Alan and Steve talk with veteran South Dakota music educator Ryan Stahle about moving beyond using artificial intelligence as a glorified search engine and actually learning to talk with it. Ryan shares practical examples from his own teaching, including creating targeted warm-ups, speeding up student feedback, organizing individual lessons, and even building tools to solve problems he hadn’t expected AI could solve.
But the conversation also gets into the harder questions. What should stay human? When should teachers disclose that AI helped create something? What student information should never go into an AI tool? And if we’re comfortable using AI to design a website but uncomfortable when it writes music, are we being entirely consistent? Ryan, Alan, and Steve explore how music teachers can make use of these tools without surrendering the judgment, creativity, and relationships that make teaching human.
About Ryan Stahle
Ryan Stahle is the Director of Bands at Mitchell Middle School in Mitchell, South Dakota. He brings more than 25 years of teaching experience to the role, including 22 years as Director of Bands at Mitchell High School. He received the 2024 NFHS Outstanding Music Educator Award, the 2023 Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Band Director Award, and the 2021 SDHSAA Distinguished Service Award.
A 1997 music education graduate of the University of South Dakota, Ryan began his career in Morristown, Minnesota, teaching K-5 general music and 5-8 instrumental music. He then served as assistant director of bands at Farmington High School alongside Jeff Gottwig. While in the Twin Cities, he performed with the Bloomington Medalist Band under Dr. Earl Benson and the Waseca Area Big Band under Kim Cosens.
In 2003, Ryan returned to his hometown to lead the Mitchell High School band program, which grew and earned honors across every ensemble under his direction. His jazz bands took first place at the Augustana, Coyote, Optimist, and South Dakota Jazz Festivals. His marching band won awards throughout the region, and his symphonic bands consistently earned superior ratings at large group contest. His students performed in New York City, San Francisco, and Disney World across seven trips.
Ryan founded and directs the Palace City Jazz Festival, the only high school-sponsored jazz festival in South Dakota, held each February at the Mitchell Performing Arts Center. He is the state director of the South Dakota All-State Jazz Band and a founding member of the SDHSAA Music Advisory Committee.
An active saxophonist, Ryan performs with area musicians and with the Fellowship Jazz Center Orchestra. He also directs the Fellowship Jazz Center’s Honor Jazz Orchestra program and serves on the center’s board. He and his wife, Nicole, have two children, Hunter and Atlanta.
