Command Line Music - Auwen Workshop
This class is an intro to command line music with Auwen, a tool for writing and performing songs in real time using a command line interface.
You'll get hands-on experience building tracks from scratch and playing them in a low stakes, collaborative setting. No prior coding or music experience needed.
What to expect: installation takes about 5 minutes. Your first beat, maybe an hour. Playing a full set takes a 3-6 weeks of practice depending on experience level.
A few students have gone on to perform live sets at SF events and festivals as part of Soniare Collective. With just a bit of dedication you could be next! We would love to have you join our growing family of music producers.
After the class you'll be invited to our Discord where we do multiplayer jam sessions, so there's space to keep learning and playing with other people.
Workshop Outline
Software and sample installation
Overview of Auwen User Interface and workflow
Multiplayer learning session creating genres you suggest
Solo time creating music on your own computer
Wrap-up and share resources for further learning
Educational Goals
To inspire participants and offer an accessible entry point into performing live dance music, while building foundational skills in livecoding, composition, improvisation, and real-time musical decision-making.
Instructor
Nes Croft is a musician, artist, and computer engineer from Montana who has written and recorded thousands of songs since a young age starting with folk/rock as a teenager and expanding into experimental pop, IDM, techno, and trance. Nes gained an interest in electronics at age 19 after working at the DIY synth company Synthrotek in Portland, OR. Going on to earn a bachelor's degree in computer engineering at Montana State University. While in college Nes co-founded and developed Vaytricks Beat Machine, a mobile drum machine app that received over 100,000 downloads. 5 years later Nes left Vaytricks to pursue a live performance focused approach to music production and Auwen was born. Auwen is a digital audio workstation featuring a hybrid producer/DJ workflow that allows musicians to perform dance music live using a command line interface. Given the nature of the software, Nes naturally gravitated toward live music events testing Auwen at various electronic music festivals in Montana. Later, Nes joined the livecoding scene in San Francisco and started hosting workshops & live music events at TIAT art gallery and Gray Area in San Francisco in 2025-2026.
Preparation
Bring a laptop/headphones and install the software auwen.app to save time in class. Also bring water and maybe a light snack to keep your energy up because we'll be covering a lot of information! Some drinks may be provided as well. When you arrive come through the front of TIAT then all the way back and down the stairs on the left. The event is in the TIAT basement.