My guess at an answer is promising: it amounts to “have fun.” If you are having fun, you’re developing your original voice. People are born unique, and their creativity only amplifies that uniqueness. In a sense, “finding your originality” is somewhat misguided—it’s already a part of you.
The problem is that creativity can be hijacked by what David Deutsch calls “anti-rational memes.” Curiously, I mention him frequently in these newsletters. Deutsch is a physicist and philosopher, seemingly far from a blog focused primarily on jazz piano, yet his ideas have shaped much of my thinking.
In short, anti-rational memes are ideas that replicate by disabling their holder’s critical faculties. A clear example is a religious doctrine that says, “believe in me, or you will go to hell.” This isn’t an argument about the existence of something; instead, it uses the fear of punishment to compel belief.
So, the question is: how can one avoid falling into the trap of anti-rational memes that hinder originality and impede progress? There’s no foolproof answer—we’re all far from perfect beings—but we can improve by identifying and criticizing such memes.
Thou shalt
One of these memes is the ubiquitous “should.”
This idea takes the form of thoughts like:
“I should know all these voicings/licks/scales/rhythms, etc.”
This is problematic because morality—decisions about what to do next—can’t consist solely of following rules. If it did, it wouldn’t be creative. Part of decision-making is imagining new possibilities.
For example, Thelonious Monk had a highly idiosyncratic way of playing jazz. This made him difficult to hire early in his career because he didn’t fit into the standard mold. If someone had offered him “career advice,” they might have told him to learn some common voicings or rhythms so he could blend in better.
But he didn’t. He stayed true to his vision, and by his forties, he finally received recognition, becoming one of the most famous jazz pianists and composers in history.
Instead of thinking about shoulds, we should think about what truly resonates with us, in other words: what seems fun
The fun-criterion
David Deutsch has theorized about how the mind is a complex mix of explicit and inexplicit ideas. Having fun is a state where these different parts work in harmony—a state where no part is irrationally suppressed. To nurture originality, follow your inner compass and do what feels fun. This is how you tap into your unique mix of ideas that make up your mind.
Ask yourself specific questions like:
• What kind of jazz resonates with me?
• Once you discover an artist, what specific qualities appeal to me?
Keep asking more specific questions until you find something to practice. This approach virtually guarantees that you’ll follow a unique path. It becomes a non-prescription prescription: follow your instincts, dive deep, and before you know it, you’ll have charted a unique course through the infinite sea of musical possibilities.
Recommended recording
This last week have been an all-out Thad Jones/Mel Lewis session. I am learning how to write for big band, and I can't get enough of Thad Jones writing. This song "Us" has been on repeat. The middle section has a passage where the brass section is playing chords with 7 different pitches. Very dense! yet they sound just right. That section starts at 2.17 in the recording.