Rewriting a song: Human creativity vs. AI
Let's be creative! Find a song whose music inspires you and try rewriting it - changing its lyrics, in order to express new ideas and feelings through the song. You can try rewriting just the refrain or some of the lyrics or the whole song.
Here is a famous example of the recreation of a song, the Italian song "Bella Ciao":
Sing for the Climate Belgium (2012)
The above activity was introduced to the participants of the eTwinning project "MusicLexis: The most fun dictionary ever! II" in April 2021, during the coronavirus pandemic. Two examples were given by Areti Sidiropoulou:
Have a look at the creations the participants shared on the Padlet wall below:
Just a few years later, the activity of rewriting a song, which the project participants had previously done using their own creativity, could now be done in a few seconds using AI tools. One of them is the Song Generator tool available in the MagicSchool AI platform.
What feelings do you think the discovery of a tool like the Song Generator might have created for any student or teacher who participated in this activity in 2021?
Your turn now! After you have tried rewriting a song, ask the MagicSchool Song Generator to rewrite the same song. Compare your version with the AI version.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the AI’s lyrics compared to your own?
Should we rely on AI tools for creative work like songwriting, or is it better to develop our own ideas first? Why?
In what situations might using AI be helpful, and in what situations might it limit creativity?
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The activity of rewriting a song is intended solely for educational purposes and aims to foster students’ creativity and self-expression. The music and original lyrics of all songs remain protected by copyright. Consequently, any rewritten versions produced by students are strictly for classroom use. Should students wish to share, perform, or publish their work outside the educational setting, prior authorization must be obtained from the respective copyright holders.
