A Frost School of Music ensemble working with AI made a strong showing at an international competition this fall, demonstrating the continuing seriousness and strength of the school’s efforts with this powerful new technology.
The group, Auditory Nerve, placed second in the public vote and third overall in the 2025 International AI Song Contest in Amsterdam last month, with a song and video “Silent N(AI)ght,” created with the help of AI. It was a significant improvement from the Frost School’s seventh-place showing in last year’s contest in Switzerland.
The ensemble, made up of four students from the Music Engineering Technology and Modern Artist Development & Entrepreneurship (M.A.D.E.) programs, and headed by faculty members Tom Collins, an associate professor in engineering who leads the Frost School’s efforts with AI; and his frequent collaborator, M.A.D.E. assistant professor Raina Murnak; opened the contest’s showcase with a dynamic performance.
Auditory Nerve was the only group from an academic institution. But they made a positive impression, not only on the jury, which included professors from major universities and artists from around the world, but on their international competitors.
“The students got a chance to compete with international AI artists who, to their surprise, were huge fans of what they created and were endorsing our track to their fans!” said Murnak. “It was such a cool experience for them.”
Collins, an expert in AI and music who co-founded and co-led the CHAI (Concerts with Humans and Artificial Intelligence) project at the Frost School, and also organized this fall’s Classical Regenerated concert, said the experience provided crucial encouragement to the students who worked on the project, and to their cohorts experimenting with music and AI.
“Our students create and innovate at a level that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with talent from anywhere in the world,” said Collins. “As faculty, we see that every day. But bringing them to an international competition—and letting them hear that validation straight from leading industry professionals—changes the way they see themselves. It shows them that their work belongs on a global stage and gives them the confidence to keep pushing toward that future.”
Collins and Murnak’s efforts with AI emphasize experimentation and understanding how artificial intelligence can be used in music, with all its positive, negative, and practical implications. The Frost School has taken a leadership role in this rapidly growing arena, and recently partnered with The Hollywood Reporter on a groundbreaking poll on music and AI that drew national attention.
The students in Auditory Nerve were audio engineering majors Anish Ghosh and Asher Blum, and M.A.D.E. students Jacey Schell and Mike Lundy, with Collins on keyboards and Murnak on vocals. M.A.D.E. alum Brayton Russell helped compose the song. The group’s description on the contest website said the name was a play on the dual meanings of the word “nerve.”
“Just as the auditory nerve transmits sound with precision and resilience, our name also reflects the “nerve” it takes to present bold new creations in the sonic domain.”
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