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Thelonious Monk was one of the fathers of modern jazz, and is considered a co-inventor of the original bebop movement. As a participant at the early Minton sessions, he participated in the historic on-the-bandstand experiments where Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie (among others) invented and developed the concepts that have become the harmonic and rhythmic basis of jazz in the 65 years since.
But Monk was an iconoclast. He had his own conception of music that intersected the bebop concepts, and may have influenced them, but he had already developed his style separate from the boppers. Monk said,
"I was just playing a gig, trying to play my music. While I was at Minton's, anybody could sit in if he could play. I never bothered anybody."
Monk's concept was uniquely his, different from mainstream bebop. As a composer, Monk also left his mark, having composed what are today jazz standards as "Epistrophy", "Blue Monk", "In Walked Bud", "Rhythmining", "Well You Needn't", and the classic "Round Midnight".
Monk's style was so different that he didn't have many imitators; but he had many musicians that were influenced by him, and were interpreters of his music. Among these interpretors were the saxophonist Steve Lacy, and the band Sphere (which took it's name from Monk's purported middle name). Steve Lacy started in Dixieland music, then moved to experimental jazz, working with Cecil Taylor. But Lacy's music was typically melodic and tightly-structured, with compositions often built out of little more than a single questioning phrase, repeated several times; all characteristics of Monk's music. In the late 50s and early 60s, Lacy spent some time with Monk's band, notably playing in Monk's 2nd big band in '63. During that time, Lacy absorbed Monk's music and wisdom, which became a beacon and creative well for Lacy for the rest of his life. And at some point in 1960, Lacy collected some of Monk's pearls of wisdom in a notebook, now reproduced around the Internet.
Monk himself was famous for his eccentricity; He was known to stop playing piano, stand up and dance a bit while the band played on. He also had long periods of not talking to anybody. He spent the last years of his life as a silent recluse in Baroness de Koenigswarter's apartment in Weehawken. Monk had also spent some time hospitalized, and probably suffered from some form of manic depressive disease (as did many other jazz musicians, including Parker, Bud Powell, Jaco Pastorius, and many others). However, it is often the case with creative people that along with some level of madness comes genius and wisdom. Monk's words of wisdom clearly are applicable for anybody who is playing our American improvisational music. However, I believe that these bon mots have a broader application to any collaborative, creative endeavor, including product development. As both a jazz musician and an eccentric, Monk's use of language was tinted by both the vernacular of musicians, as well as his own private idiosyncratic language. For those outside The Life, or not familiar with Monk's history, interpreting his words can requires some guidance. To map them to a different domain requires knowledge of both jazz history and vernacular, as well as an understanding of the engineering discipline of creative development of products. Below is my effort at extracting some meaningful advice for engineers from The Master's canon.
JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT A DRUMMER, DOESN’T MEAN YOU DON’T HAVE TO KEEP TIME.
PAT YOUR FOOT & SING THE MELODY IN YOUR HEAD, WHEN YOU PLAY.
STOP PLAYING ALL THOSE WEIRD NOTES (THAT BULLSHIT), PLAY THE MELODY!
A NOTE CAN BE SMALL AS A PIN OR AS BIG AS THE WORLD, IT DEPENDS ON YOUR IMAGINATION.
This advice from Monk reiterates some basic skills required by any creative or improvising musician. He is admonishing musicians not to forget basic skills learned as part of becoming a creative musician. Creative product engineers also require basic skill relative to their field. In their paper "The Improvising Organization: Where Planning Meets Opportunity" in Organizational Dynamics (Spring 96) authors Crossan, Lane, et. al. note:
"Successful improvisation requires a strong skill base in traditional practice and performance skills. Indeed, the improvising journey is a more difficult one because of this reliance on both modes of learning - traditional and improvisational."
One cannot effectively improvise to innovate new product ideas, if one is not well versed in either market parameters, or on the requisite skills to implement a product. Fundamentals are the starting point!
Monk here is also encouraging musicians to practice the basic art of swinging. Ultimately, improvising is an act that should further the goals of the ensemble - to play (jazz) music that moves the audience at some elemental level (rhythmic consonance is a basic human emotion, I believe...the very definition of swinging). Translated to our product development domain, we want to assure that we develop products that delight the customer, satisfying a basic need of our customer base in some way that resonates how they feel is the right way to accomplish the tasks at hand. Products can "swing", too.
DISCRIMINATION IS IMPORTANT.
DON’T PLAY EVERYTHING (OR EVERY TIME); LET SOME THINGS GO BY. SOME MUSIC JUST IMAGINED. WHAT YOU DON’T PLAY CAN BE MORE IMPORTANT THAT WHAT YOU DO.
ALWAYS LEAVE THEM WANTING MORE.
