The analogy between music and programming holds at this stage. I can guarantee you all the musicians in this band [0] had their own distinctive style to some degree or another and would have even loved to have been paid to perform it but the fact is most professional musicians come in and have to be subservient to the style of the bandleader. And it's no different for coding.

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNbsnBZOwqE

Well, in jazz, you have your own individual style, people hire you because they like it. Sure, in different settings you adapt, but you still sound like yourself. It's the same with classical soloists. The ones that are famous, are famous because they don't sound like anyone else. Just a lot like themselves. Same with singers (rock, jazz, classical) - all well-known singers are very recognisable, and a lot of them have weird, unusual voices.

Also, I find it strange, this talking as if programming and music don't exist in the world outside a setting of just having to do what the leader wants. I guess particularly because I've been programming and playing music all my life, almost all of the time doing exactly what I wanted every second. (Only music professionally)

Following the same style guide as your coworkers isn't the same as writing code exactly the same way your coworkers do. I suggest following the style of a bandleader works in the same way. Individuals still have a voice - think of all the great players who made a name in various Big Band orchestras - but the style is still unmistakably that of the band and not exclusively the individual. Unless you're Melkor or something.

Sure, sure. We should differentiate the styles of the individual players, and the style of the group; two different things. I found it depressing, that suggestion earlier in the thread that one's style is always totally suppressed by the team you're on. Maybe I misunderstood; maybe that's stretching the analogy too far.

Although... when I was about 20 I went to see a fellow musician in their day job, programming in a company, finance/accounting-type stuff. It seemed so totally depressing I decided I never wanted to do programming professionally.

I guess there is the average, rank-and-file performer in the arts, like a 3rd violin in an orchestra, or player in a musical show, singer in a choir, (or my friend) where individuality is not required, just professionalism. That's like craft[0]. And then the music-as-art thing, like classical soloists, jazz groups, singers where the important thing is to sound like yourself (and to sound good!)

[0] I'm thinking craft in the sense Collingwood uses it in Principles of Art - craft (as opposed to art) is when you know beforehand exactly what final result you're aiming for and what steps to follow to get there.