(upbeat music) - See how seasoned and new artists are using AI to create new works.

- It has changed the way I make music.

- You may have seen their performances.

Now see what actors go through to get into character.

- We work on our voice.

♪ Oh well, oh why, oh well ♪ - We work on our body.

- Plus, learn how you can make audio books more accessible.

- The most surprising thing to me is how engaging it is.

- Welcome to You Oughta Know.

If you've ever been told you have a beautiful voice, listen up.

The Library for Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians may need your services recording books.

I've only been with LAMP since it reopened this last summer.

I've completed two books, have just started my third.

One was the history of a Lenape woman from colonial times.

The other was a novel called Northern Liberties that had all kinds of things in it.

Murders and body snatching and Thomas Eakins painting The Gross Clinic.

Wonderful book.

We are going to start in 5, 4, 3.

Josh played with Tommy Lasorda, Charles Bloxson, and Jimmy Smith from his neighborhood.

The most surprising thing to me about this sort of work is how engaging it is.

It sounds like it might be really quite boring to be recording a textbook or reading the notes and the bibliography at the end of a book.

But when you understand that the person you're recording it for requested the book, someone wants to hear that book, it creates a relationship with the reader that, of course, I'll never meet.

But I am reading to that person and I know I'm reading something that person wants to hear.

That's very rewarding.

The Library of Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians, aka LAMP, we serve the state of Pennsylvania along with our sister regional in Pittsburgh.

We serve the blind and print disabled in the state of Pennsylvania.

We are also part of the National Library Service for the Blind, which is part of the Library of Congress.

We support anyone, if you cannot open a book with your two hands and read, you qualify for our services.

So it's not just if you have vision challenges, you could be dyslexic, dysgraphic, you could have a physical handicap, like if you injured your hands in an accident, you could qualify for our services temporarily.

You do have to go through the application process and get certified.

Mrs.

Bright said to him, "Josh, you do such a good job."

When I came to be in charge of LAMP, our recording studio had actually been in storage for a number of years.

One of my charges was to get the recording studio back up and running.

We re-equipped all the technology, we hired someone to man the recording studio, and then we put out the call for volunteers again.

Do you want to go back to a foretelling sign?

A foretelling sign... With the recording studio we are actually able to record any books that are not already in audio.

You would request to see if we actually already had the book in audio and if we don't then you would put in the request to us.

We will then check to see if it's in production anywhere around the country and if it's not then we would put it into our queue with our narrators.

A book takes anywhere from 20 to 30 hours to record, which you will not do in one sitting.

Sittings are about 2 to 3 hours for the sessions for our volunteer narrators.

Awesome, we want to keep going or do you want to take a break?

People that you know who are incapable of reading a physical book, let them know that this service is available.

And if they contact their local library, they can find out if they qualify for this service.

Chapter two, Josh's memorable years at Norristown High School.

Days in the high I knew.

- Just as a pro athlete must stay in shape to be at the top of their game, actors must too.

The Wilma Theater's Hot House Workshop gives actors an opportunity to hone their skills.

[Music] The Wilma Hot House is the Wilma Theater's resident acting company and we've existed for a little over 10 years now.

The goal is to really create artists that are developing themselves both as an individual and their ability to work in an ensemble.

Because in the script he's like, "The ones who know history go through the Derringer."

If you believe you can be Abraham Lincoln but the only version of Abraham Lincoln you can be is at the cost of your own body.

This play that we're working on right now, The America Play by Susan Loray Parks, is a tremendous piece of writing.

Emergency, oh emergency.

Please put the great man in the ground.

We get into it with each other.

We are in each other's space.

We are taking risks with each other.

We are expressing ourselves in ways that the general populace doesn't do.

We work on our voice.

Oh well, why oh well.

We work on our body, we work on accessing our emotions.

And to embrace that without judgment is actually like good and strange and scary.

We work on analyzing text.

And I feel like these phrases, "emergency, emergency" you know, "please put the great man on the ground" and "useless, useless" like that, those, they feel like gems that are being held up.

These actors, because they built trust with each other over and over and over, through just working not only on productions but in the hothouse sessions, they can jump in and do extraordinary work really quickly.

We're really looking at what is this art, what is this script, what does this production have to say?

It's not just individual artists doing their thing and becoming a star.

It is everybody is pouring themselves into every moment, thoroughly hashing out emotional journeys, looking at backstories, looking at what this means, why are we doing this right now?

I have seen my artistry mature and grow in this space with these people and I'm just so grateful for the opportunity.

Developing my craft has the utmost of value and so this is basically dedicated discovery time with people that have become like an extended family I'm forever grateful when we' tough plays to have a group of artists that are invested in the welfare of the arts.

Check out the Wilma's Hot House Ensemble when the theater presents the America Play from May 19th through May 31st.

There's no denying it, artificial intelligence is here to stay.

And for some songwriters, it's becoming a creative partner.

Working with AI is inevitable and it doesn't take away from what I naturally possess, it only enhances it.

The new so-called AI technology has changed the way I make music.

It's just another step to make things easier.

All technology when it comes to music creates this whole other level to the song.

