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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\u2019s efforts with this powerful new technology.<\/p>\n
The group, Auditory Nerve, placed second in the public vote and third overall in the 2025 International\u00a0<\/span>AI Song Contest<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>in Amsterdam last month, with a\u00a0<\/span>song and video\u00a0<\/a>\u201cSilent N(AI)ght,\u201d created with the help of AI. It was a significant improvement from the Frost School\u2019s seventh-place showing in last year\u2019s contest in Switzerland.<\/p>\n 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\u00a0<\/span>Tom Collins<\/a>, an associate professor in engineering who leads the\u00a0<\/span>Frost School\u2019s efforts with AI<\/a>; and his frequent collaborator, M.A.D.E. assistant professor\u00a0<\/span>Raina Murnak<\/a>; opened the contest\u2019s showcase with a dynamic\u00a0<\/span>performance<\/a>.<\/p>\n Auditory Nerve was the only group from an academic institution. But they made a positive impression, not only on\u00a0<\/span>the jury<\/a>, which included professors from major universities and artists from around the world, but on their international competitors.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 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!\u201d said Murnak. \u201cIt was such a cool experience for them.\u201d<\/p>\n Collins, an\u00a0<\/span>expert in AI and music<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>who co-founded and co-led the CHAI (Concerts with Humans and Artificial Intelligence) project at the Frost School, and also organized this fall\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Classical Regenerated<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>concert, said the experience provided crucial encouragement to the students who worked on the project, and to their cohorts experimenting with music and AI.<\/p>\n \u201cOur students create and innovate at a level that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with talent from anywhere in the world,\u201d said Collins. \u201cAs faculty, we see that every day. But bringing them to an international competition\u2014and letting them hear that validation straight from leading industry professionals\u2014changes 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.\u201d<\/p>\n