🧠I'm a little nervous about this

Hey music makers!

Before we dive in: Music Maker OS is pay-what-you-want right now.

This is your blueprint for organizing everything you learn about harmony, progressions, and song analysis. Grab it here →

So an opportunity came up this week.

Professionally, I'm moving into a space that will require new skills from me. I produce and arrange music, and writing lyrics and melody is something I haven't really spent time doing.

But learning songwriting will be very valuable for me in the upcoming months.

Thankfully, as a producer, I've been building tracks, working with songwriters, and spending a lot of time learning harmony and other skills.

Now I have to step into the arena and teach myself a new skill set.

This feels like a massive undertaking.

And I'll be honest, I'm a little nervous. Having to acquire a few new skills in a short timeframe, with real stakes, as my career can advance from this.

I'm committed to the bass and guitar challenge, and I’m not a quitter. Through meta-learning, I’ve already identified that my goal for those two instruments is songwriting-focused.

So I'm not dropping anything. I'm connecting the dots, like Steve Jobs learning calligraphy, which found its way into the Mac's beautiful interface design.

Good songwriters use an instrument for harmony and rhythm, then add lyrics, melody, and structure, or the other way around. That's what I’m training to do.

I really like this quote from Naval Ravikant:

"It's much more important today to be able to become an expert in a brand-new field in nine to twelve months than to have studied the 'right' thing a long time ago...

Knowing the foundations is key. It's much better to be at 9/10 or 10/10 on foundations than to try and get super deep into things."

That's the situation I'm in right now.

I don't need to become the next Diane Warren or Babyface (although that would be nice).

I need to learn the foundations of lyric writing and melody craft well enough to contribute professionally.

And I need to get there FAST.

Meta-learning makes that possible.

I grabbed every songwriting book I own. I've been collecting them for years, knowing eventually I'd need them. That time is now.

First, I compiled the Table of Contents from each book into one long list. Then I cross-referenced that against Berklee and NYU Clive Davis songwriting curricula.

I wanted to see what shows up in the foundational songwriting courses at the academic and professional levels.

Four skills kept appearing:

I already know harmony well. That's covered. Song form, I understand as a producer. So my real gaps are lyric writing and melody.

I took the books that address those gaps and designed five learning/practice sessions:

I'm running these through my work week. One focused session per day. Everything builds towards writing an idea for at least a song section on Fridays.

The bass and guitar challenge I've been documenting is teaching me those instruments as songwriting tools. Now I'm adding focused sessions on lyrics, melody, and form.

I accidentally built a complete songwriting system. 😊

I keep talking about meta-learning because it can make or break your outcome.

Think about building a house on a deadline. Without a solid plan and blueprint, you and the contractors will be scratching your heads, colliding with opinions, blowing deadlines, and burning money.

The house either won't get built or it'll cost way more than it should have.

Meta-learning is the blueprint.

This week, I spent about 5 hours total doing the research, cross-referencing, and building the session structure. Those 5 hours gave me clarity on exactly what to practice every single day for the next few months.

Without it, I'd probably be jumping between random YouTube videos, hoping something sticks, with no clear sense of whether I'm actually building the skills I need.

The opportunity wouldn't wait for that.

Some of my bass and guitar practice time this week got redirected into this songwriting meta-learning work. That's fine.

The overlap is significant, and the career opportunity takes priority.

Quick question: Have you ever had to learn something fast for work? How did you approach it?

Hit reply. I'm curious.

P.S. Just like those 5 hours of meta-learning gave me clarity—Music Maker OS gives you a clear system for organizing everything you learn (pay-what-you-want, limited time): Check it out here

P.P.S. If the Practice Blueprint isn't for you, no worries. You can opt out here

You'll still get the regular Music Maker's Journal (harmony breakdowns, song analysis, all the usual stuff).