Writing

Fiction, essays, and other writing by Luke F. Walton: Love Music More (newsletter and podcast), founder letters on Surmado, and music industry journalism from the NAMM era (2018–2024). Papers are on the Research page.

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Fiction
Essays
Love Music More
Founder letters
Music trade writing
Print syndication

Fiction

The Signatories

An Upcoming Novel · Luke F. Walton & Jonathan Gillie

2026 Page Turner Fiction Book Award Finalist

Essays

Personal essays by Luke F. Walton. The newsletter, Love Music More, is further down this page.

The Bent Stick: essay #1

Essay · June 2026

After Guillain-Barré took guitar and sight, a stick in the river became a lesson about bent knowing, language, and standing behind what you can't prove.

The Seam: essay #2

Essay · June 2026

A dog mask, a meme-reader interview, and an answer engine that split Scoobert from Luke. Essay #2, on standing behind the seam.

Love Music More

Love Music More: newsletter and podcast. Posts hosted here, plus 223 interview and history episodes. Full hub, RSS, and archive live there.

Love Music More Newsletter · Podcast · Spotify Craft, history, and philosophy of music. Scoobert Doobert newsletter, interviews, and music history.

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Founder letters

Essays on building Surmado: product thinking, AI systems, and accountability for what you ship.

We Run the Site. You Run Your Business.

Surmado Blog · 2026

Founder letter (September 2026) on Surmado Sites as a fully managed website, not a DIY editor: a roofer, a San Diego restaurant ChatGPT could not find, and Ohtani.

Why We Built the Easiest Code Review Tool on the Market

Surmado Blog · 2026

Founder letter on Surmado Code Review: zero-config GitHub review, Scout-authored STANDARDS.MD, and pricing for vibe coders.

Code Review Isn't Just for Engineers Anymore

Surmado Blog · 2026

Founder letter (May 2026) on marketers and founders shipping AI-generated code without a review layer.

What Makes Scout Different

Surmado Blog · 2026

Product architecture essay: Scout as multi-model strategy layer, not a ChatGPT wrapper.

Music trade writing

Journalism and editorial from the NAMM era (2018–2024): instrument retail, pro audio, and show coverage. Web pieces on ProSoundWeb and NAMM. Print: Canadian Music Trades, MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, and Music Inc. Page scans.

Guitar Pedals Are Going Big at The NAMM Show

NAMM · 2024

Interview with Paolo De Gregorio (Delicious Audio / Deli Magazine) on pedal trends ahead of The NAMM Show.

NAMM 2023 is Coming!

Gearspace · 2023

Preview of The 2023 NAMM Show for pro-audio and MI readers.

NAMM Insights: The Network Effect of MI And Pro Audio

ProSoundWeb · 2023

Also published in print in Canadian Music Trades.

Gear-Synergy: The Beauty of a Multi-Product Show

NAMM Playback · 2022

Trade-show ecosystem piece; also ran in Canadian Music Trades.

Audio Engineering Pro Tips with Derek 'MixedByAli' Ali

NAMM · 2019

Luke Walton byline: interview with Derek Ali ahead of the 2019 NAMM Show; EngineEars and Seeing Sounds workshops.

Europe and the Right to Music

NAMM Playback · 2018

Feature on the European Agenda for Music and music as a fundamental right.

Print syndication

Trade columns and advertorials published in print. Page scans are here; the web versions (where they exist) are listed under Music trade writing.

Gear-Synergy: The Beauty of a Multi-Product Show. Canadian Music Trades, December 2022. Writer. Web Page scan

Music Retail Is Back-to-School. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., July 2020. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Introducing the NAMM U Virtual Summit. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., July 2020. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

A Blueprint for Recovery. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., June 2020. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Supporting Our Members During COVID-19. Canadian Music Trades, June 2020. Writer. Page scan

Succeed in NAMM's Top 100 Dealer Awards. Canadian Music Trades, May 2020. Writer. Page scan

Working Together Through Crisis. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., May 2020. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Shhh... Top 100 Secrets. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., April 2020. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Succeed in NAMM's Top 100 Dealer Awards. Canadian Music Trades, April 2020. Writer. Page scan

Advocating for Our Members' Pocketbook Issues. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., March 2020. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

2020 Retail Resolutions. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., February 2020. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Finding Meaning at the Crossroads. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., January 2020. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

A Winning Game Plan. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., December 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Prepare for Your Future at The NAMM Show. Canadian Music Trades, December 2019. Writer. Page scan

Future-Proofing Your Business. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., November 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content).

Fighting for Our Member Community. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., October 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

A Sincere Thank You. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., September 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

A Sense of Community. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., August 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Summer NAMM Plan. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., July 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Are You Playing to Win?. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., June 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

5 Reasons to Attend 2019 Summer NAMM. Canadian Music Trades, June 2019. Writer. Page scan

New at Summer NAMM: Software.NAMM. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., May 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

The Recognition You Deserve. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., April 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

What's in Store for the 116th Congress. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., March 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

2019 Retail Resolutions. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., February 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Audio Engineering Pro Tips with Derek 'MixedByAli' Ali. NAMM, January 2019. Writer. Web Page scan

TEC Awards: Studio Design. Music Connection, November 2018. Writer (advertorial). Web