Photo credit: Pauline Lu on Unsplash
If someone had asked me about using code to write music three years ago, I would not have had much to say about it due to not being aware it was even possible.
Making time for it this year, before speaking about how I got into music composition with Ruby, made me realise one thing: experimenting with my code without using any AI tools is most interesting. I can try any combination of patterns until I get to the sounds I’m looking to add to any given track.
I now also view my code as an instrument that I can play to explore genres, themes, patterns and convey emotions. Knowing that a track will have a life of its own is fascinating too. No matter how a track is received, what matters is that it exists. Whether it be a track I coded from a blank editor or one I remixed, each one has a story. It’s also the result of a creative process.
When I think of it, the songs that I coded when I was starting out I can return to with fresh eyes because the changes I can make to the code can lead to completely different results. This is a practice that provides challenge, creativity and connects me to folks because I still get to build on what someone made at a given point, starting from the patterns I choose to use.
Within the community, the synergy between folks discussing their code reminds me that each person brings a unique perspective to these forum discussions. It also helps me learn more about its history and what makes it what it is today. I also realise this synergy is made possible by a conscious effort from everyone in the community to focus on documenting learning, sharing knowledge and being open to other ways of coding music with Sonic Pi. It’s a synergy I also found in different contexts this year.