Tech Truth: Teaching Kids to Code with Sonic Pi • Sam Aaron & James Lewis • GOTO 2025

This conversation was recorded at GOTO Copenhagen 2025. #GOTOcon #GOTOcph
https://gotocph.com

Sam Aaron - Live Coding Musician & Creator of Sonic Pi @SamAaron 
James Lewis - Principal Consultant & Technical Director at Thoughtworks

RESOURCES
Sam
https://www.patreon.com/samaaron
https://bsky.app/profile/samaaron.bsky.social
https://twitter.com/samaaron
https://github.com/samaaron
https://linkedin.com/in/samaaron

James
https://bsky.app/profile/boicy.bovon.org
https://twitter.com/boicy
https://linkedin.com/in/james-lewis-microservices

Links
https://sonic-pi.net
https://twitter.com/sonic_pi
https://github.com/sonic-pi-net/sonic-pi
https://www.ableton.com/en/link
https://hydra.ojack.xyz

DESCRIPTION
Programming isn't just lines of code, it's a gateway to creating music & art. Legends such as Ada Lovelace are proof of that. With the aim to reshape the perception of coding which has traditionally been complex and intimidating, Sam Aaron created Sonic Pi, an open-source, free-to-use platform that empowers users to create music through code.

What began as a humble endeavor has grown exponentially with more than millions of downloads globally and a large number of schools integrating the tool as part of their computing curriculum to teach children how to program.

TIMECODES
00:00 Intro
01:05 Learning to code on a ZX Spectrum & calculator
06:02 Music meets code: Sam's origin story
13:30 Audience Q&A
27:46 Building Tau5 with AI
31:18 Erlang, the BEAM & right technology for SonicPi
40:12 Audience Q&A
44:05 Code as musical score — Preserving what we make
48:10 How to keep your curiosity alive as you age
49:44 Outro

RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Sam Aaron & Russell Barnes • Code Music with Sonic Pi • https://amzn.to/4hBRYtC
Hans Gruendel • Making Music with Sonic Pi • https://amzn.to/3oVxGV7
Hans Gruendel • Learn to Program with Sonic PI • https://amzn.to/3qCrLEO
Simon Monk • Raspberry Pi Cookbook • https://amzn.to/43AGPRX
Matthew Skelton & Manuel Pais • Team Topologies • http://amzn.to/3sVLyLQ
Forsgren, Humble & Kim • Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps • https://amzn.to/3tCz1xO

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