- Simply naming where you’re from becomes a conversation piece. People’s interest immediately spikes and the questions begin to flow. “Why did you go so far for college? Do you miss home? Did you know anyone here?” You quickly learn to just nod along.
- There will always be others in the same shoes as you, those who have come from the opposite coast. Find them. These people become your lifeline. They are the people who will understand when the homesickness hits and you can’t just hop on the Metro North to go home for the weekend. When everyone else goes home for Columbus weekend, they are the people you will order in food and have a movie marathon with.
- When homesickness does hit, family is always just a call (or FaceTime) away. I never called my mom and dad so much as I did in the first weeks of college. While it is nowhere near the same as seeing them in person, it always helped reassure me that everything would be all right.
- Even though you feel far away and by yourself, everyone else is viewing you as the person who was brave enough to go so far away by yourself. When you come home on breaks, people can’t wait to talk to you about how college in the big city has been. You are the talk of the town (or at least of your mother’s Pilates class).
- The abbreviations you use for colleges don’t hold the same meaning across the country, and therefore you inevitably learn new ones from your friends. It took about a month for me to learn that when someone said they had a friend at U Conn they were referring to the University of Connecticut, while when I said I had a lot of friends at U of A, I got blank stares.
- If you’re coming from a completely different climate, you may have new seasons to adapt to. For me, it was winter. Snow boots and oversized coats filled my online shopping carts for months as the anticipation grew, but nothing except experience could have prepared me for the change in weather. Wearing leggings and snow boots to the gym and then changing into your workout clothes once I got there became a normal ritual.
- You become well acquainted with a part of the country that seemed confusing before. The layout of the east coast suddenly becomes easy knowledge. When in the past you may have questioned if Rhode Island was above or below New York, the answer is now obvious. I quickly learned that when my roommate was headed home to Massachusetts, she was going north, and if I went to visit my sister in Washington, DC, I was headed south.
- Taking the train is so normal it becomes part of everyday life. Coming from Arizona, the only train I had ever taken was the kids attraction at the local Railroad Park. Now, whether it be the subway, Metro North, NJ Transit, or Amtrak, I am constantly taking a train somewhere.
- The way people talk is noticeably different. Those who ventured from Massachusetts still use the word wicked, along with calling the water fountain a bubbler (thank you to my freshman roommate for teaching me those two). The accents become distinguishable the more you hear them, and soon enough without someone having to say where they are from, you know whether it is New York, Boston, or Jersey.
- It will be the best decision you have ever made. You make friends from all over the country and learn so much about places you have never been. The separation from home eventually makes you more confident, and your remind yourself that you left home and moved over 2,000 miles away on your own.
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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
StableDiffusion
The Illusion of Creativity
AI-generated music is often marketed as “artistic” or “educational.” But what does it really teach?
- That style can be replicated without understanding.
- That emotion can be simulated without feeling.
- That effort can be bypassed with a prompt.
For young creators, this sets a dangerous precedent. Why learn to play guitar when an algorithm can do it faster? Why study harmony when AI can generate chord progressions in seconds? The risk isn’t just laziness — it’s the loss of depth, discipline, and the tactile joy of creation.
I have listened to several AI-generated music covers. My initial reaction was one of considerable impressiveness, particularly regarding the reimagining of classic pop hits in diverse genres with novel arrangements. Here is one good example a-ha — Take On Me
However, after engaging with several such Ai generated song covers, a sense of emotional detachment emerged, attributable to the perceived absence of human artistry and genuine sentiment, resulting in a technically flawless yet ultimately soulless auditory experience.
Copyright in Crisis
What does the copyright law say about AI generated music, especially in field of music covers. Who is liable for copyright in this case, AI developers, people who used AI to generate music or people who published it on music platforms?
Recent lawsuits show that the music industry is pushing back hard:
- Universal, Sony, and Warner sued AI music platforms Suno and Udio in 2024 for allegedly training their models on copyrighted songs without permission Ars Technica The Lyon Firm.
- They’re seeking up to $150,000 per infringed song, arguing that the AI outputs resemble famous tracks and voices (e.g., Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson).
- These lawsuits target the developers of the AI tools — but they raise broader questions:The legal gray area is training data. Courts haven’t yet ruled definitively on whether using copyrighted songs to train AI counts as infringement or fair use Sites at USC.
But who’s liable?
Role | Legal Risk | Why |
AI Developers | ✅ High | For training on copyrighted material without licenses. |
Users | ⚠️ Moderate | If they intentionally recreate protected works. |
Publishers/Platforms | ✅ High | For distributing infringing content. |
The grey area lies in training data. Courts haven’t yet ruled definitively on whether using copyrighted songs to train AI counts as infringement or fair use. Meanwhile, AI-generated works themselves aren’t eligible for copyright unless a human provides substantial creative input — leaving them in legal limbo.
The Educational Mirage
Some argue that AI music helps people learn genres, production styles, or vocal techniques. But this “education” often lacks context. It’s like learning to paint by watching a printer — technically impressive, but creatively hollow.
True musical education involves:
- Struggle and iteration: Learning through mistakes.
- Emotional connection: Expressing what words can’t.
- Cultural lineage: Understanding the roots of sound.
AI shortcuts bypass all of this. And in doing so, they risk flattening the rich terrain of human creativity into a sterile landscape of algorithmic mimicry.
Why This Fight Matters
This isn’t just about music. It’s about the future of art, storytelling, and human expression. If we allow machines to dominate creative spaces, we risk turning culture into content — optimized, monetized, and devoid of soul.
We must ask: Do we want a world where art is made by machines, or one where machines help humans make better art?
5 Key Takeaways
- AI-generated music blurs the line between innovation and erosion in the creative arts
- AI-generated music raises questions about copyright, culture, education, and artistic expression
- AI-generated music can replicate style without understanding, simulate emotion without feeling, and bypass effort with a prompt
- AI-generated music sets a dangerous precedent for young creators by potentially leading to a loss of depth, discipline, and joy of creation
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