- Published on
Write a Beat From the Command Line: Live Workshop
- Authors
- Name
- Nes Croft
- @nescroft
Write a Beat From the Command Line
If you've ever wanted to make music but didn't want to learn a DAW, this is your way in. In this virtual workshop, you'll use Auwen, a command line app that lets you write and perform music in real time.
Auwen uses a CLI that will feel familiar if you've spent any time in a terminal. Type commands, hear the result, adjust, repeat. No AI, no prompting. You're making every musical decision yourself, just faster than you would in a traditional production setup.
What to Expect
Setup takes about 5 minutes. You'll write your first beat loop during the session. From there, building full songs takes a few weeks of practice depending on your starting point.
No music theory or production experience needed. Just a laptop and headphones.
Why This Exists
Most music tools are built around drag-and-drop interfaces and hardware. Auwen takes a different approach, giving you a single command line app to write, perform, and collaborate. No gear, no tangled signal chains. You can even connect with other players and perform together as a laptop band.
About the Instructor
Nes Croft is a computer engineer and musician with about 20 years of production experience across a range of genres. Nes built Auwen to make music creation faster through a terminal-based workflow, and has taught workshops at Gray Area SF, tiat SF, and Mars College in Bombay Beach.
After the Workshop
You'll be invited to our Discord, where we run multiplayer sessions so you can keep building and collaborating with other people during weekly events.
Details
- What: Write a Beat From the Command Line
- When: Tuesday, June 23rd 2026, 7PM - 10PM PT (3 hours)
- Where: Discord, in the #virtual-workshops channel: soniare.net/d
- Price: 85 sliding scale
- Bring: A laptop and headphones
Please show up on time to get the most out of the event.
Reserve Your Spot
Spots are limited, so save yours now. Once you're in, grab the download here to get set up before the workshop.
Missed the event? Find the next one here.