Will AI End Violin as we Know it?
There is growing concern regarding the use of AI with countless articles and videos like “The AI Effect”, or doom takes like “Did AI Just End Music”. For now all we can do is remain optimistic as we watch things unfold. After all, music has always adaptated to emerging technology. Imagination, innovation and technology are what drives music in our culture.
The inception of music notation in the 10th century was a tech advancement that allowed composers to leave legacies. The organ started a tech race amongst churches to build the most majestic instruments. 19th century inventions like microphones and phonographs ushered in a recording industry that peaked at 20 billion dollars in 1999. This was replaced by digital music and streaming services which replaced tapes, records and CD’s. 20th century steel improvements helped transform the piano from a home parlor instrument to the concert grand we know today.
A composer is still a composer whether they handwrite a score or utilize notation software. However, new tech tools are now making it much easier for composers and even non musicians to create. This will undoubtedly be career ending for many. However, some speculate it will free creators in ways that allow them to be masters of a new musical universe.
Will it make any sense to commit to 20 years of violin practice when a text script will soon be able to replace all of that hard work with an equally viable product? Will Heifetz be replaced by AI-fetz? We’re already a significant way there. AI can now fool listeners about 50% of the time regarding whether a piece was written by Bach or a deep learning system.
BachGPT
Short video essay that explores AI application with the language of Bach
Image links to video
Whether AI spawns a new dawn in music creation or dooms us to a sci-fi Matrix-like world, where we need a hero to red pill us, is yet to be seen. One thing is certain: music as we know it will not be the same moving forward. We will all be paying attention in the coming months and years. Some will go with the flow, some will fight it, and others just might have chance at bending AI to their creative will just as artists have with advancements of the past.