One of the most exciting aspects of Sonic Pi is that it enables you to use code as a musical instrument. This means that writing code live can now be seen as a new way of performing music.
We call this Live Coding.
When you live code I recommend you show your screen to your audience. Otherwise it’s like playing a guitar but hiding your fingers and the strings. When I practice at home I use a Raspberry Pi and a little mini projector on my living room wall. You could use your TV or one of your school/work projectors to give a show. Try it, it’s a lot of fun.
Don’t just play on your own - form a live coding band! It’s a lot of fun jamming with others. One person could do beats, another ambient background, etc. Use the live_audio functionality to combine code with traditional instruments such as a guitar or a microphone.
See what interesting combinations of sounds you can create with code.
Live coding isn’t completely new - a small number of people have been doing it for a few years now, typically using bespoke systems they’ve built for themselves. A great place to go and find out more about other live coders and systems is TOPLAP.
Another great resource for exploring the live coding world is Algorave. Here you can find all about a specific strand of live coding for making music in nightclubs.