005. Is AI Transforming the Orchestral Music Industry?
In a recent LinkedIn post, Dr Andrea Prencipe , Rector of LUISS university in Rome, highlighted the need to “explore the delicate balance between preserving the past and navigating the complexities of a rapidly evolving future.” There could be no better invitation to research into the impact of new AI tools on the classical music industry.
The influence of Artificial Intelligence has not waited for the 2023 chatGPT storm to permeate various industries, including classical music, where its presence is increasingly notable. AI's integration ranges from common applications in everyday life, like X-ray analysis and consumer recommendations, to more creative domains such as support to music composition. While AI offers new possibilities, such as innovative musical compositions (MusicAlly 2022), it also poses significant challenges. A primary concern is the potential loss of the human touch and authenticity in music, essential elements in artistic expression.
Despite these challenges, AI presents numerous advantages for the classical music industry. It notably contributes to cost savings by automating tasks traditionally requiring repetitive human input, such as copywriting, marketing, accounting, and legal work. These efficiencies enable the redirection of resources towards artistic and community outreach initiatives. However, the automation of these tasks also raises concerns about job displacement and the ethical implications of AI's role in an industry traditionally reliant on human skills.
Ultimately, the classical music industry faces the task of balancing the opportunities and challenges brought by AI. Each orchestra and the industry at large must navigate this evolving landscape, leveraging AI's potential while being mindful of its risks. This delicate balance will shape the future of the industry, influencing artistic expression, operational efficiency, and the broader societal role of classical music.
A more granular approach shows that the impact of AI on the classical music industry spans six areas at least:
1. Composition and Creativity
Opportunity: Generative AI offers a wealth of new musical patterns, inspiring musicians to explore novel harmonies, rhythms, and melodic lines.
Risk: Originality suffers as AI- generated content becomes prevalent, potentially leading to increased standardisation and stifled human creativity.
2. Global Collaboration and Remote Production
Opportunity: AI-based platforms to bridge distances, enabling virtual jam sessions and collaborative composition, arrangement, and production across the globe (Parr 2020).
Risk: The subtleties of face-to-face interactions are lost in online settings, affecting the dynamics of in-person collaboration.
3. Music Education and personalised Learning
Opportunity: AI-powered platforms to revolutionise music theory and history education by providing tailored lessons and feedback, increasing accessibility.
Risk: Excessive reliance on AI-generated content hinders students’ creativity and critical thinking, particularly in music theory and history.
4. Live Performances and Online Concerts
Opportunity: AI to enhance live performances with real- time visualisations and immersive soundscapes, while online concerts bring the arts to a global audience.
Risk: The energy and excitement of in- person concerts is diluted in virtual settings, potentially undermining the live event experience.
5. Copyright and Royalties
Opportunity: The rise of AI- generated compositions and interpretations necessitates new legal frameworks and policies, innovation in copyright and royalties (Van Haaften- Schick and Whitaker 2022; Whitaker and Kräussl 2020).
Risk: Blurred lines between human and AI contributions lead to complex ownership disputes and potentially unfair compensation practices.
6. Music Labor Market
Opportunity: Greater adoption of generative AI could boost efficiency and productivity across various music industry professions, allowing more time for creative tasks.
Risk: While composers and interpreters are less exposed to AI competition for the time being, job displacement may occur in professions like technicians, software engineers, and PR people due to reduced service needs.
Immersive Technologies and Their Influence on Classical Performances
The reverberations of generative AI’s influence on the music industry are both intriguing and diverse, offering a medley of opportunities and challenges, new horizons, and scary risks for musicians and the industry at large. As we march to the beat of this new technological drum, it is essential to thoughtfully navigate the implications for musicians, the industry, and society overall. Striking the balance enables a more harmonious future for the world of music.
The gradual adoption of immersive technologies like VR, AR, and MR in the classical music industry presents a frontier for enhancing audience engagement and diversifying artistic expression.
Virtual Reality (VR): A New Concert Experience. VR's capacity to provide a fully immersive concert experience offers audiences novel perspectives, potentially overcoming geographical and physical accessibility barriers. This technology challenges traditional concert formats, blending historical musical traditions with contemporary digital experiences. It also bridges the future and the past, offering a contemporary experience of a well-established Western cultural tradition (Garage Staff 2021).
Augmented Reality (AR): Enhancing Audience Connection: AR's capability to augment the physical concert experience with digital overlays presents opportunities for enriched, interactive audience engagement. This technology could deepen audience appreciation by providing contextual and educational content in real-time.
Mixed Reality (MR) and Cross-Disciplinary Artistic Endeavours: MR's amalgamation of real and virtual elements opens avenues for innovative stage designs and cross-disciplinary collaborations, potentially transforming the classical concert into a multi-sensory experience.
