One thing I enjoy is listening to recordings with which I am not familiar, and trying to guess who is on the recording. Many of the great players have developed their own “voice” on their instrument. E.g., when I hear a certain ride cymbal sound and/or pattern, I can usually tell you who the drummer is based on that. This applies to the jazz players as well as to many of the wonderful other unique artists in other idioms.
Some young players want to have “their voice” almost immediately without studying the greats first. Here’s what I have found – it is by studying the greats that you can develop your own thing. You may have something special at an early age, and I encourage every one to listen to that and nurture it. However, I believe that your growth will only benefit from really checking out what has come before you. This can be a life-long process and I embrace it.
Spend time delveloping your voice while leaving your ears open to what others have done. I think it could help.
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