Oftentimes, people are curious to know what the codes look like, what go into the process of coding, and everything in-between. The transparency of codes that live coding provides gives us a new framework to think about coding itself. The act becomes less of a gatekept activity that only professionals can understand and more of a public display of the logic necessary for programmers to build code-based materials. Live coding clearly conveys the sense of logic being carried out and the sense of communication between live programmers. The art helps bridge the gap between arts and programming, between viewers and computer engineers.
Software engineering or computer science as a practice teaches us to keep code abstracted and encapsulated for it to be production ready. While the average college coding assignment will be in one file with a large amount of ‘cout>>”here”; ‘s or ‘printf(“heree2”);’s humanising the the otherwise cold language of computers, code bases in the industry are surprisingly bland.
The existence of Live coding is an attempt of liberating the tool that we use to interact with computers. It is also an attempt at regaining the autonomy over the the strict regimes and practices we have established for communicating through computers. In a sense, the Turing Complete User definition established in the text diminishes with every iteration that a thought goes through a computer.
Furthermore the level of transparency in the process of creating the work in Live coding adds to its punk nature, as it tries to combat the encapsulated and abstracted, product oriented nature of software and code we have been accustomed to. In addition the novelty of using code, in contrast to other mediums of electronic artistic expression is a largely refreshing one.
The concept of live coding, as presented in the text, feels both exciting and deeply relevant to my experiences as a computer science and math double major. The idea of writing and modifying code in real time, while making the process visible to an audience, challenges the traditional view of programming as a solitary or rigid task. Instead, it reframes coding as an improvisational and collaborative act, which resonates with how I often approach problem-solving—iteratively and creatively.
What stands out to me is how live coding emphasizes “thinking in public.” As someone familiar with AI due to my major, this reminds me of the iterative nature of training models: experimenting, adapting, and learning from feedback. Similarly, live coding invites a dialogue between the coder, the machine, and the audience. The notion of making algorithms “strange” also intrigues me—it’s a reminder to question assumptions and explore new perspectives, something I value in both my technical and mathematical work.
Ultimately, live coding feels like a bridge between technical rigor and artistic expression. It inspires me to think about how my skills could be used not just to solve problems but to create meaningful, interactive experiences that push the boundaries of what technology can do.
Live coding challenges conventional views of coding and technology by making the process transparent, participatory, and creative. Live coding is a real-time creative and performative coding practice. It involves writing, modifying, and displaying code as it runs, blending improvisation, transparency, and audience participation.
What I find really interesting and revolutionary about live coding is that it breaks down the stigma of coding as a difficult and ‘elite’ skill by showcasing every line of code and its immediate impact, making it accessible and understandable. This openness makes live coding a welcoming platform where the process is as important as the outcome, inviting people to see coding as a more approachable and less intimidating practice.
By making coding visible in real time, live coding deconstructs the complexity often associated with it, proving that it’s not as hard or impossible as it may seem at first glance. This can also can dismantle barriers for people who feel alienated by traditional programming. It’s not just a performance art—it’s an act of empowerment, inviting people of all backgrounds to participate and experiment without fear of failure. In this way, live coding not only challenges conventional views of coding but also reimagines it as a deeply human and inclusive practice. Furthermore, the emphasis on process over product challenges traditional notions of technological perfectionism, where polished outcomes often obscure the creative messiness behind them. Instead, live coding celebrates imperfection, failure, and experimentation.
Live coding is about people interacting with the world, and each other, in real time, via code. For me, as someone with a background in psychology and neuroscience, it feels like it parallels the brain’s plasticity or its ability to form new synapses and connections, wiring together to create our cognition, memories, and sense of self. The dynamic, and constantly changing nature of the brain feels reflected in live coding, where code evolves in real-time, alive with spontaneity and creativity.
A lot like the brain’s electrical impulses that drive thought and emotion, live coding transforms raw computational processes into something expressive and organic. Each line of code creates new unlimited possibilities, creating a digital system that grows and adapts, much like our neural pathways. It’s a unique opportunity to bring the natural elements like irregularity, rhythm, and flow into the digital space, to create immersive experiences that reflect the essence of life.
For me, live coding feels like an extension of the mind, where creativity and aliveness spill into the machine and it bridges the gap between the mechanical and the human, allowing us to reintroduce spontaneity and connection into the digital world. It is a reminder that life really is about creativity, dynamic creation, adaptation and just having fun with this process.
As a computer science student and a DJ, I find live coding to be very intriguing because it will enable me to do something creative around my passion for electronic music with code – something that is typically never used in creative fields like music production.
Live coding allows anyone to see and understand the process of creating music through code. Unlike traditional DJing, where music is often mixed from pre-recorded tracks, live coding enables real-time composition, making each performance unique and dynamic. This improvisatory nature mirrors the spontaneity of live music while using the precision and power of programming.
What appeals to me the most is the deeply human aspect of all this. The algorave scene, where people come together to dance to music generated in real time through live coding, is a perfect example of how tech can serve us rather than the other way around. It’s not just about writing code—it’s about using that code to create shared experiences, to bring people together, and to foster a sense of connection. Seeing live coding facilitate something communal through algoraves, subreddits, and GitHub pages reinforces the idea that code isn’t just about logic, structure, and money. It can also be a powerful tool for expression, emotion, and collective joy.
“To define something is to stake a claim to its future, to make a claim about what it should be or become,” said David Ogborn.
Viewing live coding as a performance rather than merely a code display, defining it too strictly could limit its creative potential. Imposing rules or confining them within a strict definition might restrict the freedom and diversity coexisting in live coding. In the creative field, as projects take on different forms and styles, I believe that leaving “live coding” undefined allows for more possibilities to emerge and evolve in real-time, during live performances.
That said, my own interpretation of live coding is that it is a space where code is alive and constantly evolving. The code transformation can grow or end, and the performance can be a solo performance or an interactive experience with the audience. It is “alive” in the sense that it changes dynamically before the audience’s eyes, but it is also static in a way, like a painting, where the computer is the canvas, and each line of code is a brushstroke. This dual nature makes live coding an exciting side of art for both developers and audiences, shaping it into a unique live performance and an artistic experience.