This Week - AI's Love Affair with Music, Swift-N-Kelce & Job Numbers

THE MUSIC RESET
Why AI's Love Affair with Music Isn't a Surprise

Hey there, future-minded peeps! It's October 9th, 2023, and guess what? It’s dawned on me that with Artificial intelligence I can now whip up entire music arrangements, complete with instruments, and mimic the voices of famous artists to an almost eerie perfection. It's almost like we're living in a sci-fi musical!

Now, many people might be scratching their heads, wondering how on earth AI managed to tackle one of the most intricate and seemingly human endeavors - creating music. It's like expecting your cat to suddenly compose a symphony. Surprisingly, it turns out that it's not so surprising after all.

It’s In The Math

You see, music, at its core, is nothing but mathematics. Yes, you heard me right, math – the subject that made your head spin in school. But it's time to give math a round of applause because it's the secret sauce behind those catchy tunes.

Every note, every chord, every rhythm in a song has a mathematical foundation. It's all about frequencies and vibrations. When you pluck a guitar string, it vibrates at a certain frequency, and when you hit a drum, it produces sound waves. These sound waves, in turn, create the beautiful melodies and harmonies we adore. And guess what? AI is brilliant at math.

Let's break it down. When AI generates music, it's essentially playing with numbers. It calculates the exact frequency of a note, the duration of a sound, and how different notes relate to each other. In other words, it's crunching numbers to compose music.

Sound Itself is Mathematics

Now, here comes the kicker: sound itself is fundamentally mathematical. When you hear your favorite singer belting out high notes or a bass thumping at a concert, it's all a dance of numbers. Sound waves travel through the air as variations in pressure, which can be perfectly described using math. So, when AI mimics a famous artist's voice, it's merely replicating these numerical patterns.

Remember those math problems in school that made you wonder when you'd ever use this stuff in real life? Well, here's your answer: AI is using math to create music that's leaving us awestruck.

So, don't be too surprised when AI steps up its game and gives us some seriously good tracks. It's all thanks to the unbreakable bond between music and math. Next time you're jamming to your favorite AI-generated playlist, just remember, it's not magic; it's mathematics at its finest.

Keep those headphones on and let’s see what the next few years of AI music are going to be like!

THE BONUS RESET
Alright, Swift Was A No Show Yesterday……

Ah, the drama of it all! Taylor Swift, pop sensation and rumored flame of Travis Kelce, was nowhere to be found at Sunday's Chiefs-Vikings game. The shockwaves reverberated through the stadium, leaving us with one burning question: How will we ever survive?

CBS commentator Jim Nantz had to break the news to a perplexed nation, saying, "In case you're wondering, seven words I never thought would leave my lips in my career: Taylor Swift is not at the game." He's right; we never thought we'd hear those words either. But such is life.

Swiftie signs were hoisted high, and the melancholic wails of fans asking, "Where's Taylor?" filled the air. It's like Shakespearean tragedy meets the gridiron. One fan's sign brilliantly did the math for us, pointing out that 87 (Kelce's number) and 13 (Swift's lucky number) equals 100%. They hoped for a Kelce touchdown infused with some Swift magic.

But let's not forget the brave souls wearing "SWIFTIE" jerseys, showing unwavering allegiance even when their queen is MIA.

However, life on the field was far from a Taylor Swift song. Kelce took a tumble, possibly tripping on his own untied shoelaces (we can't confirm this, but let's go with it). He sported a securely wrapped right ankle but didn't let that deter him. This man has the heart of a champion, or at least, he knows there are Swifties counting on him.

Tracy Wolfson, another commentator, gave us the play-by-play. "Travis Kelce is still on the sideline right now, but as you can see, helmet on, that right foot is wrapped up. I was just told he's gonna try and give it a go. They're leaving it up to him. He wants to play in this game, guys."

The drama hit its peak when Kelce reportedly suffered a high ankle sprain. Medical staff gave him the green light to return, and lo and behold, he rejoined the game and scored a touchdown. Because what's a football game without a little plot twist?

"Kelce comes off the X-ray table and finds the endzone," the announcer proclaimed. And with that, the world collectively sighed in relief.

So, while Taylor Swift may have been absent from the stands, the Chiefs-Vikings game rolled on. Real football fans shrugged off the absence of the pop queen, maybe even a bit happy they can go back to focusing on football again. But hey who knows, next week she might be back and we’ll be at it again 🤦🏻‍♂️

THE MONEY RESET
Wall Street's Head-Scratcher: Making Sense of the Latest Job Numbers

Wall Street, the financial epicenter, a place where numbers matter more than at a mathematician convention, in the midst of a rollercoaster of emotions, thanks to none other than a jobs report. If you thought charts and graphs couldn't bring drama to the stock exchange, think again.

Rollercoaster Ride

Last Friday, the S&P 500 decided to take us on a wild ride. It scored its biggest one-day gain ever, leaving traders to check their screens multiple times, thinking it was some kind of digital mirage. But no, it was real - an unexpected hiring spree in the job market was the main act.

The stock market, much like a fickle friend, had mixed feelings about this news. It initially sold off in disbelief, like when your friend claims they've seen a UFO. But then, as if realizing it was too quick to judge, it made a midday comeback, with a "wait, let's see what this is about" attitude.

What's all the fuss about? Well, the U.S. economy decided to flex by adding a whopping 336,000 jobs last month. That's right, people, it's like the job market walked into the gym and started bench pressing buses. Economists were expecting a mere 170,000 jobs, but no, the economy said “Hold My Beer”

Now, you might be thinking, "Why the stock market tantrum?" Well, it's like this: it's not always about how much candy you get at Halloween; sometimes, it's about the variety. And in this case, the earnings growth wasn't as impressive as last year's candy haul.

Average hourly earnings decided to be the party pooper by only rising 0.2% last month. Last year, it was rocking a 4.2% increase. Talk about mood swings! But hey, at least it's still going up, even if it's sipping a decaf latte this time.

The Bond Market Took A chill

Meanwhile, the bond market (you know, where Treasury yields hang out) decided to take a break from its "sky is the limit" attitude. It retreated from its multi-year highs, which was good news for the stock market. Less pressure, less stress - even stocks need a break, you know?

Now, don't think Wall Street is playing a one-note song here. It's got a whole playlist coming up. The Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index inflation reports are in the pipeline, and the Federal Reserve is waiting eagerly, like a kid with a dollar at the candy store.

But for now, Wall Street's prediction machine is buzzing. It's betting, with about 71% confidence, that the Fed will just chill at its next meeting, holding interest rates steady. It's like the stock market saying, "Hey, Fed, we're good, enough with the hikes."

So What Happens Now?

So, as the dust settles on the last trading day of the week, it's clear that Wall Street's love-hate relationship with jobs data will continue.
Bu here's a little secret from the financial playground - no matter how crazy the rollercoaster gets, Wall Street is here for the long haul. So let’s not get too caught up with the ups and down and loose focus of the big picture!

Sources: Financial Times, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal

DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions or investments. Please be careful and do your own research.