plan. Okay, here's how I'm gonna make music with a 00:02:33.180 --> 00:02:36.500 machine. Step one I need a bunch of instrumental and drum midis. 00:02:36.500 --> 00:02:40.180 These are basically files that contain information about the note that's played, how 00:02:40.180 --> 00:02:42.100 long it's played, a bunch of other stuff. 00:02:42.260 --> 00:02:43.540 I don't know much about it. 00:02:43.540 --> 00:02:45.100 I'm an amateur. Step two. 00:02:45.500 --> 00:02:48.740 I'm gonna sacrifice it to the machine. I'm going to be using an LSTM. 00:02:48.740 --> 00:02:52.020 So basically you have a sequence of notes. And then the next step in the sequence you 00:02:52.020 --> 00:02:55.060 tell the machine, "hey, get really good at guessing what the next 00:02:55.060 --> 00:02:58.540 step is going to be," and then it gets really good at it. 00:02:58.540 --> 00:03:03.740 Finally, I'm going to smash that drum and instrumental track together with some ambient 00:03:03.740 --> 00:03:06.730 music, and I put two step twos. 00:03:06.970 --> 00:03:10.250 This is step three. And then profit. 00:03:10.370 --> 00:03:13.690 Sounds easy right? It was not easy. 00:03:14.770 --> 00:03:19.330 I spent the next week swinging between wanting to throw my computer out a window and 00:03:19.330 --> 00:03:21.370 wanting to throw myself out a window. 00:03:21.610 --> 00:03:24.170 Oh my God. Oh, jeez. Oh my God. 00:03:24.210 --> 00:03:27.170 Oh, Jesus. So it's been like three days. 00:03:27.250 --> 00:03:30.930 My code has run fully without error for the first time. 00:03:30.930 --> 00:03:35.610 So as long as there's any sound, I'm gonna be happy. 00:03:35.650 --> 00:03:36.970 Okay, let's just play this. 00:03:46.690 --> 00:03:49.970 I'm not happy. Okay, let's fix this. 00:03:57.410 --> 00:04:01.370 Okay, so I think I've stopped it from just repeating the same note. 00:04:01.370 --> 00:04:05.610 Basically, we get caught up in this loop where it was just like "the last note was a 00:04:05.610 --> 00:04:10.730 C. The next note probably going to be a C," but then if it thinks that the if the last 00:04:10.730 --> 00:04:13.330 note C, then the next, it just gets caught up in this loop. 00:04:13.370 --> 00:04:16.170 Instead it has like this short list of likely next notes. 00:04:16.170 --> 00:04:18.730 And then it randomly samples from that short list. 00:04:18.850 --> 00:04:20.170 Anyway, here's how it sounds. 00:04:33.690 --> 00:04:36.090 That hurt my forehead. 00:04:36.130 --> 00:04:37.090 Isn't al. 00:04:38.770 --> 00:04:43.010 All right? That was headed to a dark place, so I'm going on a walk to calm down. 00:04:43.530 --> 00:04:45.450 I'm also going to do a bit of reading as to why, 00:04:45.490 --> 00:04:51.690 like, those specific characteristics of Lo-Fi music might help with studying and focus. 00:04:52.170 --> 00:04:56.170 I'm also going to collect a bit of environmental noise for the final track. 00:04:57.650 --> 00:05:01.810 The more I read, the more I realized that the characteristics that make lo fi, 00:05:01.850 --> 00:05:05.130 lo fi, that steady drumbeat, that frequency range, 00:05:05.130 --> 00:05:09.840 that faux vinyl crackle, all those things work together to create a 00:05:09.840 --> 00:05:12.800 sonic environment tuned for focus. 00:05:14.160 --> 00:05:17.920 It's really interesting. I should warn you that music's impact on your mind isn't 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:21.520 universal. It depends on the task at hand and the type of person you are. 00:05:21.640 --> 00:05:23.960 So if what you're doing requires a lot of thinking, 00:05:23.960 --> 00:05:27.400 or you're currently in a place where you're going to get easily distracted, you should 00:05:27.400 --> 00:05:30.960 probably hit mute. We have a limited capacity for attention, 00:05:30.960 --> 00:05:33.640 and music uses up some of that essential resource. 