Tagum-based writer turns poetry and memories into AI-assisted folk album

Fernando Lacambra Ayala, a work-from-home IT professional and lifelong writer of verse based in Tagum City, is set to release Taking Things In Stride, a 12-song album built from his own poems, essays and musical ideas using AI-assisted arrangements and vocals, according to Mindanao Times.

The album, which Ayala describes as "comfort-folk," pairs acoustic arrangements with personal storytelling. Its songs dwell on everyday moments such as a sunny morning, a Sunday ride and the company of household pets, while also addressing grief and solitude. The collection was shaped by the successive deaths of his mother, his longtime partner Bernie and his dog Boo, but it centres on finding happiness again rather than on sorrow alone.

One track, Magic Mom, grew out of the eulogy Ayala gave for his mother, the poet and writer Tita Lacambra-Ayala, who encouraged him to write as a child. The eulogy first appeared on his blog, DaddyTechie, and was later reposted on his DigitizedNative website. Other songs include Hello Sunny Day, Sunday Ride, Music Is Poetry, My World in Pieces, Hold On and the title track.

Ayala's career has covered computer programming, systems analysis, internet services, business development and web development. He supplied the lyrics, melodies, chord progressions and musical direction, then used AI tools to produce the recordings. Most of his writing has stayed private, though his poem of kings and fools was published in the January 2003 issue of Our Own Voice, a Filipino diaspora literary and arts journal.

"I've been writing verses in secret for most of my life," Ayala said, adding that technology gave him a way to turn those words and musical ideas into recordings.

The album is presented as an extension of his writing rather than the start of a career as a performing musician. It will be released online only on November 13, 2026, first on Spotify, with Apple Music and other streaming platforms to follow.