I didn't really hear any other music other than what my dad was working on until I was 12. My recollection of hearing other music was that I liked some things that I heard but I always thought 'Where's the rest of it?' It didn't have the same amount of detail or instrumentation or imagination in the arrangements.
Training is such a vital part of preparation for a game you really do train to play. It tops up your ability like sharpening a carving knife. You can get away with not doing it for a while as long as you have reached a certain standard of fitness.