00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:38.320 In reality, if you want to focus, silence is almost always the better option. 00:05:38.360 --> 00:05:42.440 However, background music can provide two key benefits. 00:05:42.440 --> 00:05:45.560 So here's how Lo-Fi can help you focus. 00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:50.960 First, it can block out more intrusive noises by forming an aural cocoon that tunes out or 00:05:50.960 --> 00:05:55.520 reduces distractions, by anchoring them to a predictable rhythm. 00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:57.800 Second, it can serve as a stimulant. 00:05:57.960 --> 00:06:02.040 Songs that vibe in the fine line between putting you to sleep and popping off can 00:06:02.040 --> 00:06:04.920 improve your productivity without being too distracting. 00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:07.920 And that is where Lo-Fi Hip Hop comes in. 00:06:07.960 --> 00:06:11.830 The jazzy instrumentals and drum loops are refreshing and fun, 00:06:11.950 --> 00:06:16.230 but slow and repetitive enough that they become subconsciously predictable. 00:06:16.350 --> 00:06:21.110 In addition, the dampened frequencies and environmental noise act as a blanket that 00:06:21.110 --> 00:06:25.750 blends the music together and pushes it into the background using spatialization. 00:06:25.910 --> 00:06:28.110 This makes the music sound less like a recording, 00:06:28.150 --> 00:06:32.230 playing directly in your ears, and more like something in a physical space. 00:06:32.830 --> 00:06:35.630 Finally, the genre's obsession with comfortable, 00:06:35.630 --> 00:06:41.150 nostalgic elements like vinyl crackle in rainy days can help bring listeners peace and 00:06:41.150 --> 00:06:46.750 improve their mood. All of this combines to make certain lo fi hip hop tracks easy to 00:06:46.790 --> 00:06:49.750 process and ideal for focus. 00:06:49.750 --> 00:06:53.750 And with all of that in mind, I now think that I know which parts of lo fi 00:06:53.750 --> 00:06:57.550 I should lean into while making new tracks and which ones I should avoid. 00:06:57.670 --> 00:07:03.310 Now I just need to get the steaming pile of garbage I call my code to actually function. 00:07:03.710 --> 00:07:09.390 Let's do this. It took another two days and just endless emotional turmoil, 00:07:09.630 --> 00:07:13.860 but I eventually was ready for my album release. 00:07:15.420 --> 00:07:16.940 This might have been a bad idea. 00:07:18.940 --> 00:07:20.260 Do you all know why you're here? 00:07:20.460 --> 00:07:22.660 I have no idea what I'm doing here. 00:07:22.900 --> 00:07:24.540 Apparently, this is the listening party. 00:07:24.980 --> 00:07:27.860 Before we get to the songs, I do have a question for you guys. 00:07:27.900 --> 00:07:29.420 Okay. You know me pretty well. 00:07:30.220 --> 00:07:35.220 On a scale of 1 to 10, how musical do you think I am? 00:07:35.820 --> 00:07:36.700 Like a three. 00:07:37.660 --> 00:07:38.660 Which one's bad? 00:07:39.260 --> 00:07:39.820 Zero. 00:07:40.420 --> 00:07:41.540 Zero. 00:07:42.380 --> 00:07:43.860 On a scale of 1 to 10. 00:07:44.380 --> 00:07:45.060 Zero. 00:07:45.380 --> 00:07:47.940 You didn't know who Alicia Keys was? 00:07:47.980 --> 00:07:50.020 I was just gonna bring that up. 00:07:50.020 --> 00:07:54.220 So I would like to present to you the music. 