Stone Update #013 | Back to the Kid in the Computer Room

My Side Quest in Music, Creativity, and Permission to Be a Rookie Again

Learn More About Adam Stone

Update:

I spent a few days in Orlando, Florida sitting in the humidity and heat and decided the best reprieve from it was to make music. Headphones on. Laptop open. Ableton Live up. The result is a new track called Where Have You Gone, and it is my latest Tech House mix. This one felt different in a good way. I really enjoyed watching it come together slowly, layer by layer, instead of forcing it to be something too ambitious too early.

The foundation started with a punchy kick and a pulsing bass line that felt steady enough to carry the track. From there, I added some nice melodic vocal samples that gave it some emotion and direction. I focused on building tension and release through a few subtle builds (a snare roll and then a basic synth riser) and added a few drops rather than trying to overwhelm the mix. I also experimented with some new LFO movement on the synths, which helped bring a bit more life into the track. On the technical side, I leaned heavily on FabFilter plugins, along with limiting and saturation, trying to glue everything together in a way that felt cleaner than some of my earlier releases.

Does the mix sound better than previous tracks. I think so? Maybe. Is it perfect? Definitely not. But that is the point of this entire process. Every track is a lesson.

At its core, the Adam Stone Project is one long learning curve. It is about putting myself out there, challenging myself creatively, and starting again as a beginner. Does this skill directly translate to strength and conditioning or coaching? Probably not in a practical sense. But there is something powerful about remembering what it feels like to start from zero. To struggle. To build confidence slowly. One rep at a time. One song at a time. One production at a time.

What really hit me while working on this track was how familiar this all feels. I remember being a kid sitting in our family computer room messing around with Fruity Loops for hours, trying to make music without any idea what I was doing. I should have recognized the signs back then. The curiosity was always there.

Nonetheless, here we are. The Adam Stone Project keeps moving forward. One song at a time. And honestly, I am having a hell of a time making music right now, which is something I never expected to say years ago.

Every session is a chance to apply something new and recognize what still needs work.

🪨 Stone Meter 🪨

• Confidence: 3.3/10
• Confusion: 7.2/10
• Amount of Coffee Consumed: ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️/5 (It's 9:00 AM)
• Track’s Progress: 100% (Shipped to Spotify!)

🎧 Spotify Discography

Remember, this page is less about perfection and more about permission — to explore, to create, to begin again. Welcome to the side quest.