AI — Where Do I Start?

Technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. When the internet was first introduced, many dismissed it as an interesting “fad du jour.” Today the internet plays an essential role in nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Similarly, artificial intelligence (AI) is not a fad or gimmick, but a transformative technology that is already influencing how we live, work, and learn. The potential for AI technology to continue this “transformation” appears to be almost unlimited. As music educators, it is crucial that we proactively embrace AI and find ways to integrate this technology into our music classrooms.

Many of us are familiar with the SAMR Model by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, which categorizes technology integration in four levels:

• Substitution involves a direct substitution for an assignment or activity.
• Augmentation also involves a direct substitution plus includes functional improvement for an assignment or activity.
• Modification involves technology significantly redesigning an assignment or activity.
• Redefinition involves technology completely redesigning an assignment or activity that was previously inconceivable.

According to this model, all educators fit into one of these levels when new technology is introduced. It is important for educators to see the above model and understand that it takes time to integrate new technology in the classroom. It is a step-by-step process where you move from one level to the next. Progressing from basic substitution to full redefinition does not happen overnight. The bottom line: Time and patience are required to integrate new technology, including AI, into our music classrooms successfully.

So, you are probably asking yourself, “Where do I even start with AI?” You start right where you are. The key is to begin where you are, embrace the learning curve and move forward at a pace that works for you and your students.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT defines itself as a computer program that can talk with people, answer questions, and help with writing, learning and problem-solving. In education, ChatGPT is a digital tool that can be utilized to support learning. For example, I asked, “How can ChatGPT be used by music educators?” It gave these seven categories as well as subcategory information:

1. Lesson Planning and Curriculum Design
2. Teaching Support and Student Engagement
3. Composition and Creativity Tools
4. Technology and Software Integration
5. Music History and Appreciation
6. Communication and Administration
7. Professional Development

In our band room, we have begun exploring how to utilize ChatGPT. As we built our marching band show for the upcoming Fall, we looked up songs about fire. Although we did not choose any song from ChatGPT’s suggestions, it helped us solidify the title of the show.

This school year, we are starting a Modern Band/Pop Band. We have already utilized ChatGPT to help us design the course. We do not solely go with the ideas suggested by ChatGPT, but it is a great suggestion board in our planning process. Although these suggestions are specific to the band classroom, there is applicational use for ChatGPT across all music classrooms. ChatGPT or other similar AI platforms can be utilized to make worksheets for classroom usage. This is a huge time saver for the always busy music educator.

Games

In the music classroom, ToneGym is a powerful and engaging AI platform that turns ear training into a game. Students can play interactive challenges like Interval Barks where they identify intervals based on sound. They can also play Chordelius, which helps them recognize chords. This platform adapts to their skill level using AI, making it feel like a video game while reinforcing core musical skills. ToneGym can be utilized as a warm-up or station activity during music theory lessons.

Chrome Music Lab offers a suite of visual and interactive music experiments that are ideal for younger students or beginners. In the Rhythm game, students create patterns with animated characters playing percussion instruments. This helps them internalize beat and syncopation in a playful way. The Song Maker tool allows students to compose simple melodies and harmonies by placing colored blocks on a grid. This is a great way of introducing form, pitch and rhythm. While not powered by advanced AI, its intuitive feedback and creative freedom engage students like a game.

For instrumental and vocal students, Yousician offers lessons with real-time feedback on pitch, rhythm and timing. As students sing or play their instrument, the app listens and scores their accuracy using AI analysis. The program then adjusts difficulty and offers corrections. This turns practice into an interactive challenge. This makes it an ideal independent practice tool, especially in band or choir programs, where students need structured feedback outside of rehearsal.

Melodics is another rhythm-focused AI program that functions like a video game for drummers, keyboardists and electronic musicians. Students tap along with loops and tracks and receive instant feedback on timing and accuracy. The adaptive difficulty keeps students challenged while reinforcing precision. This is a valuable tool for exploring rhythm.

Ear Training

AI ear training tools are becoming increasingly useful in music classrooms. They offer adaptive and engaging ways for students to develop listening skills. One of the most popular is ToneGym that was discussed above. Another robust AI tool is Auralia, which is often utilized in middle school through college-level music programs. It tracks each student’s progress over time and suggests areas for improvement based on accuracy and response time. It has a wide range of exercises including melodic dictation, chord progressions, and rhythmic transcription. This makes it ideal for both ensemble directors and AP Music Theory educators.

Similarly, EarMaster provides a classroom-ready environment for training students in pitch, harmony, rhythm and melody. With features like microphone or MIDI input and teacher dashboards, EarMaster works well for both group instruction and lab style individual practice.

For rhythm-focused instruction, Melodics is an excellent option. Designed for utilization with electronic drums, MIDI pads and keyboards, this software analyzes timing accuracy in real time and adapts exercises to help students improve. It is especially valuable for percussionists or students needing rhythmic reinforcement.

For vocalists, SingTrue is a free iOS app that offers real time pitch tracking and adaptive vocal exercises. It is a great companion for choir students working on tuning and interval recognition outside of rehearsal.

Song Composition

AI song composition tools make music creation more accessible and engaging for students at all levels. Soundtrap for Education is a cloud-based program that allows students to record, arrange and collaborate on original songs. It includes AI features like beat matching and loop suggestions. This makes it ideal for group songwriting or scoring projects.

Chrome Music Lab’s Song Maker offers a simple interface where students can compose melodies and rhythms without needing notation skills. It is great for younger students or as an introduction to musical form and structure.

Boomy lets students create full songs in various styles using AI. With just a few clicks, they can generate backing tracks. The back tracks can be customized by changing instrumentation or song structure. Boomy is ideal for exploring genres and arranging.

MusicFX is an advanced AI tool that generates short musical clips based on prompts. It is useful for quick inspiration, form analysis, or short composition starters in class.

Suno allows students to input a short description or theme and receive a fully generated song, complete with lyrics, melody and instrumentation. It is especially powerful for demo projects or exploring how lyrics and mood affect musical decisions.

In the music classroom, these AI programs can be utilized to create songs. After the creation of the songs, the class can analyze the form and structure. This is composition writing in reverse, which can help us reach the next generation of composers.

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The above entry points are offered as suggestions as you begin or continue to integrate AI into your music classroom. These are just the initial steps on the path toward deeper instructional transformation. The most important part is simply to start, and then to share your experiences along the way. Collaboration and shared learning are powerful tools for growth. As we explore this evolving technology together, we empower both ourselves and our students. Wishing you success on your AI journey!

This article was originally published in the August/September 2025 issue of Ala Breve, the quarterly journal of the Alabama Music Educators Association.