AI is everywhere these days. It’s writing essays, creating art, and even composing music. It’s flashy, it’s fast, and it’s got a lot of people wondering—should we be using it in the elementary music room?
For me, the answer is no (or at least, not right now). While AI can do some pretty cool things, I just don’t see it replacing the magic that happens in a real-life music class. Here’s why.
1. Music Is About People, Not Machines
There’s something special about kids making music together. Whether they’re singing in unison, keeping a steady beat, or improvising on instruments, music is all about connection. AI-generated music might sound impressive, but it can’t replicate the energy, joy, and human-ness of a group of kids creating something themselves.
2. Kids Need Hands-On Music Experiences
Let’s be real—kids are already spending a ton of time on screens. In my classroom, I want them moving, singing, playing, and creating—not just clicking buttons while an AI spits out a melody. The best way to learn music is to domusic, and I don’t want technology to take that away.
3. Social and Emotional Learning Is a Big Deal
Music class isn’t just about quarter notes and solfege—it’s also about working together, expressing emotions, and building confidence. When kids play a song on xylophones or sing in a group, they’re learning to listen, take turns, and support each other. AI doesn’t teach those things. Real people do.
4. Creativity Can’t Be Automated
One of my biggest concerns with AI is that it doesn’t actually create—it just copies patterns and rearranges them. True creativity happens when kids explore, make mistakes, and try new things. If an AI is writing their music for them, are they really learning to be creative?
5. The Fundamentals Still Matter
Technology is great, but it can’t replace good, old-fashioned musicianship. Things like aural skills, rhythm practice, and instrument technique need to be developed by ear, by hand, and by heart. If kids rely too much on AI-generated music, they might miss out on those core skills.
6. There Are Ethical Concerns
AI tools often collect and analyze data. In an elementary setting, that’s a big red flag for me. Plus, there are questions about who actually “owns” AI-generated content—if a computer writes a song, is it really theirs? These are big issues that haven’t been fully worked out yet.
7. Music Teachers Are Irreplaceable
At the end of the day, no AI can match the power of a real, human music teacher. We read the room. We adjust on the fly. We know when a kid is struggling and needs encouragement. AI can generate music, but it can’t inspire.
So, What’s the Verdict?
Look, I’m not saying AI is bad or that it’ll never have a place in music education. But for elementary music? Right now, I’d rather spend my time making music with kids than trying to integrate AI into something that’s already pretty magical on its own.
What do you think? Have you tried AI in your music classroom?
READ THIS PART:
In my first real attempts into AI, I thought I would try it here. THIS post (up to the words ” Read this part”), including the TITLE, was written by ChatGPT. I was not only able to have it write it for me, but able to tweak it to sound more like my voice using my blog as a reference.
I’m not sure how I feel about AI in general (although it’s a little creepy to me that I could make it sound more like me!) but thought it would be an interesting experiment on the week I head to the OAKE National Conference. Kodaly is definitely not rooted in technology and while I think there is a place for tech, it seemed like an interesting thought for this week. Could you tell?
This was my initial prompt: “Write a blog post about reasons not to use AI technology in the elementary music classroom.” followed up by directions to change the tone to sound more like me and to change the title. All in all, it took me about 10 minutes to prompt, edit, copy, and write this section which is obviously significantly less time than I spend on this weekly. Posts normally take about an hour or two if I can really sit down and work.
I do really want to hear your thoughts. Have you used AI?
I have been playing around with AI for writing lesson plans to also assist with generating ideas. Personally, I’m not sure AI for students in the elementary music classroom is something I would do. Agreeing that music creation and immersion is the most important in the music classroom. AI certainly is another helpful tool we can add to our toolbelt as educators but it cannot replace the teacher.
Yes!
I’ve used AI to help me come up with a script for my upcoming concert! I plugged in my songs, said how many speaking parts I wanted, included how I wanted to put in “thank you’s” at the end, and even added that I wanted speaking parts before/after each song, and it saved me hours! I had to do very little tweaking, so it was worth it for me.
I could see this application.