Here Monk clearly advocates for the idea of a "MVP" (minimum viable product) in each improvisation. I have talked of the importance of careful construction an MVP definition that does not try to include all possible product feature opportunities in Version 1 of the product. I note the impact of "discrimination" in what is built, and the value of leaving some things on the table for later release. Ultimately, the goal is to get to the market as soon as possible. The earlier you have actual customers and are actively selling, the sooner you test your vision and learn the realities of your domain. Monk clearly understands this idea in his domain as well - what we don't build can be more important than what we do build.
THE INSIDE OF THE TUNE (THE BRIDGE) IS THE PART THAT MAKES THE OUTSIDE SOUND GOOD.
DON’T PLAY THE PIANO PART, I’M PLAYING THAT. DON’T LISTEN TO ME. I’M SUPPOSED TO BE ACCOMPANYING YOU!
MAKE THE DRUMMER SOUND GOOD.
Frank Barrett is a professor of Organizational Behavior at the Naval Postgraduate School in San Diego, and also an accomplished pianist who has worked with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Frank has been studying and writing of the overlap between improvising in jazz and leadership in organizations, and has written the book on this subject: Yes to the Mess: Leadership Lessons from Jazz (the best book out there on the overlap between Jazz improvisation and team leadership, IMO). In his corpus of work, he defines the concept of "provocative competence". Provocative competence is the capacity "to create the discrepancy and dissonance that trigger people to move away from habitual positions and repetitive patterns." A leader who practices provocative competence creates an environment of interpretation in which others can make meaningful contributions. This requires two actions on the part of the leader (actually, Barrett specifies 5, but I will address only 2 for this purpose): The "Affirmative Move" is the belief on the part of the leader that his "side-men", or co-workers, are capable actors in their respective domains. Monk's advice here clearly assumes that the advisee is capable of more than minimal performance capabilities to be able to both understand, and act on his advice. The second action by the leader is "introducing (small) disruption to routine". Quoting Barrett again:
“What makes provocative competence an ‘art’ is the introduction of just enough unusual material that it engages people to be mindful—to pay attention in new ways.”
Monk's advice above about making the drummer sound good, and not playing the piano part are disruptive in that they are unexpected advice for soloing: they as much tell the soloist about what not to play as what to play, as well as to focus on something other than what what the soloist herself is doing while soloing. Also, as musicians will tend to focus on the "hook", or the "head" of a melody, Monk here advises that thinking about the "outside", or the non-hook part of a tune, may tickle the creative explorer with a slightly different framework for new ideas.
Provocative Competence is also necessary in product definition as well. In crowded markets, or with legacy products, it's necessary to think of differentiators to create products that have some unique distinguishing characteristics in their market. Thinking about differentiation requires the same kind of small "thinking out of the box", or small disruptions to routine thinking that Barrett advocates. Innovation experts have published extensively on methods and techniques that stimulate innovative thinking in team environments. One such technique for providing stimuli is to gather miscellaneous items into “goodie bags” and have brainstorming groups sort through them, writing down ideas as they occur. Another idea, called "Rip & Rap" uses collaging from magazine images to help generate new ideas. The goals of these ideation exercises is to move the thought process enough out of normative thinking patterns to be able to better imagine new ideas.
There's also another interpretation to the aphorisms "DON’T PLAY THE PIANO PART..." and "MAKE THE DRUMMER SOUND GOOD." that is worth discussing. Monk is also admonishing the soloist to remember that the art of improvisation & creativity is about _collaboration_, i.e. it's about the accompanists as much as it is about the soloist. To be a leader is to have the affirmative belief (see above) that the team is capable and motivated to support the leader, and that when other team members take the lead in a collaborative effort, they should have the same positive assumptions about others supporting them. I often counsel younger leaders that making their team look good ultimately makes the leader look good. One need not worry that the credit and kudos will not be distributed among the team and leader; that will happen when the team looks good. Conversely, I have seen team morale destroyed when leaders don't trust their team to support them - doing somebody's job for them; not giving others the opportunity to contribute as a "soloist", or leader in a team collaboration; or not giving them the opportunity to learn a skill complementary to their strengths; all of these missteps can be a great de-motivator.
YOU’VE GOT TO DIG IT TO DIG IT, YOU DIG?
Monk is having fun with this idea. He is playing off of the two uses of the verb "to dig" that jazz musicians use. One can use "dig" to mean "to appreciate", as in "Yo, Lester, dig that fly chick. I got eyes to talk to her". The other meaning is to truly and deeply understand, as in "Hey. You really have to dig what 'Trane is pulling your coat to in 'A Love Supreme'". So, parsing Monk's advice here translates that one really has to understand something to truly appreciate it...understand?"
We engineers have a similar idea and related term in our lexicon: we talk about "grokking" something (from Heinlein's 'Stranger in a Strange Land' book). The Hacker's Dictionary defines "grok" as not merely having learned an idea in a detached instrumental way but that it has become part of you, part of your identity. For example, to say that you "know" Lisp is simply to assert that you can code in it if necessary — but to say you "grok" LISP is to claim that you have entered the spirit of the language, such that it has transformed your view of programming. And although neither I nor Monk would claim that either a particular technology nor Trane's later works need to be part of your soul, one does need more than a passing or simple understanding of one's domain to truly extend the "art" - whether that be in the jazz idiom, or development of new products in any particular domain.
