To Be Human
A song cycle for voice, electric guitar and chamber orchestra
by Ade Vincent and Lior
"Varied in style and mood, but always atmospheric and accessible"
– Limelight
View selected excerpts:
by Ade Vincent and Lior
"Varied in style and mood, but always atmospheric and accessible"
– Limelight
View selected excerpts:
Excerpt 1:
Excerpt 2:
Excerpt 3:
Performance by Lior & the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra at the Melbourne Recital Centre, November 2023
Instrumentation:
Duration: 30 mins (7 songs)
‘To Be Human’ is a song-cycle in seven parts, for solo tenor voice, electric guitar, and chamber orchestra, that holds a mirror up to the artists’ own experience as it was composed, providing a diary in musical form as the creative process unfolded. It combines solo tenor voice, contemporary classical art music, contemporary songwriting, varied use of the string orchestra and reverb-drenched electric guitar to create a sound that evades a neat genre-description.
Why does art hold a reverence for humans? And what happens to if we outsource its creation? When experiencing art, there has always been an assumption that human experience was at the core of the creation. With the advent of Artificial Intelligence-created art, we’re now asking ourselves whether experiencing an AI artwork is as satisfying or interesting to us as experiencing a human-produced artwork. In this world premiere, Lior and Vincent examine that which is missing from AI-generated art: the hidden journey of the artist’s creative process.
- Solo tenor voice (Lior)
- Electric guitar (Lior)
- Piano (Ade Vincent; not heard in excerpts recording)
- Strings (minimum 4.4.3.2.1)
Duration: 30 mins (7 songs)
‘To Be Human’ is a song-cycle in seven parts, for solo tenor voice, electric guitar, and chamber orchestra, that holds a mirror up to the artists’ own experience as it was composed, providing a diary in musical form as the creative process unfolded. It combines solo tenor voice, contemporary classical art music, contemporary songwriting, varied use of the string orchestra and reverb-drenched electric guitar to create a sound that evades a neat genre-description.
Why does art hold a reverence for humans? And what happens to if we outsource its creation? When experiencing art, there has always been an assumption that human experience was at the core of the creation. With the advent of Artificial Intelligence-created art, we’re now asking ourselves whether experiencing an AI artwork is as satisfying or interesting to us as experiencing a human-produced artwork. In this world premiere, Lior and Vincent examine that which is missing from AI-generated art: the hidden journey of the artist’s creative process.
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“On writing ‘To Be Human,’ Ade and I have tracked, in real time, the wide spectrum of emotions and experiences that fill the creative process. What happens when the history and context inherent in the creation of an artistic work is removed? How does this alter the moment of interaction between artist and audience? As we stand on the cusp of AI’s increasing involvement in art, these are burning questions which ‘To Be Human’ aims to shine a light on”.
– Lior 
Photo by Carlo Santone
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“This piece is not pushing against the tide of AI – I’m excited about AI and view it simply as another tool available to artists. The purpose of this piece is to reveal the humanity and experience of artists. A work of art is the tip of the iceberg; the artist’s life, history and influences are what’s beneath the surface. This piece aims to reveal some of what’s beneath the surface”.
– Ade Vincent 
Photo by Jane Hendry
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