Music and computer programming are often perceived to sit at opposite ends of the creativity scale; however, many aspects of music naturally appeal to developers. Four beats in a bar, 16, 32 or 64 beats in a phrase, and the scientific pitch scale with frequencies like 128, 256 and 512 hertz for C all reflect patterns and structures familiar to coders. From the 1980s to today, music creation has rapidly shifted from hardware to software, and for many producers the laptop has replaced the recording studio. Environments such as Sonic Pi and Strudel allow coders to create and control powerful synthesizers, sequence multiple tracks, play samples and add effects, and best of all, these applications are free and open source. If message‑based integration is your thing, MIDI messaging can be used programmatically to control instruments, and your code can respond to MIDI messages sent from other applications.

In this demo‑intensive session, Alan will share his experiences using Sonic Pi combined with custom Python utilities to compose, create and perform DJ sets using looped samples. He will demonstrate how embeddings and vector search can help find tracks and phrases that mix well together, supported by a small dash of music theory. The creation of mix‑composition and editing software will be discussed, highlighting the pleasure and pain of “vibe coding”. Alan will then cover the performance aspects of live‑coding a DJ set in Sonic Pi, focusing on techniques for leveraging the environment for more productive and reliable performance. He will show how background visuals and video can be synchronized to the music using MIDI messaging and controlled while performing, and he will discuss the experience of writing code to DJ in front of a live audience.

If you are a musician interested in code, or a developer interested in music, this session will show you how to transform blocks of code into block‑rocking beats.