00:07:54.300 --> 00:07:56.100 Which track would you guys like to listen to? 00:07:56.380 --> 00:07:57.420 The worst one. 00:07:57.460 --> 00:07:58.620 Yeah. Let's work our way up. 00:08:07.660 --> 00:08:09.220 This is an anxiety machine. 00:08:09.580 --> 00:08:13.970 This sounds like, Now, I'm not going to compare it to any music. 00:08:13.970 --> 00:08:15.450 That would be a disrespect to music. 00:08:15.810 --> 00:08:19.410 So you're telling me that isn't the lo fi hip hop beat to chill and relax to? 00:08:19.450 --> 00:08:20.730 A little far from that. 00:08:21.090 --> 00:08:22.570 The next one. Are you ready? 00:08:23.010 --> 00:08:24.090 Which one would you like? 00:08:24.690 --> 00:08:26.290 Wait. Maybe this is the worst one. 00:08:27.730 --> 00:08:28.210 Okay. 00:08:30.810 --> 00:08:35.410 Okay. Wait for this drop. 00:08:36.210 --> 00:08:37.450 There is no drop. 00:08:38.610 --> 00:08:42.490 No. Is this gonna be available in our newsletter? 00:08:42.610 --> 00:08:43.410 It will be. 00:08:43.730 --> 00:08:45.690 Where can I subscribe to the newsletter? 00:08:45.690 --> 00:08:46.370 Sabrina. 00:08:46.770 --> 00:08:50.890 You can go to answerinprogress.com/newsletter. 00:08:50.890 --> 00:08:53.290 To sign up. All right. Let's go with the only good track. 00:08:53.330 --> 00:08:58.450 So to set the expectations this is the best I was able to do. 00:08:59.050 --> 00:08:59.290 Okay. 00:08:59.330 --> 00:09:01.010 I'm nervous again actually. 00:09:01.050 --> 00:09:03.930 Yeah that waveform is really aggressive. 00:09:08.050 --> 00:09:09.490 Kind of minecrafty. 00:09:10.490 --> 00:09:16.280 Very elevator music. Like I'm waiting for my floor just past the seventh floor. 00:09:17.560 --> 00:09:18.360 Yeah. 00:09:18.400 --> 00:09:19.680 Now we're at the 24th floor. 00:09:19.720 --> 00:09:20.400 That was really funny. 00:09:20.520 --> 00:09:22.560 Damn, that elevator's real fast. 00:09:22.680 --> 00:09:23.960 I'm gonna close my eyes. 00:09:28.400 --> 00:09:31.280 It's getting creepier. I think the more that I listen to it, 00:09:31.280 --> 00:09:34.640 I'm like, I should not listen to this anymore. 00:09:34.920 --> 00:09:35.800 It's unsettling. 00:09:35.920 --> 00:09:37.080 It is slightly unsettling. 00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:39.800 However, you know, it's just like, I don't know if it's a chill, 00:09:39.800 --> 00:09:46.680 lo fi beat, but from listening to this, compared to the first lo fi beat singular 00:09:46.680 --> 00:09:49.200 that you created, this is this is a lot. 00:09:49.240 --> 00:09:50.600 This is a lot of improvement here. 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:54.320 Here's what it sounds like. If I just use like an actual drum loop designed by a human 00:09:54.320 --> 00:09:54.680 being. 00:10:00.200 --> 00:10:06.200 This one's good. The big question, Taha, could you study to this? 00:10:06.640 --> 00:10:08.560 I would definitely study to this. 00:10:08.600 --> 00:10:10.600 I feel like I have studied to this. 00:10:10.720 --> 00:10:11.920 How do you guys think I did? 00:10:12.440 --> 00:10:16.120 I think you did Badly. 00:10:15.280 --> 00:10:16.120 [Laughs] 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:23.000 I think that the drum loop that you got did a lot of the heavy lifting here. 00:10:23.080 --> 00:10:23.640 Melissa? 00:10:23.080 --> 00:10:23.640 [Laughs] 00:10:25.960 --> 00:10:28.240 Damn, dude. Speechless. 00:10:29.040 --> 00:10:32.640 In fairness, it's it's pretty impressive that you got, 00:10:33.160 --> 00:10:35.880 like, some semblance of, like, vibes. 