Remixing Instruction and Access in Elementary Music with Artificial Intelligence Tools

Abstract

Since the release of ChatGPT in November of 2022, the role of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) systems in education has been a topic of discussion and debate at seemingly every level, be it international (UNESCO, 2024), national (Cardona et al., 2023), or school district (Seattle Public Schools, 2025). While the discussion has covered many areas of education, one area in particular that could benefit from the use of GAI tools is access (Cardona et al., 2023; Marino, 2023; McGee et al., 2025; UNESCO, 2024). This is especially important in music education; research has shown that 85% of music educators adapted goals and instruction for students with disabilities, but only 9% felt competent in doing so (McCord & Watts, 2010). This presents an opportunity for music educators to use GAI tools to improve the access of their teaching and increase their confidence, but will these tools have the impact on music education that some claim (National Association for Music Education, 2025)?In this dissertation, I explore how elementary music educators apply GAI tools to various areas of their teaching practice to increase access for students. I examine the effect of learning these tools on how teachers think about the role of access in their practice, how these tools affect educators’ confidence in adapting instruction, and the future role that educators believe these tools will play in their practice. Five elementary music educators learned to use three GAI tools: Suno, Nano Banana, and Gemini, and applied them to various areas of their teaching to increase student access using the framework of Universal Design for Learning. Results showed that educators found a wide variety of ways to use these tools in their classrooms, such as generating custom backing tracks for their ukulele students, generating choice boards, and having Gemini adopt a historical persona to help students learn about famous artists. After exploring these tools, all but one participant envisioned integrating these tools into their teaching practice to enhance, rather than reimagine, their current teaching, and to save time creating materials that increase student access. Participants also reported increased confidence in adapting instruction and an increased focus on access in their lesson planning and teaching.