Schreiner Songkeepers: a world-class violist, a strong opinion about AI, and a man who used it to leave a final album for his family
The program works with students of any level. Caldwell described a collaboration with Mac Damon of Stone Creek Sound in which a student who simply wants to write a song about their dog can emerge with a professionally recorded track.
Jacobi Caldwell knows what flood trauma feels like. In 2002, she watched the water rise up into her 1925 pier-and-beam home on Quinlan Creek. She grabbed her dog and a ladder and waited on a neighbor-built carport for two hours until a rescue team arrived.
She has lived in this area since 2000. The floods are personal.
Caldwell appeared Monday on The Lead Live’s Nonprofit Week to represent the Schreiner Songkeepers — a music program at Schreiner University originally founded by Bill Muse and Mary Muse as a songwriting and performance series at the Trailhead. Under Caldwell’s direction it has expanded into a full digital music education program. Students can now study digital audio engineering, DJing, computer-assisted composition, and music production alongside traditional songwriting.
The program works with students of any level. Caldwell described a collaboration with Mac Damon of Stone Creek Sound in which a student who simply wants to write a song about their dog can emerge with a professionally recorded track.
“Beginner to already have CDs out of Nashville can come to us,” she said, “and we tailor-make the education experience.”
Upcoming fall guests include San Antonio producer and performer Miguel Aguilar — who has played with Piñata Protest — in September, and national teaching fellow Natalie Price in October.
On artificial intelligence in music, Caldwell’s view was direct. She does not believe in using AI for songwriting.
“When you come to perform on stage, you are bringing something that only you can do through only your voice and your words,” she said. “And if you are using AI, it might be like picking out a Christmas card saying exactly what you want to say, but it’s still not yours.”
She acknowledged AI as a powerful technical tool — useful for separating audio stems, for production work — and shared a story that complicated her own strong stance: a late friend spent his final month using Suno AI to produce a legacy album for his family. She did not discount that.
The Songkeepers program runs through Schreiner University’s continuing education department.
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