AI meets church music: concert experience stimulates reflection!

AI meets church music: concert experience stimulates reflection!

The question of whether artificial intelligence (AI) should also play a role in the field of church music was recently intensively discussed in an organ concert entitled “Artistic Intelligence” that Samuel Dobernecker, district cantor of the Cologne-South church district, organized. In the Reformation Church, a familiar place for musical experiences, he presented not only classical works but also modern compositions created by AI. The sounds of Bach, Pachelbel and Schumann, among others, had their say, while improvisations by the organist and pieces from music generators also enriched the program. The visitors went on an acoustic search for clues because the pieces were not played in the given order, which made listening a special experience.

Dr. Frank Vogelsang, the head of the Evangelical Academy in the Rhineland, accompanied the evening with three thematic impulses in which he dealt with the dimension of artificial intelligence. He spoke about the new computer application “Jupiter” in Jülich and emphasized the three crucial components for the development of large language systems: powerful computers, large amounts of data and neural networks. He expressed skepticism about whether AI is capable of replacing humans in music, given cultural fears of a “hostile takeover.”

A look at AI in music

The first part of the concert, titled “AI vs. AI,” featured works by AIVA, an AI-controlled music composer. AIVA uses sophisticated deep learning algorithms to analyze classical music and compose new pieces. Vogelsang asked intriguing questions about AI’s ability to create music and whether that music should even be considered “real.” Historically, there have been repeated attempts to have machines make music, with Lorenz Christoph Mizler being one of the first examples. Vogelsang also mentioned that musical styles are witnesses of our time and their form of expression goes far beyond the technical capabilities of AI.

Interestingly, the second part of the concert featured an AI system from the Google Magenta Research Group that was trained with 200 hours of piano music. This discussion was about the question of whether AI-generated music could even be suitable for church services. Another challenge is that AI does not have transcendence, which may limit it in the church context. The final decision as to whether and how AI can be used in church services rests with the congregations.

Opportunities and challenges of AI composition

The evening in the Reformation Church did not establish clear positions regarding the future of AI in church music, but rather encouraged those present to reflect. Ultimately, this also shows that the music world is being shaken to its foundations by artificial intelligence. AI has made enormous progress in recent years and is set to revolutionize music composition. Not only can she analyze complex musical structures and create her own compositions, but she can even respond to live performances, which brings both challenges and opportunities.

The ethical and artistic issues associated with the use of AI in music cannot be ignored. While critics fear that human composers and musicians could be displaced by technology, advocates see AI as an opportunity to expand the creative process and develop new musical ideas.

In summary, it can be said that the visitors to the concert in Cologne went home with the feeling that music and everything it touches are just as difficult to grasp as the concept of God himself. An exciting topic that will probably leave no one indifferent in the future and that could certainly provide a lot of conversation in church music.