What began as research into artificial intelligence (AI) for an audio production course evolved into a musical production created by Dr. Matt Schaffner, associate professor of music at Cleveland State Community College. The production was performed by the musical theater department at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in April.

In 2024, Dr. Schaffner and his wife created a song using AI software. He was so impressed with the quality of the production that he decided that the software should be incorporated into the curriculum for audio production classes at the college.

Over the next two years, he developed the concept for a musical that would use AI as part of the creative process.

Dr. Schaffner reached out to a former colleague, Rebecca Mayer, director of musical theater at UTEP, who agreed to collaborate on the project.

Dr. Schaffner and Ms. Mayer wanted to see if they could produce a musical with AI software in less time than traditional methods. Last summer, they exchanged ideas, drafts and revisions, completing the musical in just three months.

“We agreed on one rule: AI would be a tool, but, in the end, we would decide what is good and what is not,” Dr. Schaffner said. “AI is at best an editor; at times it was an idea generator, but we fully developed the ideas. Sometimes I wrote all the lyrics, and sometimes AI wrote the lyrics. Sometimes I created all the music and sometimes I wrote none of the music. In the end, we used 10 different AI software programs.”

The result was Gray, a Southern Gothic tragic musical that explores addiction, disability and suicide through the lives of a visually impaired mother and her bi-polar husband. Set in the 1990s, the musical parallels the technology boom of that era and the rise of AI today.

In April, the musical theater department at UTEP performed a staged reading of Gray with limited props, directed by Ms. Mayer. A full production is scheduled for 2027.

Dr. Schaffner admits, “I really don’t like musical theater, so I created a musical that I would like.”

He traveled to UTEP for rehearsals and opening night. He said, “It was the best artistic experience that I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a lot of artistic experiences. I was wowed several times in the performance. The very first time that I saw it was shattering.”

Following the performance, Dr. Schaffner participated in discussions with the students and audience members, who gave positive feedback about the production and its themes.

“They asked the right questions, which is how do you use technology responsibly? And what role do you play in that?” Dr. Schaffner said. “That is the whole point of the production. What do you control? The audience got that, and I’m happy with it.”

A professional percussionist and drummer for more than 30 years, Dr. Schaffner has been a music educator for over two decades. He has also been a composer and arranger for marching bands and a pianist for churches. He holds a bachelor of arts from the University of Louisville, a master of music from Louisiana State University and a doctor of education from the University of West Florida.

Dr. Schaffner joined the faculty at Cleveland State in August 2020, and teaches introduction to music, percussion lessons and audio production.

When asked what will happen if AI continues to write songs. Dr. Schaffner said, “If AI produces a million pieces of good music, then we will have a million more pieces of good music. What is wrong with that?”