Performing live coding requires accepting public errors and resisting the pressure to meet conventional definitions of music

Live coding performance demands a specific psychological disposition: the willingness to have errors and the process of writing code visible to an audience in real time, without concern for whether the result meets any established school of composition’s definition of music. Cárdenas frames this as the central challenge for anyone wanting to perform live coding: ‘have the courage to get on stage behind a computer, type code, show it, and have the errors be seen, without thinking about whether that would be music according to some school of composition.’ This is simultaneously a performance practice principle and an aesthetic philosophy — the errors are not failures but part of the work.

Examples

Cárdenas describes experiencing stage fright every time she performs, but learning to know herself through practice. Her approach: her music speaks for her, not stage presence or MC skills. Contrast with Sam Aaron (Sonic Pi) whose presence is more DJ-like. Projecting errors publicly is part of the live coding aesthetic.

Assessment

Describe what a performer must be willing to show in a live coding set that a conventional DJ or electronic musician would typically hide. How does the ‘show your screen’ principle change the performer-audience relationship compared to a DJ behind CDJs?