Originally Posted by Itsme

I think that the key is an even mix of both. I have a pretty good array of musical compositions that I have memorised from years of practice and I truthfully believe that it is essential to memorize other people's music if you want to keep progressing and stay well rounded as a musician. However I write my own music and there are some days when I do nothing but improvise in the practice room for an hour and I belive that this also is essential in preventing the creative juices from stagnating. The best musicians (in my opinion) are well rounded, they know how to work hard and practice things that are tedious at times, but they play hard too and have the ability to jam out and create music and art themselves.