Programming Music for Performance: Live coding with FoxDot
a talk by Ryan Kirkbride
In this talk, I will introduce the topic of live coding – the interactive programming experience for generating sound and visuals but this talk will mainly focus on the audio side.
Live coders use programming languages to describe rules for generating music but then re-write these rules while the program is running. By continually writing and re-writing these rules live coders creating a shifting musical experience that is always in flux. All of this happens live in front of an audience with the code projected for all to see.
I will go on to discuss a few of the many tools that are available for live coding and showcase the FoxDot environment, which allows you to live code music using Python. I will talk about the motivation for developing FoxDot and describe some of its key features as well as how you can set it up yourself at home.
The talk will be concluded with a short demonstration that will be a partial explanation and partial performance.
This talk is suitable for both beginner and advanced Pythonistas.
Ryan Kirkbride also leads a workshop: Introduction to live coding music with Python and SuperCollider
Ryan Kirkbride
I am currently in the middle of a practice-led PhD in Music researching communication and collaboration in live coding – the practice of generating live music using code.
I developed a Python-driven live coding environment, called FoxDot, for live coding musical patterns with a focus on object-oriented programming and perform improvised melodic techno regularly under the stage name “Qirky”.