A great post from Steve Freeman on what he learned about programming from his experiences as a musician. I’d reiterate the necessity of practice, and underline the fact that at a certain level, practice moves beyond being a chore and imposition into something of immense absorption and value. One of my favourite expressions of this is Pat Metheny’s 1996 Commencement Address to graduands at Berklee:

…the fundamental reward that I still get the most satisfaction from, is the process of what being a musician is. It is that need and desire to want to go home and practice that’s the coolest thing. The part where you start with nothing, have a musical idea or vision or aspiration, and through discipline and organization and preparation, and especially inspiration, you finally end up with the capacity to do something that you didn’t know you could do.