Sam Aaron - Sonic Pi - Live Coding as a tool for next-gen education.

Sonic Pi was developed as an educational tool to teach computer science concepts through music programming, making coding more engaging and accessible for students

The software uses Ruby-like syntax but focuses on simplicity and immediacy - students can create sounds and music within minutes rather than having to learn complex music theory or programming concepts first

Live coding and real-time manipulation are core features, allowing users to modify code while music is playing and see/hear immediate results

The system was specifically designed for classroom use with teachers in mind, focusing on making programming concepts like loops, threads, and concurrency tangible through sound

Sound scheduling is deterministic and thread-local, enabling precise timing control while keeping the programming model simple enough for beginners

Multiple synthesizers, samples, and effects are built-in, allowing users to create complex musical pieces while learning programming fundamentals

The project emphasizes that programming is a tool for creativity and expression, not just a technical skill for future software developers

Design decisions prioritized classroom usability over professional music production features, though it’s still capable enough for live performances

Cross-platform compatibility (Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi) and being free/open-source were important considerations for educational accessibility

The system demonstrates that programming education doesn’t need to focus solely on traditional computer science topics like sorting algorithms, but can engage students through creative expression