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HC House Concert: AI & Music
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From AI-generated compositions to personalized playlists with warm, voice-guided interludes tailored to your listening habits, artificial intelligence has a resounding presence in the music world of the future. However, its impact on artistry remains hotly debated. Multi-instrumentalist, composer, data scientist and researcher Cameron Summers will join U of A faculty members Nikola Radan (flute), Jake Hertzog (electric guitar), Garrett Jones (double bass) and Chris Peters (drums) for an Honors College House Concert offering a peek into the music of the future, where the audience will take an active role in creating the soundscape.
“I’m interested in the connection between music and well-being,” Summers said. “There’s a growing concern that AI, whether through social media algorithms or creative automation is contributing to anxiety and fear. People worry about job loss, about what the future holds. So I thought, what if we flipped that narrative? What if a concert like this could be centered on healthful interaction, using technology to create connection rather than fear?”
The Honors College House Concert returns Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 6 p.m., offering an evening of live music in the inviting glow of the Honors Student Lounge (GEAR 130). With soft lighting, comfortable seating and the easy closeness of a living room performance, the setting invites listeners to settle in and enjoy an intimate, relaxed atmosphere. The concert is free and open to all. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to find a seat. Parking is available in the Harmon Avenue Parking Garage.
Trained as a mechanical engineer, Summers made a bold pivot post-grad to study jazz trumpet at the Manhattan School of Music. He’s performed across the U.S., Europe and Japan, including alongside the Foo Fighters at the Grammy Awards and on the double Grammy-nominated album Elevation by Hollywood composer Patrick Williams. When live music hit pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, Summers dove back into his engineering roots, pioneering cutting-edge technology that lets computers listen to music the way humans do. His innovations power music discovery for giants like Apple, Spotify, Google and Amazon. He also landed a contract with the U.S. National Park Service to build an AI tool that automatically detects bird species in audio recordings, now assisting ecology research in Alaska.