I know what a good song is and I know what a great song is.

That is what we're striving for.

So there's the music which is the true art form and this really aspires to the heavens, the spirit, the soul and there's the technology that helps it and it's almost like they're parallel worlds and somehow they intersect and it's a beautiful phenomenon.

Now you can record what you're hearing in your mind, in your heart, like a helix, it keeps on growing.

If you get too caught up in the technology and the music itself, they kind of will suffocate each other and the spirit, the soul doesn't come out.

So you really have to keep the two separate and when they come together they coalesce and then you have something that's really aspiring to the heavens where it's coming from and we give it back.

It has been a very useful tool.

It can also lead us down some blind alleys.

I hesitate to call it artificial intelligence yet I've just seen it giving things back to me that I give it.

There are two categories.

There's the text-based ones where you type in or speak in words and then you get a reply which is usually, "Wow Eric, what a great idea that is.

Here are ten different versions of it.

What do you think?"

And then the other one you sing a melody and all of a sudden you get a completely produced recording.

The idea that you're hearing something that's gone so far beyond your imagination but what's impressive is the sound and that can be seductive.

AI doesn't have an ego it just gives you back what you want.

There's a song that comes about every time I think about AI and it's "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing, Baby."

There's certain things that will never be obsolete.

Since the dawning of time, the advent of technology has made life more convenient.

The term AI kind of makes people afraid.

Not something that just arrived out of thin air.

It's programmed by some of the best and brightest minds and musicians in the world.

So now you have one step closer in the process of creating music.

And I credit Daphne for bringing these things to my attention.

The best way that we use AI technology is a collaborator.

So when Eric Ortham came over to work on music, he said, I have this idea for a song.

I have some chords and I have a feeling about it.

And I said, yeah, tell me about the feeling.

He recorded all his parts.

And then I took the words that I wrote, uploaded the instrumental bounce, along with the words.

And it was terrible.

I knew how I want to do the phrasing, I could hear the melody differently.

So I recorded me singing it along with the instrumental stuff.

And then I got an amazing singer singing beautifully, still not a real person.

And I'm hearing in my head like how Zeke is going to sound So the song is called On Our Way Home.

And it's a song about being with your loved one and friends perhaps driving in the car and you're just feeling this joy in your heart.

When I heard On Our Way Home, there were subtleties that I wouldn't have naturally put in.

To bring something of very high standard above that, to go beyond what I can imagine.

- I hear you have an incredible, creative idea and put it in the hands of actual artists, they can take on a whole 'nother life of its own.

Songs are hard fought and won.

Whatever works.

That's a show of love.

- We have a treat for you now.

Here's the One People Band.

(upbeat music) ?

Your hand in mine ?

?

It's the golden hour ?

?

And soon the sun will shine ?

?

Spirit of the season ?

?

Love deep in my heart ?

?

On the glorious skies ?

?

Every year should start ?

?

We're all alright ?

?

Feeling dirty inside ?

?

All alright ?

?

What a beautiful ride ?

?

We're all alright ?

?

Feeling dirty but sad ?

?

Holidays are my decor ?

?

What a beautiful ride ?

?

What a beautiful ride ?

?

We're on our way home ?

?

Feeling dirty but sad ?

?

Every song we sing ?

?

Like the tide of our minds ?

?

Every shining tree top ?

?

Sparkles in your eyes ?

?

Like golden hour ?

?

Land deep in my heart ?

?

And all the glorious skies ?

?

How every year she's died ?

?

I'm all on my own ?

?

Living dirty inside ?

?

I'm all on my own ?

?

Not a beautiful ride ?

?

I'm on my way ?

?

Feeling dirty inside ?

?

All it does I'm more than glad ?

?

Not a beautiful ride ?

?

What a beautiful ride ?

?

I'm born and I'm way home ?

?

In a town up inside ?

?

What a way home ?

?

?

I'm born and I'm a way home ?

?

?

?

Many applause to all of you.

Zeke Burse.

?

Thank you so much.

Eric Wortham.

Incredible.

?

Thank you.

Thank you.

?

?

?

That song was so beautiful.

And, you know, in the story we just saw about how AI is being used with music, I would love for you to say more about how it's being rolled into the process.

Sure.

We don't use it as, like, the start or the end of anything.

It's more of a tool.

We have the direction of where we want to go with the songs.

And we might use it maybe to see if there's an alternative approach to a record.

But we try not to ever let it be in the driving seat.

Okay.

Right.

More so the back seat of it.

And that's, again, provided we actually use it.

The other part of it is that we have the foundation as artists prior to A.I.

So we know what we're wanting what we like what it sounds right and our sound essentially what we want it to sound like So when I envision what songwriting looks like I think of artists all huddled in a room like a sound studio You all have notebooks pencils and are just you know writing Things that are coming to your mind and you're creating songs that way what does it look like now with AI as a tool?

I personally like getting together with a writer or vocalist, by a piano and just throw out different ideas and then later on after we get the core of what we're trying to create then we'll experiment with all these different gadgets because that's essentially what they all are.

It's really a partnership you're using it as a tool not something that's taking over as you said it's not in the driver's seat of the creative process.

