Cherry Blossoms in DC
As I was walking around the cherry blossom trees in D.C., a melody started to form in my head. Since I can’t sing well, I decided to use AI to see what it could create with my own lyrics and guidance.
In this video, I share the song, how it came about, and how you can create your own song with Google Gemini too. You can fill in the blanks, shadow the song, and learn some new vocabulary and tips.
Click Play the clip to hear the song. Fill in the blanks as you listen, then click Check answers when you’re ready.
Speed:
Play the clip and speak each line out loud. Try 0.75× first if you want a little more time between phrases.
Speed:
In 1912, Japan gave 3,000 cherry blossom trees to Washington, D.C. as a gesture of friendship. Today those trees and their descendants draw more than a million visitors each spring. The peak bloom typically lasts only one to two weeks, so timing makes all the difference.
In 2026, Japan gave the United States another 250 cherry trees, one for each year of America’s 250th birthday, continuing that same tradition of friendship more than a century later.
Google Gemini Pro can turn your lyrics into a song, but it isn’t the only tool available. Suno and Udio both offer similar features and each has a free tier to try. Notice in this video that the AI changed a lyric or two. Those small differences are useful: comparing what you wrote to what the AI produced is a listening and reading exercise built right in.
When you try to rhyme in a new language, you naturally search for words you don’t already know. That search is the learning. The emotional connection you feel to something you made yourself also helps vocabulary stay with you much longer than a flashcard would.
Press Start to play the song and follow along. Sing each line as it lights up. Your recording captures only your voice, so afterward you can listen back and check your own pronunciation and rhythm without the music in the way. Headphones help keep the recording clean, but they are not required.
Before You Leave
Write Your Own
Write four to six lines about something you saw, did, or felt recently. Try to use at least two words from today’s exercises. When you’re done, paste your lyrics into Google Gemini or Suno and hear what the AI does with them.
Just have fun with it. Part of fluency is being able to be creative with language.
Did this help you improve your English?
I appreciate your thoughts. It'll help me improve the next post. I hope you enjoy the rest of the site 🙂