One unexpected tool revolutionizing this space is AI-generated music. In Episode #1166 of the Arete Coach Podcast, Severin Sorensen, host and curator of AreteCoach.io, explores the potential of AI music apps as "game changers" that bring a new dimension to coaching. From setting the atmosphere to energizing sessions, AI music offers a toolkit to create a more dynamic and impactful experience. This article examines how AI music can enhance engagement, creativity, and emotional connection in executive coaching, supported by research on the emotional power of music.
Setting the Atmosphere
Every coaching session has a tone, and AI music allows coaches to tailor this more precisely than ever before. With AI-generated playlists, coaches can match the session’s mood—whether reflective, high-energy, or focused. Neuroscientific studies indicate that music has a powerful physiological effect on emotions. Blood and Zatorre (2001) found that listening to music releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, particularly when listeners experience “chills” during impactful musical moments. This physiological response can help create a conducive atmosphere for learning and personal growth.
Consider the song Thoughts and Feelings, created by Sorensen using Suno.Ai, as an example. Picture a session where executive coaches arrive carrying the weight of the world—worries and stresses compounded by the shared burdens of those around them. Their thoughts cloud their minds, making it difficult to open up, be vulnerable, and engage in meaningful discussions. But before the peer group meeting begins, you play an AI-generated song designed to set a calm, focused tone. As Thoughts and Feelings fills the space, it offers a moment for everyone to clear their minds, let go of distractions, and prepare to participate fully.
Enhancing Emotional Connection
Music has a unique ability to resonate emotionally, often more powerfully than words. Research by Juslin and Västfjäll (2008) suggests that music’s ability to evoke emotions relies on “emotional contagion”—listeners instinctively feel the emotion expressed in the music, such as joy in upbeat music or sadness in a minor key. AI music can amplify this emotional connection, helping to foster a sense of community and shared experience. By using AI to craft music that aligns with group dynamics or individual needs, coaches can unlock a new level of engagement and connection within the coaching group.
Consider another song created by Sorensen, “Semper Fi Homecoming.” This piece was crafted to evoke the profound emotions of a soldier’s homecoming after a long deployment. As family members embrace, the air fills with relief and joy, and a deep gratitude emerges for the soldier’s safe return. Love and pride intertwine—honoring the soldier’s bravery and sacrifice. The reunion brings a sense of wholeness, filling the void left by time apart, as laughter and tears blend in a bittersweet acknowledgment of missed moments. Together again, the family feels a renewed hope, looking forward to a future unburdened by separation.
The emotional depth Sorensen sought was achieved through the powerful combination of lyrics and music, each complementing the other to evoke a layered experience of reunion. The lyrics capture the voices of those who waited, filling the song with sentiments of loyalty, pride, and the enduring strength of family bonds. Meanwhile, the music’s swelling crescendos and tender melodies evoke the unspoken relief and love, amplifying the joy of a long-awaited embrace. This synthesis of words and melody allows listeners to not only hear but feel the bittersweet triumph of homecoming, immersing them in the experience Sorensen intended to convey.
Tailoring Music to Specific Emotions
AI music can be customized to evoke specific emotions that serve different purposes in the coaching process. Below are some examples of these emotions and how they can be used to enhance various coaching activities:
Calmness and Tranquility: For relaxation and stress relief, helping participants ease into reflective thinking with slow tempos and gentle tones. Studies show that repetitive, soft music has calming effects that support deep concentration (Ali & Peynircioğlu, 2006).
Focus and Concentration: For deep work and problem-solving, supporting sustained attention with repetitive rhythms and minimalistic melodies.
Joy and Positivity: For energizing and uplifting the group, enhancing open discussion and camaraderie with cheerful melodies and upbeat tempos. This emotional response can aid team-building, as shown in studies on how major-key, fast-tempo music elicits happiness across cultures (Fritz et al., 2009).
Inspiration and Motivation: For encouraging goal-setting and visionary thinking, using triumphant progressions and uplifting crescendos. Positive emotional responses in music often activate the brain’s reward centers, fostering inspiration and drive (Blood & Zatorre, 2001).
