[parkerdj]

Wow, this thread is a monster, but it's an interesting read, to be sure.

My own personal experience is limited, but I can remember some pros and cons.

I got my first kit at 15, and at 16 I saw Neil Peart in concert (actually with Primus opening, so "Herb" Alexander, too) and went home and wanted to be just like them. Problem is, I couldn't play like them.

I'm largely self-taught, and the first lesson I had to learn is that you have to crawl before you can walk. My "day job" is for a textbook publisher (books that train college students to be teachers), and a large school of thought is scaffolding... in other words, teach them a simple skill, and the build off of that into other skills. It's like the old addage: Keep It Simple, Stupid.

For instance, I worked with a percussion instructor in college who had gigged with some big names, and he basically told me I needed to rebuild my entire grip and approach to playing. At first, I was like "f**k off, I'm fine," and I took it personally. But over time as he would tell me about how he continued going to clinics and studying different styles, I realized that being hard-headed wasn't going to make me a better player. The thing was, he never told me I "sucked" but came at it from the standpoint of showing me that I could play with more versatility and control if I was willing to approach things differently. Biggest lesson I ever learned. Basically, "sure, you're good at the things you do, but you don't even realize the things you can't do yet."

Not sure what my point is, overall. I guess there are many ways to skin a cat. I myself tend to be my own toughest critic. I can play a 90 minute set, have people tell me it was great, and all I'll want to talk about are the three things I messed up. Conversely, if some hack came up to me after a set and told me I sucked, I'd kindly ask him to sit down and show me how good he is. But, I'm vindictive like that!

It takes courage to take criticism, but it can also take courage to give it. You never know how someone's going to react, and it can be a struggle between wanting to help someone get better and also NOT wanting to be the reason they up and quit.