My New Online Course: AI in Music Education: An Overview of GenAI for Music Teachers
There’s a lot being said about Generative AI right now, and if you’re a music teacher, it can feel like you’re being told you need to figure it all out immediately. Most of the conversations I hear are either too technical or too abstract to be useful in a real classroom. That’s why I created my new course, AI in Music Education: An Overview of GenAI for Music Teacher, on the newly relaunched MusicFirst Academy. It’s an online, asynchronous course with 5 ½ hours of video content that I created just for music teachers. I didn’t design this course for tech experts, so you won’t find lots of confusing jargon and boring code-speak. I designed it for music teachers who are curious, and maybe a little skeptical, and want to understand what this actually means for their students and their teaching. The focus of this course is simple. What is AI, what can it do, and how can it help you?
Early in the course, I walk through the different types of AI tools that are starting to show up in music education. Not in a theoretical way, but in a practical one. You’ll see what these tools actually do and where they might fit into your day to day teaching. From there, we get into the part that I think matters most. Saving time. In my opinion, one of the single best ways to use GenAI is to have it do all the stuff you don’t have time to do, or simply don’t like doing. Most teachers I talk to aren’t looking for something flashy. They want help planning lessons, creating materials, and finding ways to reach students at different levels. AI can help with all of that, and I show you how to use it in ways that are realistic and manageable.
We also spend time on student creativity, because that’s where this gets really interesting. Used the right way, AI can help students get started, explore ideas, and build confidence. It’s not about replacing their thinking. It’s about giving them another way in. Assessment is part of the conversation too. I share some early ideas on how AI can support feedback and reflection, while keeping you firmly in control of what matters musically. And just as important, we talk about the concerns. Ethics, authorship, and how to use these tools responsibly with students are all part of the course.
In terms of specifics, here is what you’ll be able to do after taking the course:
Explain the fundamentals of Generative AI
Use AI tools to assist with lesson planning and assessment
Explore AI music creation tools and applications
Discuss copyright and ethical issues surrounding music created with AI
Design classroom activities that incorporate AI creatively
There are 42 lessons, 5 ½ hours of video content, discussion questions and quizzes. Upon successful completion of the course, which you can do in your own time, you’ll get a PD certificate that you can use towards your professional development requirements for your school or district. Not bad for only $99! I hope that you’ll join me and sign up today to get started. I look forward to seeing you online!