From Reflection to Composition and Beyond

Empowering Creative Musical Minds with AI Tools

•

Mark Koester & Bruce Tambling

Creativity in the Age of AI • Foothill College • Thursday, May 2, 2024

Talk Outline

  • Intro
  • AI Music Generating Tools (including limitations and challenges)
  • Foothill College's AI Pilot: Empowering Music Technology Students Through AI-Enhanced Reflection
  • Conclusion

About Mark

My name is Mark Koester, and I am creative technologist...

Head of Product

Clock Foundation • MyAgingTests.com

Writer/Blogger

markwk.com

Stellar Mammals - Music Producer

"Blank Page" Problem

AI to the rescue?

(Super Quick) Survey of AI Music Tools

Two Examples of prompt-based music generation tools.

MusicFX (from Google)

Powered by Google's MusicLM. Watermarking with SynthID.

MusicFX @ AI Test Kitchen

Suno.AI

Suno.com

Question: Are these prompt-based music generators (just) a new or different kind of instrument?

More to Explore?

Awesome List: Music Generation with AI

Question: Are prompt-based systems the same kind of artistic expression?

With a design brief, who is the creator? (Boss or illustrator?)

Prompt-based AI art systems should be considered a new or separate artistic medium.

•

(We as artists should acknowledge when we use AI too.)

Using prompt-based AI art systems often removes us from the creative act and takes you away from being (and feeling like) the creator and true owner of the creative work too.

Music is experiential.
Definition of Music =

pleasing sounds produced by someone singing, playing instruments or some combination.

Creating and performing music (and art) is profound immersive, flow-inducing experience.

Making music is a skilled practice.

Learning an instrument is challenging. Creating music is hard.

How might we enable and enhance our creative and learning journeys?

•

(and also deal with various "blank page" problems?)

Reflection

Reflection is the process of thinking deeply and critically about one's thoughts, actions, challenges, experiences, beliefs, etc.

•

It involves introspection and self-awareness towards better understanding of oneself, others, and the world.

Reflection can take many forms.
Reflection can help you in a wide-range of situations.

Foothill College's AI Pilot with Stay Reflective

Empowering Music Technology Students Through AI-Enhanced Reflection

Background

Prof. Bruce Tambling and using Technology to Enable

How might we empower students (and ourselves) to Stay Musical?

What is Stay Reflective?

Course Kickoff with "Stay Musical"

Case Study: StayReflective.com/case-study-mtec-foothill-college/

How It Worked

  • What sparked your interest in music and music technology?
  • Are there any particular artists, songwriters, mix engineers, or producers who inspire you? How do they influence your approach to music?
  • What are your goals for this music technology class? What do you hope to gain or achieve by the end of it?
  • What would success look like or feel like for you after this course?
    •
Results (for students)
Results (for Bruce/Professor)
What We Learned
What's Next

Conclusion

We all face challenges whether learning, creative, professional, social or something in-between.

Paradox

Should you use AI or not?

Due to being lazy, busy, or uncertain, we often look for end-to-end wholesale solutions from technology including with AI.
But is this the best and only way to leverage AI? (and what are the costs?)
AI should be framed and utilized as a "variable use" tool.
AI should be viewed as a collabrator.
...because ultimately AI can and should aim at enabling and empowering us as human beings and human creators.

Thanks

•

Try AI-Enhanced Reflection at StayReflective.com

Contact me at hello@stayreflective.com

Appendix

How might you bring reflection (with or without AI) into your creative, learning, career and other life journey moments?

References

AIDA (AI Disclosure Acknowledgement): This talk was written entirely by me without any AI assistance. Images were generated by me with the assistance of an AI-based systems (Midjourney).