Back in the pre-MIDI sequencer days (late '70's/early '80's - the first MIDI synth, the Prophet 600, shipped in Dec., 1982.) I decided I just had to have a computer controlled sequencing program for my 4 voice, Oberheim SEM beast, so I wrote one for my Apple IIe. I was familiar enough with programming to know that Basic wasn't going to give me the timing resolution of a Roland MicroComposer, but not enough to know what an Assembler was, (stupid!) so I wrote the whole thing (300ft long print-out) in the 6502 hex. machine code. The logic was gorgeous. It worked great, connected to my breadboarded 8 channel DA converter.
The first thing I used as voice/pitch/note-on/note-off/steps per beat/tempo data was the hex program itself. Though completely atonal, the logical structure of the program became an interesting and valid musical experience when performed as music.
The language skills may be more essential for composers of music, as opposed to plain performers of music, but, as a performer, being able to tell jokes during the break will get you gigs.
