In this special edition of the Arete Coach Podcast, Severin Sorensen explores the intersection of AI and music, reflecting on his personal journey with AI-assisted composition.

Hans Christian Andersen wrote, "Where words fail, music speaks." What's the music in you that needs voice and delivery? In this episode, Sorensen explores AI’s potential to revolutionize creativity, democratize music composition, and serve as a tool for personal expression and leadership storytelling. He encourages listeners to explore AI’s role in amplifying human emotion through sound.

Recorded one year after his first AI-music exploration in Episode 1166, this episode delves into the evolution of AI in music, the emotional power of sound, and how AI can serve as a creative partner.

Key Themes & Insights

• AI’s Role in Music Creation: Sorensen discusses three models of AI-assisted music:
• Done-for-You AI: Fully AI-generated music.
• Done-With-You AI: AI-assisted composition.
• Do-It-Yourself with AI: Human-driven music enhanced by AI tools.
• Emotional Resonance of Music: Music connects with people through memory, nostalgia, and deep emotions.
• The Neuroscience of Music: Referencing Dr. Daniel J. Levitin’s I Heard There Was a Secret Chord, Sorensen examines how music impacts the brain.
• AI’s "Playful" Creativity: AI performs better in a relaxed, exploratory state, leading to innovative compositions.
• Music as a Tool for Leadership & Legacy: Through storytelling and AI music experiments, Sorensen illustrates how music can immortalize moments and messages.

Musical Experiments & AI Innovations

• "Semper Fi Homecoming": A tribute to military service members returning home.
• "25 Years of Wisdom": A song created live using AI to honor Lance Descourouez's milestone as a Vistage Chair.
• "Toccata and Stratocaster": An AI-driven musical duel between J.S. Bach and Jimi Hendrix, demonstrating AI’s improvisational potential.
• "One in Us": A song inspired by Chip Webster’s book Unity in Service, emphasizing community and service.

Ultimately, the episode serves as a testament to music’s universal ability to connect, heal, and inspire, even when AI is involved in its creation. Sorensen challenges listeners to consider AI not as a mechanical entity but as a new kind of instrument—one that can be guided by human intent to shape profound and deeply personal artistic expressions. Ending with reflections on legacy, leadership, and the role of music in storytelling, he leaves the audience with a thought-provoking question: What unspoken words could take flight if given wings of artistry?

The Arete Coach Podcast seeks to explore the art and science of executive coaching. You can find out more about this podcast at aretecoach.io.

This episode was recorded on February 10, 2025.

Copyright © 2025 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.

All music in this episode was written by Severin Sorensen under the artist moniker "AIWhisperer" and is copyright © 2025 by Severin Sorensen. The seven songs played in this order within Arete Coach Podcast Episode 1208 – "Where Words Fail, Music Speaks" are: "Semper Fi Homecoming," "25 Years of Wisdom," "Toccata and Stratocaster," "Rise Up, Innovator!," "Like an Eagle, Rise and See," "Revolution in Harmony," and "One in Us." All songs were written by Severin Sorensen, except "One in Us," which was co-authored by Severin Sorensen and Chip Webster.