Livecoding Music Course in SF: Beat DJ Pro Included

We're excited to announce our most ambitious educational offering yet: a comprehensive 15-week livecoding music course teaching Beat DJ from fundamentals to live performance. Held in San Francisco's Union Square area, this course transforms beginners into confident electronic music performers through hands-on practice, community collaboration, and low-stakes performance opportunities.

What You'll Learn

This isn't just another music production course. Over 15 weeks, you'll master Beat DJ's command-line music creation system, learning to perform live electronic music with the same software used by our Soniare Collective artists.

The curriculum emphasizes practical skills over theory, focusing on creating original songs and performing them in a supportive, low-stakes environment. By the end of the course, you'll have the technical skills and performance confidence to express yourself creatively through livecoding.

Course Structure: Three Connected Sections

We've designed the course as three interconnected 5-week sections, each building on the previous one while maintaining standalone value:

Section 1: October 20 - November 17 ($330) Foundation skills, sound design basics, and your first performance

Section 2: November 24 - December 22 ($330) Advanced techniques, effects mastery, and collaborative sessions

Section 3: December 29 - January 26 ($330) Performance preparation, improvisation skills, and final showcase

Each section includes four intensive classes plus a live performance finale where you'll share your creations with fellow students and the broader community.

What's Included

Every student receives a complete production setup:

Beat DJ Pro License (2-year access, $240 value) Full access to the professional version of Beat DJ with all features unlocked

Discord Community Access Join our active community for virtual workshops, multiplayer jam sessions, and ongoing support between classes

Performance Opportunities Each section culminates in a live performance where you'll showcase your original work

Hands-On Instruction Small class sizes ensure personalized attention and feedback from instructor Nes Croft

Your Instructor: Nes Croft

Learn directly from the creator of Beat DJ and founder of Soniare. With two decades of music production experience spanning multiple genres and a deep commitment to education, Nes brings both technical expertise and pedagogical insight to every class.

Beyond technical instruction, Nes emphasizes the creative and expressive potential of livecoding, helping students find their unique voice within the medium.

The Learning Environment

Classes meet at 151 Powell Street in San Francisco's Union Square neighborhood, easily accessible by public transit. The intimate classroom setting fosters collaboration and community while providing professional equipment for hands-on learning.

We've designed the course for a low-stakes learning environment where experimentation is encouraged and mistakes are seen as learning opportunities. Many students discover that the supportive atmosphere accelerates their growth beyond what they imagined possible.

Flexible Enrollment

While we encourage students to commit to all three sections for the complete learning arc, we understand that schedules vary. You can enroll in individual sections based on your availability and experience level.

Late joiners receive prorated rates (as low as $280 for joining mid-section), making it possible to jump in even after the start date.

From Solo Practice to Laptop Bands

One of the most exciting aspects of learning Beat DJ is the potential for collaboration. Our multiplayer functionality allows students to jam together in real-time, either in person or remotely through Discord.

Many students from previous workshops have formed ongoing musical collaborations, contributing to projects like our Afterlight Atlas compilation album. The friendships and creative partnerships formed in class often extend far beyond the course itself.

Who Should Enroll

This course welcomes students at all levels:

Complete Beginners: No music theory or coding experience required. We start from absolute basics and build systematically.

Experienced Musicians: Add livecoding to your performance toolkit and discover new creative possibilities.

Producers & DJs: Learn real-time manipulation techniques that blur the line between DJing and live production.

Creative Technologists: Explore the intersection of code and music in a welcoming, accessible format.

The only prerequisite is curiosity and a willingness to experiment with new creative tools.

Beyond the Classroom

While the structured curriculum provides essential skills, some of the most valuable learning happens in the spaces between classes. Our Discord community hosts regular virtual jam sessions where students practice their skills and collaborate on new ideas.

The multiplayer sessions have become a highlight for many students, offering a unique combination of practice opportunity and creative collaboration. As one student described it: "This feels like how Beat DJ is supposed to be used."

Investment in Your Creative Future

At $330 per section (or $990 for all three), the course represents a significant investment in your creative development. However, the value extends far beyond the software license and instruction hours:

Access to a vibrant creative community
Performance opportunities that build real-world skills
Ongoing support and collaboration through Discord
Foundation for potential music career or serious hobby
Connection to the broader livecoding and electronic music scenes

For many students, the confidence gained from performing their own original music proves invaluable, opening doors to future creative opportunities they hadn't imagined.

Join the Movement

Livecoding represents the cutting edge of electronic music performance, combining the immediacy of improvisation with the precision of digital production. As traditional boundaries between composer, performer, and audience continue to blur, skills in real-time music creation become increasingly valuable.

This course offers more than just technical training - it's an invitation into a global community of artists exploring new forms of musical expression. Whether you aspire to perform professionally or simply want to deepen your creative practice, you'll find a welcoming home in our classroom.

Enroll Now

Questions about the course? Reach out through our Discord community or contact us directly through the registration page.

Whether you've never made electronic music before or you're an experienced producer looking to add livecoding to your skill set, this course will meet you where you are and help you grow into a confident performer.

The future of electronic music is live, collaborative, and improvisational. Join us in building that future, one command at a time.

See you in class!

Location: 151 Powell St, San Francisco, CA

Start Dates:

October 20, 2025
November 24, 2025
December 29, 2025

Duration: 15 weeks (three 5-week sections)

Registration: luma.com/qn5v53wm