Adam Tuminaro gathered clips from his earliest days of drumming to the present, and comments on what he learned at each point. It’s a great motivational template for any creative endeavor. Nobody starts out perfect, and staying focused on improving along with putting in the hours will eventually yield rewards.
He highlights two breakthroughs that really helped. The first is when he began teaching, which is again true for most creative endeavors. Teaching someone else a skill requires a mastery of explaining why an element of a creative endeavor matters. He also mentions working on a lot of grids, which is specific to drumming:
I’d add that beyond fundamentals and teaching, the biggest hurdle for most creative people is pushing through not meeting your own standards early on. It’s evident in Adam’s clips that he was willing and able to push past what Ira Glass calls The Gap:
In my experience teaching voice for 20 years, this is the hardest part for many people. Working at a craft or skill until you meet your own high expectations requires pushing past the disappointment and the tedium to reach each breakthrough. Don’t stop!
• 13 Years of Drum Progress (YouTube / Adam Tuminaro)