Ok.  You’re going about your usual day.  You see something related to your work, and all of a sudden, you’re analyzing the heck out of something and you jump into work mode.  Ahh!

This happens to me with music all of the time!  I’m listening to my iPod, just enjoying the tune, when I hear a certain chord progression and my music theory brain kicks in and I’m analyzing the song.  Which chords should come next, how could I change that and use it, what chord is that?  By the time I realize it, the song is over and I missed it!

I’ve had to learn how to turn my “Music Theory” switch on and off.  Otherwise my music experience is shot.

I had to almost practice this daily when I took music theory classes in college.  The switch had to be flipped every time I left the classroom.  But eventually, I was able to use the switch to my advantage.  Now I can listen to a song in a few different ways depending on what I want to do.  It broadens my listening experience.

I think this “switching” happens no matter what you are involved in.  Engineers start thinking about the structure of a building and miss the beauty.  Writers start thinking about what words fit better and miss the poetry.

So, what “switches” do you have to turn off to enjoy things?

[Image from Dusty Wagner]