Shedding your craft is always a valuable thing, and greatly needed to become truly something great. Without practice and effort behind things like playing scales, intonation, tone, etc., you can expect to be another person in a crowd of many. What sets you apart is the initiative you take to become "somebody". A great man once told me, "If you're trying to "make it" and all you're doing all day to prepare for it is shedding, you're way behind in the game. I spend 90% of my day doing business and talking with my contacts, keeping good business relationships, and the remaining part of it practicing." Even in high school, this was what I was doing, at least towards the end of my high school career when I was told this. Keep your head up high and surround yourself with people better than you- it is those people who will push you to become better, because you'll ::want:: to work harder to become better!