LET’S LIFT THE BAND STAND!!
WHEN YOU’RE SWINGING, SWING SOME MORE!
ALL REET!
I WANT TO AVOID THE HECKLERS.
Monk here speaks of how the enjoyment of what one is doing enriches and betters the performance of that act. In improvisational music it's a well-known effect that when the rhythm section is swinging, it pushes the soloist to be more creative, more inventive, and ultimately raises the level of the performance. This in turn raises the excitement of the audience, which can then feedback to the band to cause them to swing harder.
Passion - whether you're on the stand or in an office - is the catalyst and the spice that elevates the on-going work. One should be passionate about what they are doing day to day; otherwise, they are bringing the rest of the team down. Passion can enliven and elevate a team: telling jokes, looking team mates in the eye, actively, openly appreciating team member contributions. Excitement is contagious. Even get upset when something stupid communicates care about what one is doing, and that others should have that same care.
WHATEVER YOU THINK CAN’T BE DONE, SOMEBODY WILL COME ALONG & DO IT. A GENIUS IS THE ONE MOST LIKE HIMSELF
YOU’VE GOT IT! IF YOU DON’T WANT TO PLAY, TELL A JOKE OR DANCE, BUT IN ANY CASE, YOU GOT IT! (TO A DRUMMER WHO DIDN’T WANT TO SOLO).
STAY IN SHAPE! SOMETIMES A MUSICIAN WAITS FOR A GIG, & WHEN IT COMES, HE’S OUT OF SHAPE & CAN’T MAKE IT.
Monk is pointing out a hard lesson that every young musician must learn (it took me through high school & most of college to get right with this). No matter how good you are, no matter what you think no one can do, there is somebody out there who can do it, and do it better than you. There is someone out there who can make that gig (i.e. play a gig well) that you cannot. You have to move forward from there.
But the second part of the message is more encouraging. Monk notes that each of us is unique, brings our own talents, and to be the best we can means we need to be most true to our own talents. Monk suggests that the best performer is one who plays to his or her strengths, not worrying about how others measure talent or ability. Each of us brings our own unique mix of talents to the task, and as such, each of us brings our own unique value to the endeavor.
But, as Monk notes, you always have to be on top of your game, ready to bring 100% of those talents, in preparation for "getting the call". One must always keep one's chops in great shape, because you never know when you'll need to call on your best. And whether your particular mix of talents involves possibly indirect contributions (i.e. telling a joke, dancing, not playing), it's all part of the creative process, whether it be music or development.
WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR TONIGHT? SHARP AS POSSIBLE.
This is a personal bugaboo of mine. Jazz musicians, being "the other" for so long, in several different ways (race, musicially, socioeconomically) have learned to dress sharply to better deal with the world that disdains them because of their profession, their color, etc. I've had first hand experiences when touring with governmental people of authority, where having dressed better got me slightly better attitudes from the official than my bandmates received, because I was wearing work-casual clothing, and not a tee-shirt and shorts. Secondly, jazz musicians believe in honoring the environment in which they create: look sharp to play sharp. It's considered respectful to the creative process to dress as if the process is something more special than what you wear around the house or in the coffee shop.
I feel the same way about our creative process at work. Why do we not respect the office as our place of creating great things by wearing ratty clothes? And do you think that senior management will treat you more seriously if you have on a sport coat & slacks, rather than a tee-shirt and shorts and sandals? What we do for work should be treated seriously, and therefore one should dress as for a serious occasion.
THEY TRIED TO GET ME TO HATE WHITE PEOPLE, BUT SOMEONE WOULD ALWAYS COME ALONG & SPOIL IT.
A short sentence by Monk that alludes to the myriad of issues around race; issues both general in our country, as well as issues particular to an art form that is African American in its roots, but has both white & black practitioners, and has predominantly white audiences and predominantly black performers. I will only mention that in our industry of software & hardware in the US, we need to be cognizant and sensitive to similar environmental issues - how our industry treats women working in our industry, about the dearth of people of color, about how our "bro-grammer" attitudes affect our LGBT brethren, and all of our attitudes towards those few who represent the "Other" in our community.
Coda & The Out
There is no doubt that Monk was a genius in the field of creative activity, and that his words of advice to other musicians may resonate to creative people in the product development industries. I have pointed out some of what I take away from his guidance: I hope that my dear readers will take the moment to add their comments where they disagree, or see other words of wisdom that Steve Lacy took from Thelonious Monk those many years ago. So, now it's your turn to add your own creative spark to what I've written - fall in!
*"All musicians are subconsciously mathematicians." -- Thelonious Sphere Monk
And vice versa, baby! -- Charlie Berg*
