An associate professor of music at Cleveland State Community College has completed an original musical theater production using artificial intelligence tools, challenging assumptions about AI's role in creative work. Dr. Matt Schaffner collaborated with Rebecca Mayer, Director of Musical Theater at the University of Texas at El Paso, to create Gray, a Southern Gothic tragic musical exploring addiction, disability, and suicide. The production was performed as a staged reading in April 2026, with a full production scheduled for 2027.

What Makes This AI Musical Different From Other AI-Generated Content?

Schaffner and Mayer's approach treated AI as a collaborative tool rather than a replacement for human creativity. Over three months, they used ten different AI software programs to develop the musical, but maintained strict creative control throughout the process. The pair established one fundamental rule: AI would serve as a tool, but humans would make all final decisions about what worked and what didn't.

The creative process varied significantly across different elements of the production. Sometimes Schaffner wrote all the lyrics while AI generated music; other times, AI contributed lyrics while he composed. This flexible approach allowed the creators to leverage AI's strengths where it added value without surrendering artistic vision. The result was a cohesive work that explores themes directly relevant to its creation process, as Gray is set in the 1990s and parallels the technology boom of that era with the rise of AI today.

"We agreed on one rule: AI would be a tool, but, in the end, we would decide what is good and what is not. AI is at best an editor; at times it was an idea generator, but we fully developed the ideas," said Dr. Matt Schaffner.

Dr. Matt Schaffner, Associate Professor of Music at Cleveland State Community College

How to Use AI Responsibly in Creative Projects: Key Principles

• Establish Clear Creative Authority: Define upfront that humans retain final decision-making power over all creative choices, ensuring AI serves as a tool rather than the primary creator.
• Leverage AI for Specific Tasks: Use AI strategically for particular elements like lyrics, music composition, or editing rather than attempting to automate the entire creative process.
• Maintain Iterative Human Review: Continuously evaluate AI-generated content and refine it through human judgment, treating AI suggestions as starting points rather than finished products.
• Document the Creative Process: Track which elements came from AI versus human creation to maintain transparency and understand how technology influenced the final work.

Following the April performance, Schaffner participated in discussions with students and audience members, who responded positively to both the production and its underlying themes. The conversations centered on critical questions about technology's role in society.

"They asked the right questions which is how do you use technology responsibly? And what role do you play in that? That is the whole point of the production. What do you control? The audience got that, and I'm happy with it," explained Schaffner.

Dr. Matt Schaffner, Associate Professor of Music at Cleveland State Community College

Why This Matters as AI Music Generation Expands

Schaffner's project arrives as the broader generative AI content creation market experiences explosive growth. The market is projected to expand from $21.53 billion in 2025 to $77.22 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 28 percent. This expansion is driven by rising digital media consumption, enterprise adoption of AI tools, and demand for personalized content experiences.

Within this larger market, music and audio generation represents a significant segment. The growth reflects not just commercial interest but also educational adoption, as institutions like Cleveland State Community College integrate AI tools into their curricula. Schaffner's experience demonstrates that AI can meaningfully accelerate creative timelines without compromising artistic integrity, a finding that may influence how music educators approach curriculum development.

When asked about the implications of AI producing large volumes of music, Schaffner offered a pragmatic perspective. He noted that if AI generates a million pieces of good music, society would simply have a million more pieces of good music available. This stance reflects a broader question facing creative industries: how to harness AI's productivity gains while preserving human artistic agency and meaningful creative work.

Schaffner brings substantial credentials to this exploration. A professional percussionist and drummer for over 30 years, he has worked as a music educator for more than two decades and has composed and arranged music for marching bands and churches. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Louisville, a Master of Music from Louisiana State University, and a Doctor of Education from the University of West Florida. He joined Cleveland State's faculty in August 2020 and teaches introduction to music, percussion lessons, and audio production.

The full production of Gray is scheduled for 2027, offering another opportunity to evaluate how AI-assisted creative processes translate to larger-scale theatrical productions. Schaffner's willingness to describe his experience as "the best artistic experience that I've ever had" suggests that AI integration, when approached thoughtfully, may enhance rather than diminish creative satisfaction.