Can you give me a little more information about that I'd love to hear more about that.

Sure I mean I can I would say we started from the foundation of understanding what it is the instrument that we're playing and what does rhythm sound like when it comes to the drum and bass and guitar and those different things.

With Eric I'm sure you can speak to this as well too.

With piano myself I've never had any professional vocal lessons but I grew up just listening to a lot of people that I love to hear and I would idolize their styling so in a way I was pulling from those things.

So again I think having that foundation allows you to be confident as an artist.

I often say artists that might be in the fear of AI I think they just might not have had the chance to explore who they are as an artist first and that might be where the fear is coming from but I think as a creative and as an artist first prior to AI I think knowing and having that foundation means everything and that would be your argument against you know a purist in the music industry who would say like this violates everything that we believe in or everything we think we've thought about the creative process.

Correct, just to piggyback on what my bro was saying I mean the more information and more knowledge you have as an artist and musician the more you're able to pull from right so the one thing about these AI devices is that the information that it contains has to be programmed into it but it cannot ever you know synthesize that magical moment that can happen between human beings so there once upon a time people got around with the horse and buggy and then the engine the carburetor came out and then you couldn't give a horse and buggy away fast enough so the notion that technology is something that is always going to be a part of human existence we can't run away from that we can't escape that we have to embrace that of anything.

Well and in this industry if more than any other we've seen this innovation right it's not like I think we were saying how when cds came around people were like wait this is going to ruin music is this the same thing?

I think people just get afraid of uh anything that's new for the most part.

Yeah change is tough you know how about this let's take it off of music remember going from one grade to the next you get different peers you know that first couple weeks of school is a little you don't know when you fit in but after a while after you develop a relationship and understand your surroundings you know this is still the same you okay how would you advise aspiring artists new up-and-comers to utilize AI in their process I'm gonna go back to exactly what I said before which is know who you are as an artist first I wouldn't I wouldn't become a great prompter because that's essentially what it is at this point you knowing how to prompt the AI to give you something that you might like but you don't really know again we don't know where you're going who gets in a car and just you know with no direction right so essentially you want to have that foundation of what it is that you enjoy what do you want to explore do you want to explore the guitar do you want to explore the voice drums keys okay well find out the foundation of what that is the chords the scales and practice yeah find out who you are as an artist and then I think the sky's the limit and then you can incorporate tools like AI and all these other things that are.

It sounds like you're saying it's like you don't know what you don't know.

I mean so this is another way to just explore.

And this is not artificial intelligence writing the song start to finish and not with it.

I mean, even with I've heard some records where someone would just sing a melody and the AI will finish it, you know And it sounds sounds pretty decent But the more and more you you input music or ideas that way you'll hear the redundancy That the that the AI will you know give it and I don't think AI is gonna write Bohemian Rhapsody Okay, yeah, definitely not doing that.

So well, I would love for you to introduce the other members of the band around us Oh sure.

So let me step out of the way a little bit Clockwise, it's not okay.

Today.

You're sparing me right here on trumpet It's my little brother right here, but like not biologically, okay I'm not a for so long we love each other so much.

I call him a little brother.

It's my little brother Ray Bernard Nesmith This young man says he's a baby now he bought the whole me Killing it on the drums and this is the You know phenom a phenom over here.

He's the youngest member and so very proud of this young man.

This is Dre Harris Yeah, I think you make playing the guitar look really easy And I know what you're playing is not seen as one of the I will say the backbone and the brains behind this whole one people Band is that's Daphne Goldberg who's somewhere out here.

I think you might see her later.

We saw her in the story And Jonathan Dictor, so, you know, you know all of us We contribute mightily to this project and to these songs this music and we all you know Have something very important to say with regards to this topic So hopefully you can get some questions or answer from them as well.

Yeah, you're really shaping the Philly sound, you know You can see it's evolving and growing.

That's all right.

Thank you, and I really love it Well, we cannot have you leave without giving us another song.

Tell us what is the song called?

This next song is called I Look Around.

Okay, I can't wait.

I'm gonna go step out.

Take it away.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

I Look Around by The Blues (feat.

Lili Reinhart) ♪ Ooh ♪ With the steps going down ?

Once made of white hearts ?

Since turned brown ?

I look around ?

Hearing the sound ?

The shining past ?

Disappeared from the ground ?

And the warning sound ?

I still don't know enough What's made of what's since turned black Save me again, mother and child 'Cause when you say you're gonna let me die I'm gonna hear the cries of your grave Save me before they turn on the sun I look around, hear no sound The midnight train emerging from underground The outskirts of town, when the steps go down One's hopes pass, passes turn to brown I look around, mirroring myself The window chambers, above the ground The warning sound, when the sun's gone down The vandals sent a sentiment The vandals sent a sentiment Save me again, but I'm gonna die My heart was taken away in the fire No longer hear the crying of the night Shirley Min.

No longer hear the crying of the night Sun... [Music] No longer here to die but cry.

Slamming Slamming Slamming Slamming And that's our show.

Have a good night everyone.

[APPLAUSE] [MUSIC PLAYING]