00:10:36.040 --> 00:10:40.640 Yeah. We've created a new genre of music beats to be anxious to. 00:10:40.640 --> 00:10:43.280 To beats to be anxious to. 00:10:44.880 --> 00:10:47.960 Okay, so while that wasn't the hardest video I've ever had to make, 00:10:47.960 --> 00:10:51.800 I definitely felt like I bit off more than I could chew. 00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:57.160 Way more than once. It was the first time in a while that I truly didn't know how to even 00:10:57.160 --> 00:11:00.880 start. Every step I just felt out of my element and I felt like there was just so 00:11:00.880 --> 00:11:02.400 much more I needed to learn. 00:11:02.400 --> 00:11:05.240 But even though it took way longer than expected, 00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:07.640 it was really nice to go from this. 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:11.360 To this. 00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:13.480 This one's good. 00:11:13.880 --> 00:11:15.880 Knowing all of the hard work that went behind it, 00:11:15.880 --> 00:11:20.870 and by the end, we were able to figure out why lofi hip hop and ambient music can help 00:11:20.870 --> 00:11:25.750 you study and also make a few decent beats of our own. 00:11:26.110 --> 00:11:30.270 Kind of. Okay, I'll admit it was far from perfect, 00:11:30.470 --> 00:11:35.750 but if we gave up because our first attempt or our first dozen attempts weren't perfect, 00:11:35.950 --> 00:11:37.150 we wouldn't get very far. 00:11:37.310 --> 00:11:41.990 You know, that's just a lesson in lo fi and in life. 00:11:42.310 --> 00:11:45.190 I know that was a bad one, bye. 00:11:46.390 --> 00:11:47.990 Hey there, I hope you liked that video. 00:11:47.990 --> 00:11:51.870 If you did, please consider sharing it with a few friends. It is easily the biggest way you 00:11:51.870 --> 00:11:53.030 can help this channel grow. 00:11:53.150 --> 00:11:57.350 Another way is to stick around as I thank the Great Courses Plus for sponsoring this video 00:11:57.390 --> 00:12:00.390 while I turn myself into a lo fi hip hop girl. 00:12:00.390 --> 00:12:03.550 So I found that learning things gets a lot harder after you leave, 00:12:03.550 --> 00:12:06.030 like the guided learning environment of university. 00:12:06.150 --> 00:12:09.430 And unfortunately I don't have the time or money to head back. 00:12:10.030 --> 00:12:12.270 Luckily I use the Great Courses Plus. 00:12:12.550 --> 00:12:16.310 It's a subscription on demand video learning service with these amazing lectures and 00:12:16.310 --> 00:12:20.860 courses from top from top professors from Ivy League universities and experts from major 00:12:20.860 --> 00:12:25.020 institutions. Your subscription gets you access to over 11,000 videos covering 00:12:25.020 --> 00:12:27.580 everything from music theory to math and more. 00:12:27.700 --> 00:12:29.300 I recommend music and the brain. 00:12:29.420 --> 00:12:33.740 It explores the neuroscience of music and what happens when melody meets the mind. 00:12:33.780 --> 00:12:37.940 It helped me better understand the concepts that tie Lo-Fi and focus together. 00:12:38.100 --> 00:12:42.020 You can learn at your own pace, at any time or any place without worrying 00:12:42.020 --> 00:12:44.460 about tests, which is the greatest feeling in the world. 00:12:44.540 --> 00:12:47.420 You can get started with The Great Courses Plus today if you head on over to 00:12:47.420 --> 00:12:51.100 thegreatcoursesplus.com/answerinprogress. 00:12:51.100 --> 00:12:53.980 Or you can click the first link in the description. So get started with the Great 00:12:53.980 --> 00:12:57.580 Courses Plus today. But either way, have a lovely day. 00:12:58.660 --> 00:12:59.420 It's done. 00:12:59.020 --> 00:12:59.420 (Transcribed by Sonix.ai - Remove this message by upgrading your Sonix account) [Music]