Hey everyone,
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I'm SO excited to write this issue!

I love when technology disrupts society. Think about the introduction of the internet, cell phones, social media, etc. Each shook the foundation and redefined how we connect, create, and learn. So…

Is AI dismantling art and education, or redefining it?

I live at the intersection of creativity, education, and tech, and there is serious friction. In this issue, I’m unpacking that tension, reflecting on how we view AI in art and education, and offering ways to stay grounded (and hopefully inspired) while AI becomes more cemented in our human-centered culture.

New Tools, New Rules

1. Modern band is already vintage

The Modern Band is the ‘new ensemble’ in music education. It aims to meet the students where they are, focusing on performing/composing Rock, Pop, and Hip-hop.

NO! It’s not fresh. What would be current is synthesizing prompt engineering into music curriculum, using generative AI as an extension of the creative process, and helping students explore the relationship with this technology. We need to better prepare students for jobs that don’t exist yet with the tools that already do. We can do it with music!

YOU can create higher quality learning experiences collaborating with generative AI (designing stronger objectives, assessments, and instruction).

I don’t need to list all of the ways you can use it here, go ask ChatGPT to do that!

If you do want to synthesize AI into your music class, please reach out. Even if you just need a sounding board, I’m here.

2. A new lens

Tools don’t define the art, intention does.

I’ve always had a deep appreciation for dadaism and abstract expressionism. These movements taught us that a piece of art can be more about the creation, process, or impact than the “finished art” itself.

I’ve got a few prompt-engineered albums on YouTube (4th one dropping very soon). I use Suno, feed it themes with a few lyric ideas, musical parameters (style, tempo, basic form, etc.), and let it go to town. I then generate art with AI and smatter effects in post production.

What happens when I hand the brush to the machine and claim the canvas?

Am I still a composer? Am I still an artist?

When I shared the first album with my high school students and explained the process, their reactions were visceral. Most were skeptical. “AI is doing 95% of the work,” one said. “It’s not art if there’s no human making the decisions.”

I scoffed, then one student spoke up, “This is giving me a new lens on art.” Not angry, not scared, no immediate convictions.

I slow-clapped that kid for a solid 60 seconds.

Is this a more curated extension of aleatoric/chance music?

Am I finding new ways to collage art from human history?

Does AI kick-start innovation as a collaborator in the creative process?

If you answered “NO!” to any of these, fight me bro.

Strategies for Navigating Disruption

There’s no clear path forward, and that’s both exciting and uncomfortable. If you're feeling overwhelmed or skeptical, here are a few ways to handle it:

🧠 Explore, Don’t Endorse
​You don’t have to love AI-generated art to engage with it. Try prompting a music or visual AI tool with something meaningful to you (a memory, place, or lyric). Reflect on what it got right and what it missed.

Hint: A great music lesson 😉

📚 Stay Curious, Not Cynical
​When something feels threatening, our first instinct is to shut it down. Curiosity is the way forward. Study those who are experimenting with hybrid workflows. I follow Dr. Philipa Hardman’s work, a lead researcher on AI and learning design. Her blogs are [chef’s kiss].

💬 Talk About It With Your People
​Whether it’s students, colleagues, or artists, don’t keep these thoughts in a vacuum. I’m not embarrassed to share the ways I leverage AI in my art, and it’s always evolving. My primary process today is having some loose shape of an idea, letting AI piece together a first draft, then I refine and iterate. I do that with this newsletter, lyrics for my choral works, stories for my compositions, and so on.
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​ Updates from the Music Room

I’m squeezing a new easy string orchestra piece into the publisher review cycle before summer hits. It will have a narration line for students and tells a story while the ensemble does a ton of word painting. It will tie to ELA common core/state standards REALLY well (character analysis, intent, and more).

It’s still new music season!

🎤 My first published choral work for elementary groups! Bonus: it has the most adorable cover art — Bailey the Ghost

Your Thoughts

How are you leveraging AI in the classroom, planning, or other areas? Share your thoughts here.​

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Get inspired,

Evan

Previous Issue: Keeping the Spark Alive​

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