Connection and Empathy: For building trust and rapport, with warm harmonies and gentle dynamics that foster emotional openness.
Confidence and Empowerment: For leadership and personal growth discussions, with bold rhythms and powerful melodies.
Energy and Excitement: For boosting morale and maintaining momentum during long sessions, using high-energy beats.
Nostalgia and Reflection: For introspection, using softer tones that evoke memory and sentiment.
Wonder and Curiosity: For creative problem-solving, using unusual harmonies and evolving melodies.
Practical Applications of AI Music in Executive Coaching
The versatility of AI music opens up new possibilities for coaches to tailor experiences to individual and group needs. Here are a few innovative ways coaches can leverage AI music:
Setting Intentions: Beginning sessions with music that matches the session’s goals helps participants mentally and emotionally prepare, creating a seamless and powerful start.
Transitioning Activities: Music cues can signal shifts in activities, supporting smoother transitions and helping participants refocus their energy.
Group Energizers: AI-generated tracks can lift energy when needed, especially during dips in attention, providing participants with a quick recharge.
Personalized Meditations: AI music can create custom meditation tracks that align with each participant’s journey, deepening mindfulness practices during coaching.
Creating Team Identity: Generating unique music that reflects the group’s collective identity and values can foster a sense of unity, creating a memorable shared experience.
Expressing Emotions Beyond Words
Sometimes, the feelings we experience are complex, layered, or too intense to describe fully. AI music helps people connect with emotions that might otherwise be difficult to express. By combining ChatGPT for lyric creation and Suno.AI for music composition, coaches and creators can give shape to these elusive emotions. This capacity to convey complex emotions is exemplified in the creation of the "KC Chiefs Victory Rap," a song crafted to embody the exhilaration and pride felt by Kansas City Chiefs fans after a Super Bowl win. Through ChatGPT, the lyrics and musical direction captured the communal thrill, while Suno.AI translated those words into a high-energy celebration of victory.
However, some may wonder whether audiences can feel the same connection with AI-generated music, as it lacks human emotion and experience in its creation. Studies, such as Moffat and Kelly (2006), indicate that if listeners are unaware of a song’s AI origin, they report experiencing equally strong emotions with AI compositions as they do with human-composed music. This research challenges traditional views on the necessity of human emotion in creating impactful music and art, and, though some may find it unsettling, it highlights AI music’s potential to evoke genuine emotional responses in listeners.
The Future of AI Music in Executive Coaching
As AI technology advances, the potential for AI music in coaching will continue to grow, offering even more sophisticated ways to engage and inspire. As mentioned in Episode #1166 of the Arete Coach Podcast, Sorensen suggests that AI music is less about replacing human creativity and more about enhancing it, providing coaches with powerful new tools for fostering emotional connection, creativity, and personal growth. By embracing AI music, coaches and leaders can deepen their impact, making each session a truly transformative experience.
References
Arete Coach 1166 Severin Sorensen “Music to My Ears: AI Adds New Notes to Coaching Sessions.” (2024, February 26). Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/arete-coach-1166-severin-sorensen-music-to-my-ears/id1542648381?i=1000647160184
Ali, S. O., & Peynircioğlu, Z. F. (2006). Songs and emotions: Are lyrics and melodies equal partners? Psychology of Music, 34(4), 511-534.
Blood, A. J., & Zatorre, R. J. (2001). Intensely pleasurable responses to music correlate with activity in brain regions implicated in reward and emotion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 98(20), 11818-11823.
Fritz, T., Jentschke, S., Gosselin, N., Sammler, D., Peretz, I., Turner, R., & Koelsch, S. (2009). Universal recognition of three basic emotions in music. Current Biology, 19(7), 573-576.
Juslin, P. N., & Västfjäll, D. (2008). Emotional responses to music: The need to consider underlying mechanisms. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 31(5), 559-575.
Moffat, D. C., & Kelly, M. (2006). An investigation into people’s bias against computational creativity in music composition. Artificial Intelligence and Creativity Conference, 35-40.
Janata, P., Tomic, S. T., & Rakowski, S. K. (2007). Characterization of music-evoked autobiographical memories. Memory, 15(8), 845-860.
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