14 Mar 2025 3 min read generativeAI

Sing Your Way to Knowledge: Using Generative AI to Learn

You know that feeling when you can remember every song lyric from 20 years ago but struggle to recall anything useful? Like how I can flawlessly belt out Avril Lavigne’s "Complicated" but somehow forget my own postal code? Science says music is a memory supercharger. So, I thought: What if I used AI to make songs that help me learn?

My Experiment: AI-Powered Broadway Themed Learning

I’ve been playing around with Suno, a tool that lets you create songs with artificial intelligence. While it’s not going to replace the human touch of a well-composed singer/songwriter piece, it got me thinking...

Back in high school, I discovered an odd but effective study hack. To memorize my lines for drama club (shout out to my former English Drama Club buddies), I recorded them on my crappy MP3 player—in song. It worked so well that I started using melodies for everything: phone numbers, addresses, memorizing stuff for my final physics exam, you name it.

So naturally, I had to see if I could utilize AI-generated music to help me memorize something actually useful.

Step 1: Turn Information into Lyrics with ChatGPT

Since generative AI is the rabbit hole I've been inhabiting for the past few months, I picked the concept of diffusion models for my test. I started by asking ChatGPT to break it down in a simple way. To make sure the information is indeed accurate, I also provided text from trusted educational sources.

Then, I took it one step further—I asked it to rewrite that information into song lyrics. Since I have a soft spot for Broadway-style numbers (why simply learn when you can learn dramatically?), I asked for lyrics with a theatrical flair.

Step 2: Bring It to Life with Generative AI

With my freshly written lyrics, I turned to Suno to do the heavy lifting on the music side. I pasted the text, wrote a prompt for the style, and let it work its AI sorcery. In seconds, I had a full song about the diffusion process, complete with harmonies and dramatic pauses that I could now listen to on repeat.

(Okay let's be real, it took me five tries before I was satisfied. But that’s just because I’m a musical theatre snob.)

Step 3: Use It to Memorize

The results? Surprisingly effective. After I listened to my AI-generated song on repeat for a while, I was able to sing along and easily recall the steps of how diffusion models work. It turns out music-based learning isn’t just fun, it also works. Obviously the information in the song lyrics is very high level and just serves as an additional memory aid to understand complex relationships.

Studies strongly support the idea that music activates multiple parts of the brain and aids in recall and long-term retention. It’s why you still remember how to sing the alphabet decades later, but struggle to retain a list of passwords. Our brains are wired to remember songs so why not make the most of it?!

Engagement: A boring topic suddenly becomes entertaining when it’s sung.
Memory Boost: Music helps with retention, thanks to rhythm and repetition.
Customization: You can tailor songs to your needs—whether you’re learning medical terms, historical events, or even a new language.
It’s Just Fun: If I have to choose between dry textbooks and a jazz-hands-filled number about quantum physics, I know what I’m picking.

(Disclaimer: While it sounds like a universal solution, it might not work for everyone. Brains are complex, squishy things with their own quirks and preferred learning styles.)

The Verdict: AI Songs for the Win

For me, AI-generated music isn't replacing traditional music anytime soon, but as a mnemonic aid, it’s brilliant. If you struggle to remember information, why not turn it into a song? Pick your favorite music style and give it a try. Who knows? Your next earworm might just be a song about the Ariolimax columbianus (it's the Pacific banana slug, in case you were wondering).

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to turn my grocery list into a song ...

Caroline Kiessling

Curiosity is what defines me. Always seeking to understand the world at a deeper level, I ask all the questions and try to figure out how (and why) things work. I'm a Senior Lighting Artist by day.

Vancouver, BC