Live coding the mobile music instrument

Abstract

We introduce a form of networked music performance where a performer plays a mobile music instrument while it is being implemented on the fly by a live coder. This setup poses a set of challenges in performing a musical instrument which changes over time and we suggest design guidelines such as making a smooth transition, varying adoption of change, and sharing information between the pair of two performers. A proof-of-concept instrument is implemented on a mobile device using UrMus, applying the suggested guidelines. We wish that this model would expand the scope of live coding to the distributed interactive system, drawing existing performance ideas of NIMEs.