What would you rather be?

You have two choices. Would you rather be:

1. A mediocre player that stands out as memorable?
2. A talented player that blends in with the group?

I know that if I went up to the taiko people I know and asked them this question outright, just about all of them would answer the latter. Of course we want to be good for the group's sake, and who doesn't want to be talented? But I wonder...

I watch people play taiko (and doing martial arts) and I see those who would pick the first choice. They want to be in the spotlight at the expense of being a better player. They're ok with where they are skill-wise, and focus more on the outward appearance they project. It's not even that people who want the first choice are bad players, but they could be so much better if they focused less on "look at me" and more on self-improvement!

Ultimately, if being memorable is your goal, moon the audience during a solo. If you really want to get better, stop worrying about being noticed. Eventually you'll be noticed for the talents you've fostered and you can truly enjoy the fruits of your labor.