Ha ha ha! Not nature and nurture
again! That one was decided a long time ago and the answer is always "It's both, and the degree of either depends on the individual". Hard work provides little more guarantee of success than talent does.
I've poured countless hours into drums, tapping away on anything and everything, dabbled in other instruments, written songs, read up the theory, read anything I could about the players and their approaches, chatted with players and picked up their tips, ravenously watched and listened to great players in a wide range of styles. Through my late teens and twenties I lived and breathed music. However, I have always been a so-so player.
If I'd had lessons I'd be better but probably still unable to do half of what most players here can do. There's a physical aspect to drumming that we should recognise. Joe the Plumber ain't gunna do brain surgery any more than someone with Homer Simpson's kinetic intelligence is going to perform acrobatics on gym mats, trapezes or drums.
I have only done statistics as bits and pieces in my work over the past 20 years. I am now working full-time with data and statistics and most likely earning plenty more than 99% of pro musicians. I'm simply good at it. I've since done courses because I was "self taught". It filled some gaps in my knowledge which has come in very handy, but I already knew over 90% of it.
I have known plenty of people who have had much more education in stats than I ever had - yet at work they'll ask me the most
basic stats questions. The don't have the stats mojo. Stats seems to be my gift, boring as it is.
I love music and drumming to death but all I can do is try to refine and subtly expand the very limited range of things I can play. Band members and audiences have always given me good feedback about my contributions to the music - but I'm not mixing it with really refined/classy players, nor terribly discerning listeners. They would spit on me from a great height!
So I have modest drumming gifts and don't have the physical coordination to play fast or gain real independence. Them's the breaks. How many of you would have been able to compete at even a regional level if you obsessively worked on your sprinting when you were young? Remember those kids who seemed to have springs in their heels and you had to canter just to keep up with their jogging? Maybe you were one of them and couldn't understand why the other kids couldn't keep up. After all, it's obvious. All you have to do is ........
People have a tendency to downplay their gifts and put it ALL down to hard work. Wrong! It's socially acceptable to put everything down to hard work; people resent bragging and we don't want to be tossers. Look at the Tool thread.
However, if you are a successful pro in an area as competitive as music then you ARE gifted, AND most likely worked your tush off as well, AND were tuned in enough to recognise the luck that came your way as you put yourself out there. Usually you need all of those things to succeed in music.
So while being modest about your gifts has its charm, it can mislead people who don't have those gifts. The misinformation might waste a lot of their time
working at drumming when they would be a whole lot better off
playing.
I really enjoy listening to great drummers who work at it but I'm not a
worker with drums. I'm just a
player, and I LOVE every minute of it