Searching for Gesture and Embodiment in Live Coding

A tension surrounds the role of gesture and embodiment in live coding performance. Considering historical approaches, we propose a reconsideration of text’s current seat as the de facto universal medium for programming code. We further indicate alternative paths for the fusion of gesture and live coding. One such path, based on the mobile touchscreen platform and employing a sketching metaphor, has been developed in the form of the Auraglyph computer music programming environment. Auraglyph’s unique approach is intended to imbue music programming with a greater sense of embodiment and gesture. We discuss a number of performances involving Auraglyph to assess the degree of its success in achieving these goals.