i'm 20 years old and i've been playing drums for 7 yrs. i have lived in ft worth for a year and i've been searching relentlessly for a funk/r&b or latin band. the only bands i've been in are bar scene country bands, and the crowds are always too drunk to give you any real feedback. i'll give you a little backround on myself, i spent my sophmore to senior year at a boarding school, and the isolation really put a damper on my maturity, i've had a job for 6 months at a hotel, and that's really helped me to be more outgoing, and i'm working on supporting myself financially. blah blah blah, anyways i feel lost and unmotivated and my playing has taken a slump, i don't want to quit playing music, i want to challenge and push myself in order to stay motivated, but all i can find are these bland country bands. i'm not satisfied playing a 3/4 waltz at a snail's pace. i'm heavy into tower of power and steely dan, tito puente, mana, and santana's early stuff, dafnis prieto, spyro gyra and a lot more. ethnic music and jazz are things i want to elaborate upon, and there's just nobody here to help me with that. the few jazz cats here are too busy bringing up the jazz scene here, cause i've tried getting a hold of them-and it's a bitch. anybody have advice for a young guy trying to define his style and stay motivated, how'd you do it bill, dan and the rest of the crew here?