Donnie brings a good point. What you've come to is known as a creative crisis. It'll happen, but don't worry about it too much. Just keep on. Your skill growth will be difficult to guage in real time, but when you look back after a few months (or really any extended period of time) you'll see that you've improved. Also, I've always supported playing among musicians above your skill level. Playing with people who are better than you will expedite your growth, and refine your sense of communication through the horn. And after all, isn't that what music's about? So in summary: keep on keepin' on, and play with people that can take you to school. Good luck, George