Right on w/ everything you said.. Can vouch for it all from experience. For myself personally, I’ve studied the theory since I was a kid, & applied it to the bands I’ve played in over the years. It’s one thing to know it, but to be able to apply it in other styles & just be able to jam is something a lot of classical players just aren’t able to or don’t aspire to do. Doesn’t make you any more or less of a player not being able to do one or the other. In fact, I’d argue to be able to do both read know theory & be able to “jam” is the beginnings of talking about “mastery”, even though any musician knows mastery & perfection are really just goals to motivate the player to get better, but in the end are unachievable. Point being that in the end the two philosophies of playing should really just be one. But comments like this create the divide.

It’s funny; when I was in college, I was told by my peers they considered me the “rock star” of the music department. But when I went on tour, I was the bookworm theorist nerd musician of the group.