What I'm Doing Now

Last updated: July 2026

This is my /now page, inspired by Derek Sivers. It's a snapshot of what I'm focused on right now.

🎼 Music & Composition

A big part of my life lately has been composition and teaching.

After spending decades primarily as a guitarist and improviser, I'm now actively exploring songwriting, structure, melody, arrangement, and even the possibility of writing lyrics and singing. It feels a bit like becoming a beginner again — and I'm enjoying that.

I'm taking weekly 1:1 composition lessons and writing constantly.

I published I Accidentally Hacked the Guitar — the story of how I wrote a guitar method book in a week before moving to Mexico and accidentally built a teaching system I didn't fully understand until I tried to explain it.

I also built Claude Code Composer, an open-source creative companion that generates infinite musical ideas I fully own. I wrote about it in I Went Looking for a Composing Partner. I Ended Up Building One.

✍️ Writing

I've been on a writing streak since June. I drafted all the posts for the rest of the year — the ideas are there, the structure is set, I just need to keep the weekly publishing cadence. The blog is also now available as a full bilingual magazine at alco.rocks/alcolandia, where every post appears in both English and Spanish.

Recent posts include pieces on Jason Becker, Hildegard of Bingen, the mystery of Target Puerto Rico, the career I never planned, and hacking the guitar.

💻 Coding & AI

Even after 30+ years as a software developer, I'm still as curious about technology as ever.

A lot of my current experimentation revolves around AI-assisted creativity, developer tools, automation, and finding ways to augment the creative process without replacing the human part of it.

Professionally, I continue working with the team at Yiftee, helping power local eGift card programs and community-driven commerce initiatives across the U.S. Our bi-annual off-site is in Park City, Utah this July.

🧠 Learning & Reading

Lately I've been reading and thinking a lot about identity, creativity, freedom, language, neuroscience, and reinvention.

Current books include:

I've also continued diving deep into archaeology, ancient civilizations, mythology, and evidence-based discussions around human history and culture.

In September, Alba and I will be traveling to Malta — a place I've wanted to visit for years because of its prehistoric temples and deep archaeological history.

😴 Sleep

One unexpected shift in my life has been taking sleep seriously.

For most of my career I was the classic late-night programmer who could work until 3am without thinking twice. These days I'm intentionally trying to get at least 8 hours of sleep, reduce screen time earlier in the evening, and build a more sustainable rhythm for creative work.

Ironically, no matter how late I stay up, my brain still seems determined to wake up around 7am.

📬 Get in Touch

This page is part of the /now movement started by Derek Sivers.