Well-known examples are the virtual reality experience of the Philharmonia Orchestra (UK) that the audience can access remotely using their own Playstation VR headsets (Davis 2017; Hickling 2016), or the virtual orchestra presented at Dubai Expo 2020 (in 2021) that allows a conductor
to lead a virtual ensemble that reacts to their real-time conducting gestures. This cutting-edge system utilises a combination of motion-capture technology, artificial intelligence, and advanced audio processing to create an immersive and interactive experience. The motion-capture technology tracks the conductor’s movements and gestures with high precision, while the AI component analyses these inputs and coordinates the musical response. In turn, the advanced audio processing ensures the sound quality of the virtual ensemble remains faithful to that of a live performance. This platform offers a multitude of potential applications, including remote music education, and providing access to world-class orchestras for young conductors who do not have the opportunity to work with such ensembles in person. Additionally, this technology is used for practice and honing conducting skills without the need for a full ensemble. The research project on mathematical modelisation of gestural similarity of conductors (Mannone 2018) is an important step in the development of virtual reality applications.
Challenges and Strategic Imperatives
The implementation of AI and immersive technologies in the performing arts necessitates careful strategic planning, considering factors such as financial feasibility, skill acquisition and/or talents availability, and the integration of technology without undermining the integrity of live performance. The industry's collective experience and shared learning will be pivotal in navigating these emerging technological landscapes.
However, it is imperative to recognise that the opportunities presented by these technologies come with substantial, yet currently indeterminate, risks. The rapidly evolving nature of both generative AI and immersive technologies means that its long-term impacts on the classical music industry are not fully understood. This uncertainty demands a cautious, evidence-based approach. Conducting thorough, data-driven analyses is crucial to avoid potential pitfalls that could disrupt the delicate equilibrium between cutting-edge innovation and the preservation of musical tradition. By adopting this analytical approach, the industry can mitigate risks and steer the integration of these technologies in a direction that respects and enhances the timeless values of classical music.
Additional Research Imperatives
As the classical orchestra industry now stands at the crossroads of hyper-innovation and traditional practice, there emerges a critical need for more focused research in business management. This exploration is not just about adapting to change but about strategically harnessing the potential of AI and immersive technologies. The aim is to both sustain and enrich orchestras, while simultaneously mitigating the risk of harming their long-standing legacy.
In light of these challenges and opportunities, a comprehensive exploration of several pivotal domains in business management research becomes imperative. Such exploration is instrumental in charting a well-informed trajectory for the classical orchestra industry. These domains include:
Strategic Adaptation for Industry Stakeholders: Understanding how orchestras, composers, educators, and technology providers can strategically adapt to technological advancements is crucial.
Economic Impact and Evolving Business Models: Researching the economic implications and emerging business models driven by AI and immersive technologies will offer insights into sustainable financial growth.
Ethical and Legal Dynamics: Delving into the ethical and legal challenges, particularly in copyright and authorship, is essential to navigate the complexities introduced by AI.
Cultural Integration and Preservation: Investigating how technology can be harmoniously integrated into the classical music tradition without undermining its cultural essence is vital.
Predictive Analysis and Industry Forecasting: Conducting predictive analysis to anticipate future technological impacts and prepare adaptive strategies for orchestras and industry stakeholders is imperative.
Envisioning the Future
The potential future developments in AI and immersive technologies within the classical music industry are not only intriguing but could be transformative. The advent of more advanced AI algorithms may lead to the creation of highly personalised music experiences, where AI can tailor performances based on the unique preferences and responses of individual audience members. This personalisation could extend beyond mere selection of pieces, delving into real-time adaptations of tempo, intensity, and even emotional tone based on audience feedback, captured through advanced analytics. The integration of AI with emerging technologies such as haptic feedback systems and 4D environments could revolutionise the concert-going experience. Imagine a scenario where audience members, whether attending in person or virtually, can feel the vibrations of each note, the resonance of the orchestra, as if they were sitting amidst the musicians. Such multi-sensory experiences could bring a new level of immersion and emotional connection, potentially attracting a wider, more diverse audience to classical music.
In terms of creative collaboration, future AI systems might facilitate even more nuanced and sophisticated interactions between musicians spread across the globe. AI could act not just as a tool for composition or organization, but as a virtual conductor or an ensemble member, bringing its own unique 'interpretation' to performances. This raises fascinating questions about the role of technology in artistic creativity and expression.
These developments are promising, but they underscore a gap in the research to better understand the implications of technologies in the classical music industry. As AI and immersive technologies continue to evolve, the classical music industry has the opportunity to redefine the boundaries of performance, composition, and audience engagement.
