I'm So Cool You Can't Talk To Me

Published Apr 29/2026 by William Quincy Belle
YouTube: I'm So Cool You Can't Talk To Me (2:44)
NU Jazz: drums, bass guitar, piano, Fender Rhodes, sax, and strings.
This piece was created with MuseScore, the music notation software.
Video credits: Visual_Laurence, Pixabay

I played a little music in my twenties. I dropped it to pursue other things in life and had no intention of ever returning. In 2025, I discovered the music notation software MuseScore. As I jokingly said I don't own a musical instrument, but I vaguely remember how to put dots on lined paper. I remain more than a little surprised I can do this. The creators of this software deserve an incredible amount of credit. I am flabbergasted it is even possible to do this.

I am a rank amateur and have no idea of what I'm doing with music and with this software. I really can't tell the difference between F sharp and G flat and am just about completely ignorant of how to create a new score and save it. And yet, here I am with a YouTube channel showing off my fiddling around. As I said I had no intention of ever doing anything with music again in the lifetime. I still don't own an instrument, not even a midi keyboard for data input. Everything I do with MuseScore is by notating an idea and listening to the playback. Good? Bad? I'm amusing myself. I guess that counts for something.

References

my journal: MuseScore: Music notation software. Wow. - Aug 1/2025
In another life, I played some music. However, let me clarify that the moniker musician would not be entirely deserved. Let's go with amateur; let's go with noodler.

Recently, I discovered the music notation software MuseScore. Well, well, well. What do we have here? And on top of it, it's open source and free. Free??? Holy cow!!! (3 exclamation marks)

my YouTube channel: William Quinc Belle
William Quincy Belle is just a guy. Nobody famous; nobody rich; just some guy who likes to periodically add his two cents worth with the hope, accounting for inflation, that $0.02 is not over evaluating his contribution. In another lifetime, he, like probably just about everybody else, played a little music. Claiming the moniker of musician seems a tad pretentious, so let's go with "noodler".

Recently, he discovered the music notation software MuseScore, and while he hasn't touched a musical instrument in nearly 50 years, he does vaguely remember how to put dots on lined paper. He couldn't play a two-finger rendition of Chopsticks, but MuseScore can.

2026-07-17

Site Map - William Quincy Belle

Update: Where the heck am I?

As you can see, I haven't been writing anything in this journal. I'm not sure how important that is in the grand scheme of things. I am but one person in a world population of over 8 billion. There is a heck of lot going on elsewhere for anyone to be the slightest bit concerned about what's happening in my corner of the world.

Novel #4
It's taken a lot of work over these past 8 months, but I do believe I've arrived at a point where I can say I've got something and am good to go. I'm doing some last beta reads to confirm what I already know, making sure I've completely polished my diamond no longer in the rough. I'm going to publish in 2026.

Along with that, I've decided to publish a couple of volumes of my short stories that have appeared in online webzines over the past couple of years.

MuseScore
As I wrote in August 2025, I discovered this free music notation software. I haven't touched a musical instrument in nearly 50 years, but I do vaguely remember how to put dots on lined paper. It amuses me to listen to those dots, my very own dots, come to life thanks to this computer program. Check out my YouTube channel. As of this writing, I've put 23 original compositions online. Now, is any of this any good? I would rate myself as sort of competent. What I've done could be considered as pleasant, but I don't see myself winning a Grammy for originality. What's important is that I'm having fun. I'm amusing myself.

Aside: I'm still a little startled this has happened. I stopped playing music and had no intention of every starting again. I had no interest whatsoever, as I considered it an insurmountable obstacle to re-learn and practise again. I wasn't very good then; there was no chance I would be any good now. But using a computer program to play my ideas means I don't have to develop the chops myself. Technology's doing the heavy lifting. I can sound like a genius without doing anything. Ha!

Artificial Intelligence
I'm blown away. I'm still shaking my head in bewilderment that this is even possible. I'm using it all the time now to do research. Instead of me doing a Google query and reading the first ten links, I can start the query with a question to Gemini, Google's AI, and then go from there, delving further into the subject and refining my search by asking follow-up questions.

To the doubters out there: I've spent time investigating what AI can do and can't do. What is pattern matching? What is an hallucination? What is training data? While AI sometimes feels sentient, how is it not? AI is a tool like a screwdriver or a hammer. It can assist me, but a screwdriver or a hammer doesn't build a house. I build a house. Use a tool wisely, and you work better. Use it foolishly, and you hurt yourself.

Retirement
I'm 73 years old. I've now been retired for over eight years. I don't work, and I don't need to work. I'm not rich, but I'm okay. If I remain frugal, I won't have to work for the rest of my life. As you can see from the topics listed above, I can direct my attention to other things in life which give me a measure of satisfaction. 

Right now, life is good. I've got some health issues, but I'm getting by. How long will this go on? How long do I have? I have no idea, but I repeat that right here, right now, things seem pretty good. I can't complain. I'm enjoying myself. I'm doing things which give me a sense of accomplishment. My corner of the world is tiny and insignificant, but I'm okay with that. It's an incredible thing to recognise that I am in an excellent position in life. I am a very lucky man.

2026-06-09

Site Map - William Quincy Belle

Birocratic: Swing Low

Published Jun 12/2020 by Birocratic
YouTube: Swing Low (2:11)
℗ Birocracy and Many Hats Distribution
Released on: 2013-12-21

References

official web site: Birocratic
born brandon rowan, nj, usa, 1993.
producer and multi-instrumentalist. armed with a laptop, an electric bass, and limitless inspiration.
creates electronic tunes with an organic soul.
currently works in his home studio in brooklyn, nyc.

Bandcamp: Birocratic

Facebook: Birocratic
++20 yrs old, in NYC, from NJ++

Twitter: ++birocratic++ @birocratic
music producer, cofounder of @plusplusco NYC

YouTube channel: Birocratic
Producer of instrumental hip-hop. NYC

Soundcloud: Birocratic
brandon r. new york

Wikipedia: Bandcamp
Bandcamp is a privately held company founded in 2007 by former Oddpost co-founders Ethan Diamond and Shawn Grunberger, together with engineers Joe Holt and Neal Tucker; providing an online music store launched in 2008, as well as a platform for artist promotion, that caters mainly to independent artists. Artists who use Bandcamp are provided with a customizable microsite where the music they create can be uploaded and shared. All tracks can be played for free on the website and users are provided with the option to purchase the album or track.

official web site: Bandcamp

2026-04-20

Site Map - William Quincy Belle