Live coding in music is an exploration into the fabric of sound, musical structure and a journey that transcends conventional boundaries. It is not merely a technical endeavor but a thoughtful process of discovery and creation.

Live coding offers a new perspective on music-making, allowing musicians to become composers, interacting with sound in real time and shaping it through code. It brings a new dimension to the art, where algorithms become instruments, and experimentation is as natural as breathing. In this realm, the lines between genres blur, and the seeds of new musical worlds are sown. The process is less about conquering uncharted territories and more about unveiling hidden layers, appreciating the nuances, and discovering a new kind of beauty.

The art of live coding is a convergence of the musician, the medium, and aesthetics, where sound and code intertwine to sculpt a new musical landscape.

Experimenting with music via this programmable medium isn’t about showoasing prowess but about embracing curiosity. It’s about the joy of tinkering, the satisfaction in small discoveries, and the wonder in unexpected resonances.

This workshop is an introduction to the world of collaborative live coding with the open-source platform Estuary. It’s not a revolution but a gentle invitation to a different way of thinking about music. Join us as we explore together, learn from one another, and find joy in the simple act of creation. Here, in the quiet interplay of code and sound, you may find not just new music but new ways of listening and understanding.


Live coding, sometimes referred to as on-the-fly programming, just in time programming and conversational programming, makes programming an integral part of the running program. It is most prominent as a performing arts form and a creativity technique centred upon the writing of source code and the use of interactive programming in an improvised way. Live coding is often used to create sound and image based digital media, as well as light systems, improvised dance and poetry, though is particularly prevalent in computer music usually as improvisation, although it could be combined with algorithmic composition. Typically, the process of writing source code is made visible by projecting the computer screen in the audience space, with ways of visualising the code an area of active research. Live coding techniques are also employed outside of performance, such as in producing sound for film or audiovisual work for interactive art installations. (Wikipedia)