A couple of years ago I was playing music with a band. I got pretty into the music scene, played a few gigs, spent a lot of time playing and listening to music. Being the type of person that I am, I also did a lot of research. I’m not quite sure where I got it from, but I came across an idea that has very subtly changed my life. It is the counter intuitive claim that restrictions, or limitations, will set you free. See, in music, the limitations make the music. If I sit at a keyboard and randomly mash keys, there is no music. Nothing beautiful can happen.
However, if I restrict the amount of time I play the notes, and perhaps limit them to specific times, and if I contain the keys to certain chords, melodies, or certain tunes and rhythms, then we actually have music. T