Live coding practice

Abstract

Live coding is almost the antithesis of immediate physical musicianship, and yet, has attracted the attentions of a number of computer-literate musicians, as well as the music-savvy programmers that might be more expected. It is within the context of live coding that I seek to explore the question of practising a contemporary digital musical instrument, which is often raised as an aside but more rarely carried out in research (though see [12]). At what stage of expertise are the members of the live coding movement, and what practice regimes might help them to find their true potential?