Struck a chord there, did I?
Look man, I didn't say "you suck" or even hinted that there's no chance that you'd get anywhere. If you believe in what you're doing, than what do you care what we believe? Build your brand and get on with it. What I'm finding hard to believe is that you're not into it to be the best drummer you can be, but you want to entertain and have a good time. That kinda' insults the people who worked really hard to be really good that ended up entertaining and having a good time. There's a saying after you've been studying for almost all of your life that you learn and learn and learn, and when it comes time to perform, you forget all that and entertain.
There are countless numbers of us who went to college, studied for hours every day, learned how to sight read, and basically prepared ourselves so much that when the phone rang, we can deliver and eventually break in to being a working musician. Those countless people know so much but it's all covered up by the work they do working in a cover band playing weddings or in a club. If you're not striving to be technically saavy enough for a contractor to call on you to do some work, what is it exactly that you're doing?
Do I hire you to play on my next record, or do I hire you to plan the after party? I'm confused.
So I'm sorry, I guess that's what I think of Casey Cooper. Confusion. I'm not seeing good enough playing to say "I could use that guy to sub for me on a gig I can't make" but he's playing drums and building his brand of entertaining and having a good time. Do I hire you for a good time? That's where I'm confused. If you're not interested in being the best drummer you can be (or should be to compete with everyone else), you've kinda' crossed yourself off of people's lists who may need a drummer in the future. No one is going to hire anyone who doesn't care enough to be the best player they can be.
Maybe I'm just a jaded L.A. musician where everyone I meet here is so well-studied and ready to do anything to get their careers started, I'm not prepared to take a young person seriously who is already saying they'll never be close to a Virgil Donati so they're not even going to try. Even Walk Disney himself said his key to success was to surround himself with the best people he could find in all the areas he needed - and look where he ended up
Good luck, buddy.