Embedded Meanings: Before Code
Tribe start time
2025-04-24 19:00:00Starts on: 24/04/2025 18:00 London time
Membership plan: Just Curious | Topics: Creative Coding
Course overview
Thursday April 24th 6pm UK
This talk explores how notation systems in programming languages and software shape the way we think, create, and communicate in live coding and algorithmic performance. Different approaches—text-based scripting (Sonic Pi, Strudel, Hydra), graphical interfaces (Ableton), and node-based systems (Max 9, TouchDesigner, PureData)—each embed distinct value systems and ways of organizing musical and visual ideas.
These paradigms influence not only what can be expressed but also how artists and designers conceptualize structure, logic, and improvisation in their work. Through side-by-side comparisons of compositions and system design choices, we’ll examine how software architectures guide creative decisions and constrain possibilities. The session will include a 30-minute talk followed by an open Q&A, encouraging discussion on notation’s impact on creative coding and the evolving landscape of live performance technologies.
Who is this session for?
- Artists and Musicians: Those involved in live coding and algorithmic performance, including musicians who use tools like Sonic Pi, Strudel, and Hydra, as well as visual artists who work with graphical interfaces like Ableton or node-based systems like Max 9 and TouchDesigner.
- Software Developers and Designers: Developers interested in how software architectures impact creative decisions and the constraints they impose on artistic expression.
- Academics and Researchers: Scholars studying the intersection of technology, art, and cognition. The talk’s focus on how notation systems shape thought and creativity aligns with research interests in music cognition, human-computer interaction, and the philosophy of technology.
Session materials and Zoom link
- Zoom link
Requirements
- A Zoom account
- A Internet connection
Course schedule
Meet your instructor
Roxanne Harris “alsoknownasrox” is a new media artist-researcher and musician-programmer based in Los Angeles. Embracing programming as an artistic medium, she parameterizes on-the-fly, pushing the boundaries of improvisational dexterity within computational limitations. Her work invites audiences to engage the creative process as it unfolds, embracing vulnerability and exploring speculative futures through algorithmic transparency. Roxanne holds a B.A. in Computer Science and Music from Yale University and is pursuing an M.F.A. in Design Media Arts at UCLA. She has presented at the International Conference on Live Coding, Hybrid Live Coding Interfaces, Open Source Arts Contributors’ Conference (OSACC), South by Southwest (SXSW), and Dweller Festival. Her work has been featured in Office Magazine and Alternative Press and performed at venues such as WSA, MoMA PS1, and the Getty Museum.
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