Are You Too Smart for Your Own Good? Try Unlearning to Find Your New Path
Why Letting Go of Old Methods and Knowledge Can Spark Fresh Creativity
One of the big concepts I’ve been working with lately is the idea of unlearning. On the surface, it seems counterintuitive—we spend most of our lives building knowledge, acquiring skills, and perfecting techniques. But sometimes, being "too smart" means we get set in our ways. Unlearning is about letting go of habits and assumptions and peeling back layers to create new possibilities.
As a drummer, I’ve trained myself to make quick decisions and commit to them without hesitation. Precision and performance are essential in my role as a professional musician. I’ve learned to trust my intuition, feel the groove instantly, and adapt to new songs on the fly, often with no rehearsal. I can show up, lock into the dynamics, and deliver the performance a band needs. Every beat and transition needs accuracy. Experimentation happens, but it’s careful and within set boundaries, respecting the song and the other musicians I’m on stage with.
In short, the show must go on, and years of experience and intuition guide me every step of the way.
In my songwriting, though, I have to let go of that quick precision. I don’t always know if I’m working on a verse, a chorus, or just a musical fragment, and the final tempo or feel often remains undecided for a while. I leave decisions open, letting the song shape itself before I pin it down. It’s counterintuitive for a professional musician, where decisive commitment is often key. But it’s also thrilling—I get to be like a kid with finger paints, making a mess in the studio as I explore new ideas.
The Unlearning Process: Shifting from Performer to Creator
As I’ve begun to unlearn, I noticed just how different the mindsets are between a professional musician and a songwriter. For instance, I’m accustomed to making quick decisions in performance, while songwriting requires leaving ideas open. Instead of prioritizing precision, I’ve learned to focus on melody, harmony, and composition.
In performance, building a song’s dynamics carefully and executing with accuracy is the goal, but songwriting is about exploring and repeating sections until depth emerges. I’ve learned that even messy batches of notes can lead to discovery, sparking new ideas that refine themselves over time.
Unlearning has even taught me to respect my energy differently. In drumming, I’m used to pushing through no matter how I feel, but songwriting requires patience and self-care. Taking breaks, listening passively, and letting inspiration simmer in the background have become essential parts of my process. This approach has opened me up to question past creative patterns with curiosity and see where new pathways might lead.
Dueling Perspectives
See the following comparison table for more on the mindsets I’ve been balancing:
Through unlearning, I’m rediscovering the freedom of creativity, guided more by curiosity than by rigid structure. Though the approaches differ, they both require a deep trust in my intuition and an unshakeable belief in the music itself.
What I’m Learning to Let Go
Through unlearning, I’m finding new perspectives on music and creativity. Here are some specific habits I’m learning to let go of in my songwriting practice:
Don’t make final decisions too quickly. Spend time jamming or looping a single section for a while.
Experiment wildly. Unlike the consistency needed in drumming, songwriting welcomes change and invites seeing what resonates.
Practice sideways listening. Take breaks, come back to ideas, and allow inspiration to strike in different contexts.
What’s Stays the Same?
Despite these shifts, some constants remain. Trusting my ear and leaning on my intuition continue to be my strongest guides when playing or composing music.
At Jazz Camp, I heard this quote attributed to Sonny Rollins:
Sonny Rollins - Jazz Master!
“Improvisation is composition sped up, and composition is improvisation slowed down.”
