Sonic Pi - BEAM Up The VJ! • Sam Aaron • GOTO 2023

"Discover the power of creative coding with Sonic Pi, a platform that enables music creation, live coding, and community-driven innovation. Learn how it's being used in schools to engage students and improve learning outcomes."

Key takeaways
  • The power of non-determinism in Sonic Pi allows for creative coding and experimentation.
  • Concurrency is a key concept in Sonic Pi, and it’s not necessary to understand the underlying complexity to use it.
  • Sonic Pi has been successfully used in schools to engage students in coding and music creation.
  • The platform’s ability to allow users to create their own interfaces and experiment with different sounds and effects makes it an attractive tool for creative expression.
  • Teacher engagement is crucial in getting students to appreciate the value of coding and its applications.
  • There are many creative ways to use Sonic Pi, and the boundaries are being pushed by users constantly.
  • Rolling out new features and updates requires careful consideration to ensure that they are available on multiple operating systems and browsers.
  • The use of a protocol called Open Sound Control (OSC) enables communication between devices and allows for real-time audio control.
  • Sonic Pi can be used to teach students about fundamental programming concepts such as variables, indexing, and loops.
  • The platform’s syntax is designed to be simple and easy to understand, making it accessible to a wide range of users.
  • Live coding is about not just writing code, but also about performing and creating music in real-time.
  • The Sonic Pi community is actively involved in developing new features and sharing their creations.
  • The platform’s ability to be used across multiple platforms and devices is a key feature.
  • There are many ways to use Sonic Pi, from creating electronic music to live coding and more.

Reply to Sam Aaron’s Success Story Request

  • Read out a success story of a school that used Sonic Pi to engage students in coding and music creation, leading to improved motivation and overall performance.