Should would we reject AI, or embrace it? Or maybe neither? Like all new technologies, there will be problems. Early adopters, and late ones, and some that NEVER get on board. In what areas can AI tools help artists and educators be better at their jobs? But also, which AI tools are a genuine threat to the arts and artists?
Today I am joined by Beth Philemon, and we are diving headfirst into a topic that makes a lot of people in the arts deeply uncomfortable: artificial intelligence. I know the immediate reaction for many of you is absolute frustration or exhaustion. You see AI and you think about copyright theft, corporations exploiting artists’ hard work without consent, and the massive environmental footprint of these data centers. Those are incredibly valid, serious concerns, and we are not here to gloss over them or pretend they don’t matter.
So if you are aggressively anti-AI, I want you to stick around for this exact conversation. Beth and I spend a good chunk of this episode wrestling with those ethical minefields, the realities of intellectual property, and what this technological shift means for the future of composing. But we also look at a very practical paradox: how keeping a human firmly in the loop of these tools might actually protect our time. We discuss how automation can handle the brutal administrative and data tasks that burn teachers out, ultimately freeing us up to spend more time focused on the embodiment of our art form—real human connection and real singing. It’s a nuanced look at a messy topic, and you won’t want to miss it. Let’s jump in.
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Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope
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Beth Philemon is a choral conductor and AI strategist based out of Raleigh, NC. She consults on enterprise AI transformation and data strategy for organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to performing arts institutions, translating fluently between corporate strategy and artistic leadership. With more than fifteen years on the podium across K–12, collegiate, church, and community ensembles – and ongoing work as a guest clinician and conductor – she works at an intersection most people are told to choose between: artistry and strategy. She holds an MM in Choral Conducting from Northern Arizona University and an MBA from North Carolina State University. She founded Choir Baton in 2017 to grow the choral community via social media. Today Choir Baton provides online education for new, emerging, and returning community singers via the CB Academy and for choir teacher-conductors via CB Institute, in addition to the Choir Baton Podcast. Her mission is #MorePeopleSinging for lifelong musicianship. For more information visit ChoirBaton.com or BethPhilemon.com
@choralosophypodca