I'm Matthew Lyon, a technologist, musician, and artist.
As a technologist, I design build tools for working with information-dense and semantically-complex data. My tools have helped people save time, money, and lives. These have included analytics tools for regulated data across multiple industries, interactive code generators, dynamic systems visualizations, and domain-specific query languages. I offer fractional consulting services.
As a musician, I make songs with synthesizers, centered around melody and texture. I'd describe my style as "lofi cinematic".
As an artist, I make abstract images with photography, encaustic (wax) painting, printmaking, and code, playing with cycles of inadvertant pattern-making and decay.
elsewhere
Music
singles
compilations
Writings
Understanding Time Zones
You think you want worldwide UTC – I think you're entitled. Stop treating what the clock says like a number and learn about the terminology of time
Consuming GraphQL Simply
A curl-focused introduction to GraphQL clients with a focus on learning the basics of using this powerful API tool
Dreaming of Jobs
Musing about the idea of a dream job, and how it must exist in a larger context of a dream life
Regretting the Golden Handcuffs
A story of the long tail of startup success, and an examination of costs not apparent or measured
Mistrusting Email Addresses
Email is a communication medium, not an authentication medium
Refining Software
How you might learn the wrong thigns from building the wrong thing quickly
Making Time For Quality
What does it mean to be creative in an age of instant gratification? An argument for patience and the process of refinement
Talks
Generating Tests With Properties
An introduction to Property-Based Testing, with a focus on practical examples
Making Music With Math
Exploring the relationship between music theory and math
Working with GraphQL for Client & Server
An introduction to GraphQL, with a focus on patterns for creating APIs
Computing Visual Art
Demonstrations of the relationships between visual art, math, and code
Minimum Viable Documentation
Some ideas about the role of documentation writing in the process of lean software development
Poetry
Et Cetera
Matthew’s Linnstrument Page
a fan page for Roger Linn’s expressive MIDI controller
Linnstrument Chord Reference
Printable Chord Diagrams for the Linnstrument, or any other instrument using a fourths-based note grid
Golden Times
Golden Ratio calculator for musical time values
Tweeting, archived
What's left of 15 years of @[email protected]
Matthew Lyon 2023 — all rights reserved