Why Teaching Music and Art is Critical in an increasingly AI-inhabited world

Now that AI is finding its way into the creative industries, do we still need to teach our students art or music?

You can ask generative AI to churn out some music or a picture according to your specifications that may sound or look like something a human could have produced in half the time, but is that the point? Actually no, it isn’t. It’s the processes of learning, creating, writing and performing that support and develop our human skills, bringing us benefits that machines cannot confer.

Schools should not overlook the value of including music and art lessons in their curricula. While AI can generate both things, it’s the human process behind them that really matters. Humans make music and art through a lens of senses, memories, impressions, interpretations, expression, creativity and skill. It’s not instant; it takes time. This is what makes it meaningful. It’s why we go to concerts and art galleries – to appreciate the time, effort and skill that went into the artist’s creations or music and experience their impact on us.

Agile brains

Sadly, financial constraints mean that music and art are not always catered for in the curriculum but cutting these subjects is short-sighted. Music, in particular, integrates all the skills that help students become musicians, yet offers so much more. Consider how it:

•    Encourages creativity. Students learn to think differently and develop original ideas. •    develops motor skills and refines coordination. Playing instruments requires precise movements and physical agility.

•    Increases concentration and memory capacity. Learning and performing music demands focus and retention, leading to enhanced cognitive abilities.

•    Improves listening skills. Music trains students to listen attentively, a vital skill for learning and communication that many people lack.

•    Boosts teamwork and social skills. Playing in a band or ensemble helps students to work together and negotiate different opinions.

•    Allows self-expression. Music offers a unique way to express personal thoughts and emotions.

•    Allows self-determination. Students have control over how they play their instruments or the music they write.

•    Teaches discipline, resilience, perseverance and patience. Mastering an instrument or piece requires dedication and persistence.

•    Improves maths skills. Understanding rhythm and musical structure can help with mental arithmetic, especially multiplication and division on the fly.

•    Improves reading and expands linguistic knowledge. Musical directions in sheet music (often in Italian) and compositions in other languages enrich students' language skills.

•    Informs students about cultural histories: Learning about music from all over the world exposes students to different cultural heritages and traditions.

•    Builds confidence. Public performances help students learn how to handle pressure and overcome performance anxiety.

•    Provides a sense of achievement: A successful performance and audience reception boosts confidence and increases motivation.

•    Contributes to everyone’s wellbeing: Music brings people together – musician and audience alike – in a shared, meaningful experience.

It’s no wonder music lights up brain activity like no other subject. These cognitive benefits translate into better performance in other academic areas and professional settings, enabling students to be more flexible and resourceful – and arguably helping students to enjoy their time at school more by having lessons where their creativity is embraced and guided rather than restricted.

Emotional intelligence and wellbeing

It’s worth talking a little more about music and art in the context of well-being. With rising mental health issues among students, we cannot understate the therapeutic benefits of enabling them to express themselves without words. A comprehensive education in these subjects enhances emotional intelligence, helping students navigate their feelings and emotions as well as interpret those of others. In a world where so much of their lives is controlled, it can be enormously effective and freeing for students to have the space in the school week where they can use their creativity as an outlet, albeit consciously or subconsciously.

Celebrating human skills

As tech founder and former teacher, Jack Ma, wisely said, “We cannot teach our kids to compete with machines that will be smarter. We must teach our kids something unique so that a machine can never catch up with us: values, believing, independent thinking, teamwork, care for others – the soft skills, sports, music, painting, and arts, to make sure humans are different from machines.”

So, let’s not surrender music and the arts to AI outputs. We need to be teaching them in all schools without having to consistently justify their existence in the context of their value to other subjects. They are powerful in their own right – bringing people together to enjoy, admire and share in their experience. But most of all, they are profoundly human, encapsulating everything we are.