What is live coding?

It’s safe to say that any programmer would agree—coding in front of an audience is incredibly challenging. It’s inevitable that one misses some semicolons, or misspells functions leading to bugs. My first thought when I heard about live coding was “That sounds insane”. The thought of facing an audience and writing code in real time felt daunting. I didn’t mind the whole improvisation thing, because I’ve done it before as a musician. However, unlike playing an instrument, where mistakes can sometimes blend into the performance, coding errors are glaringly obvious. On the other hand, unlike other kinds of performances, Live Coding allows performers to create something insanely cool from something as boring and abstract as code.

Displaying the code on the screen during the performance fosters a deeper connection between the performer and their audience. Without the visibility of the code, audiences can question the authenticity of the improvisation. They might think the performers are just triggering pre-prepared tracks. But by removing that barrier, the performer transforms the experience from a mere spectacle to an interactive, shared journey. In my opinion, the coolest thing about the show is not the visuals or audio but witnessing how performers converse with the machine in real time. Live coding not only spotlights the abstract interaction with the machine, but also opens up the conversation on what kinds of art and creative self expression is possible using the rawest forms of technology. Which is actually kind of insane.