AI Assists Shankar Mahadevan in Crafting Song "Rubaroo"; Artist Believes AI Can supplement, Not Replace Musicians, Likening It to a Friendly Aid.
Renowned music composer and singer Shankar Mahadevan collaborated with Google's Music AI Sandbox to create a new track titled "Rubaroo" during the company's annual I/O developer conference in California.
During the virtual session, Mahadevan employed the AI tool to create a remarkable fusion of traditional Sufi melodies with contemporary music in his Mumbai studio. Reflecting on the experience, the Grammy winner emphasized that AI is a valuable tool for enhancing music composition but emphasized that it cannot replace human creators.
The 58-year-old artist viewed AI as a collaborative partner that assists human artists by offering suggestions for tunes or lyrics, which he could then build upon. According to Mahadevan, AI might suggest some extraordinary ideas but leaves the ultimate creative decisions up to the artist.
Emphasizing that AI's role is to empower and inspire artists, Mahadevan explained that he used simple text prompts in Music AI Sandbox to generate musical samples incorporating traditional Indian instruments, such as the dholak and tabla. He then utilized these samples as he improvised vocal melodies and layered additional instrumental elements to enrich the overall track.
For lyrical inspiration, Mahadevan turned to TextFX, a Google Labs experiment. After inputting the word "Rubaroo" into TextFX's "Simile" and "Scene" tools, he received metaphors and imagery that influenced the song's final lyrics.
Overall, Mahadevan's innovative collaboration with Google demonstrates the potential for AI to revolutionize the music industry. By working in harmony with these cutting-edge technologies, artists like Mahadevan have the opportunity to explore new creative avenues, while ensuring that human ingenuity remains the cornerstone of the artistic process.
- Shankar Mahadevan, during the I/O developer conference, collaborated with Google's Music AI Sandbox to incorporate artificial-intelligence in his new track "Rubaroo," showcasing its potential in the music industry.
- In order to generate musical samples, Mahadevan used Google's Music AI Sandbox, exploring a fusion of traditional Indian instruments like the dholak and tabla with contemporary music.
- Mahadevan utilized TextFX, a Google Labs experiment, to gather lyrical inspiration for his song "Rubaroo," reflecting the role of AI not only in technical aspects but also in the creative process of music composition.
