Exploring SUNO: A Unique AI Tool for Music Creation in Education

As a future educator, I’m always curious about new ways to engage students with technology (check my other post on exploring Scratch to see other things I have experimented with). Recently, I found an AI tool called SUNO, and I decided to give it a try. Instead of basic AI tools focused on text or image generation, SUNO is for music creation. Since this wasn’t a “typical” form of AI…or at least one I was familiar with, I wanted to explore how to use it and see how it could fit into the classroom.

What is SUNO?

In easy terms, SUNO is an AI-powered music generator (as we discussed above). It allows you to create songs based on a few prompts, (themes). The AI generates a song with lyrics, instruments, and some vocals. So basically, it takes your prompt and makes it accessible to anyone with an idea.

My Experience with SUNO

I wanted to test SUNO’s features, so I did, with creating a simple educational song. I created a song about learning the 5’s multiplication table, thinking it could be a fun way to teach math skills. At first, I was unsure about how well AI could do songwriting, but I was impressed with the result. The song was catchy, had clear lyrics, and a rhythm that made learning fun. Below, I will share the song I created, *cough cough* which could easily be used in a math lesson! (WARNING CATCHY CONTENT BELOW!!)

How Could This Tool Enhance Teaching?

After playing around with SUNO, I realized how to use it in the classroom. Here are some ways it could be used:

• Engagement through Music: Students often respond well to music based learning (I know I do). Creating educational songs could make subjects like math, science, or anything more engaging. I still remember songs I was shown in elementary school that helped me remember content!! (Just between us I still sing them when I am counting by 3’s). 
• Personal Learning: Teachers or students could customize songs to fit specific learning needs.

Supporting Different Learning Styles (A Must!)

SUNO has some great tools to support multiple learning styles:

• Auditory Learners could do well when hearing concepts in a musical format.
• Kinesthetic Learners can learn with music through clapping, dancing, or performing.
• Visual Learners can follow along with lyrics (that the app actually provides). 

On top of this, students who struggle with “traditional” reading and writing may find music creation a fun way to express their understanding.

Challenges

While SUNO offers many fun tools and learning experiences, there are some challenges to consider:

• Copyright and Ownership: Who owns the AI-generated content? This could be an issue if students create original work.
• Over-Reliance on AI: While it’s a great tool, students still need to understand creative processes rather than just relying on AI to generate work. (as educators we need to ensure we are not only using programs like this but also pushing students to learn without technology). 
• Accessibility: Not all students may have access to technology at home, which could create an issue. (being mindful in this situation goes a long way, if you are using tools like this making sure we are not sending it as “homework”). 

The Future of AI in Education

Adding AI tools like SUNO into education gives us exciting possibilities. AI can make learning more interactive while also pushing creativity. it’s important to balance AI’s role, using it as an “addition” rather than a replacement for “traditional” learning methods think about the SAMR model here!!!!.

As AI continues to move forward, I can see it becoming an even more valuable tool for learning and creative exploration.

Overall, I was surprised by my experience with SUNO. It’s an AI tool that gives us something different from the usual “text models” and opens up new ways to “add to” education. I look forward to experimenting more and seeing how AI creativity can inspire both teachers and students!