FL Studio Was My First Programming Language: How Beatmaking Sparked My Journey into Computer Science and Research
Back in 2009 my pops bought me a MIDI keyboard bundled with Pro Tools from Best Buy, thinking it would spark my interest in music production. But like most 13 year olds with big dreams and limited patience, I struggled to grasp the complexities of that DAW. Frustrated, I returned the keyboard, purchased some Jordans, and invested the leftover money into buying the full version of FL Studio 9. That decision changed the trajectory of my life.
Within a year I mastered FL Studio not using a traditional MIDI controller but solely relying on my laptop keyboard, a habit I maintain to this day. What began as a hobby quickly turned into an obsession. Soon enough, I produced my first track with my close friend and longtime collaborator Sheed Farra and eventually to producing for local legends like Munch Lauren and Bankhead, most notably the Milwaukee classic “Dat Mouth.” Along the way, I became one of the early architects of the Milwaukee sound gritty, bouncy, and fast-paced.
Before fully understanding what “coding” entailed I was already immersed in loops, signal flow, automation, and troubleshooting I was essentially debugging music. Over the next decade my artistry grew and my production work would go on to rack up over 76 million streams, 306K Shazams, and 2.1 million video views across 115+ credits. Yet it took years for me to recognize FL Studio wasn’t merely a music tool it was my first coding environment.
Fast forward to Summer 2023. Already established in my professional career I enrolled at Lamar University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Initially I questioned my place within this new discipline. However as I progressed and eventually gained access to resources like the Texas Advanced Computing Center I had an epiphany: FL Studio had prepared me exceptionally well for computing research. Concepts like data flow, modular systems, and automation logic suddenly felt familiar rather than foreign. My experience with synthesizers, VST chains, and automation clips in FL Studio had unknowingly equipped me with the foundations of systems thinking and problem solving. Structuring patterns, automating parameters, managing data via plugins, and troubleshooting errors were precisely the skills required in computing. My musical background provided me with a structured mindset, comfort with experimentation, and an intuitive understanding of logic and iterative processes. The studio had been my initial lab with every beat representing a logic puzzle to unravel.
Now as I prepare to graduate in Spring 2026 and deepen my work in computing research I look back and see just how connected it all is. I found passion through a beat. I found purpose through code. And I found a new mission: to bridge the gap by increasing Black participation and representation in tech bringing more of us into the room, into the labs, into leadership, and empowering others to realize they belong in these spaces too.
I released my book, “Breaking the Code: Thriving as Black Individuals in the Era of Artificial Intelligence,” a manifesto and guidebook for navigating AI ethically and equitably as a Black creator and technologist. In it I call on all of us especially those from underrepresented communities to claim space in the world of technology not just as consumers, but as designers, thinkers, and leaders.
📘 Read the book: https://tr.ee/mqUthheEzY
🎶 Stream my latest album DXB Summer: https://li.sten.to/ln19wi4d
Because sometimes, the first step to writing code is learning how to craft a beat.
Rayshaun “Chu” Smith
CEO & Founder, Rayshaun Smith Enterprises
Author -Breaking the Code: Thriving as Black
Individuals in the Era of Artificial Intelligence
