Lifelong musician and programmer here. It's an interesting analogy actually. I learned music by ear, then learned Theory. Then I found I had to forget some of

Lifelong musician and programmer here. It's an interesting analogy actually. I learned music by ear, then learned Theory. Then I found I had to forget some of my theory to get back to writing songs that felt right to me. I experienced a similar arc in programming. Starting out self-taught, I absorbed the theoretical aspects later as I worked on problems that were higher level than just writing code. In both cases, I think the theory is more descriptive than generative. Both programming and music require combinations of creative and Technical mastery to achieve a high level of competence. Theory can help you with the technical aspects of the craft. More than anything else, it gives you tools to analyze work that others have done. What Theory cannot do however, is give you the gift of creativity. That has to come from within, and I don't think there's an easy way to teach it in a book, or measure it in an interview.