With AI becoming more sophisticated, concerns regarding the over-reliance on technology in artistic processes gain prominence. There's a risk that the unique human element of classical music, characterised by emotional depth and interpretative nuances, might be overshadowed by algorithmically-driven performances. This could lead to a homogenisation of musical expression, diluting the diversity and richness that human composers and performers bring. The integration of advanced technologies like VR, AR, and haptic feedback systems raises questions about accessibility and digital divide. While these innovations promise enhanced experiences for some, they might exclude those without access to the latest technology or those who prefer traditional concert settings. The heavy reliance on digital infrastructure for such immersive experiences also brings concerns about data privacy and cybersecurity, especially when personal preferences and biometric data are involved.
In navigating these potential risks, it is essential for the classical music industry to seek for a balanced approach that, as Andrea Prencipe says, preserve the past while opening the doors to the future. This stance should emphasise the augmentation of human creativity with technology, rather than its replacement, and ensure inclusivity and ethical considerations are at the forefront of technological adoption. Continuous dialogue among technologists, musicians, industry stakeholders, and audiences will be key in steering these developments in a direction that respects and preserves the core values of classical music.
This landscape of promising advancements and significant challenges also unveils the urgent need for more comprehensive research in the field of cultural and orchestra management. As orchestras face increasingly complex decisions about integrating these technologies, informed guidance becomes critical. CEOs and executive directors will soon be making pivotal choices that could shape the future of classical music performance. Robust academic and practical research in management will be instrumental in providing the insights and frameworks necessary to support these decisions. Such research should not only focus on the technological aspects but also delve deeply into the cultural, ethical, and business implications, ensuring that the evolution of the industry aligns with its artistic integrity and public responsibilities. It is through this informed approach that orchestras can make judicious decisions, balancing tradition with innovation, and leading the industry towards a harmonious future in an era of rapid technological change.
Concluding Thoughts
The classical music industry stands at a pivotal juncture, where embracing technological advancements and maintaining a steadfast commitment to artistic integrity and audience engagement are crucial for its future trajectory. This sector must navigate these changes thoughtfully, ensuring that the fusion of tradition and innovation continues to enrich and sustain this timeless art form.
Your Perspectives and Experiences?
Your perspectives and personal experiences are invaluable to navigate the fusion of traditional orchestral performance and cutting-edge technology. The future of classical music in an era of hyper-innovation still is a massive unknown. What opportunities and challenges do you see emerging? I am keen to explore your views and engage in a meaningful discussion. Please share your thoughts and contribute to this important dialogue below, as we collectively shape the future of classical music in a rapidly evolving landscape.
References
Davis, Lizzie. 2017. “We Tried Out the Philharmonia Orchestra’s New Virtual Reality Experience.” Classic FM. www.classicfm.com/artists/philharmonia-orchestra/virtual-reality-experience/
Garage Staff. 2021. “Symphonies, Operas, and Orchestras in VR.” The Garage. https://garage.hp.com/us/en/arts-design/orchestra-symphony-opera-VR-performances.html
Hickling, Alfred. 2016. “You’re in the Band: Virtual Reality’s Orchestral Future.” The Guardian, September 29. www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/29/virtual-reality-london-philharmonia-orchestra-esa-pekka-salonen-interview
Mannone, Maria. 2018. “Introduction to Gestural Similarity in Music. An Application of Category Theory to the Orchestra.” Journal of Mathematics & Music. Mathematical and Computational Approaches to Music Theory, Analysis, Composition and Performance 12 (2): 63–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/17459737.2018.1450902
MusicAlly. 2022. “7 Reasons Why AI Music Was Fascinating and Controversial in 2022.” https://musically.com/2022/12/14/reasons-ai-music-fascinating-2022/
Parr, Freya. 2020. “The Virtual Orchestras, Choirs and Music Masterclasses Available to Join Online During Lockdown.” Classical Music. http://www.classical-music.com/features/articles/how-join-virtual-orchestras-choirs-and-music-masterclasses-online/
Van Haaften-Schick, Lauren, and Amy Whitaker. 2022. “From the Artist’s Contract to the Blockchain Ledger: New Forms of Artists’ Funding Using Equity and Resale Royalties.” Journal of Cultural Economy 46 (2): 287–315. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10824-022-09445-8
Whitaker, Amy, and Roman Kräussl. 2020. “Fractional Equity, Blockchain, and the Future of Creative Work.” Management Science 66 (10): 4594–4611. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2020.3633
More details and relevant bibliographic references may be found in my new book, Orchestra Management in Practice (Routledge, London, 2024).
The author, not a native English speaker, used Large Language Models (LLMs) for editing the article, addressing grammar, syntax, and spelling, enhancing fluency and readability, and translating sections from his native languages. Academically, LLMs helped in peer-reviewing, identifying gaps, and suggesting improvements.
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