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.

🌆 Living in Mexico City

Still living in Mexico City and still loving it.

The energy, scale, creativity, and constant movement of the city continue to influence both my technical and creative work.

📬 Get in Touch

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