When it comes to virtuosity, I have found that the more skill is acquired, the more predominant it becomes in someones playing.
I've seen it happens to many musicians, in many different genres. When their is a strong emphasis on the development of technical proficiency, the substance of the music tends to suffer in many instances. When their is a strong emphasis on learning the theory of music, the creativity often suffers. Of course, I mean relative to styles of music where creativity and musicality are of supreme importance.
I find that MANY musicians - even some well respected ones - can fall into the 'Technical Drone Zone'. To me, acquiring technical skill is often like having a vast vocabulary. When you're around others who have vast vocabularies(technical skill), their is pressure to use words that aren't necessary to express yourself(Showcase said skill).
Oh, yes ... many musicians don't realize that what they practice, has more to do with impressing other musicians, than it does with learning to support and/or enhance the MUSIC. Whether we will admit it or not, those people out in the audience who don't know a rack tom from a floor tom aren't NEARLY as important to us as the dude standing over your shoulder wondering what you're going to show him next.
I've seen this mentality all the way from the top of the musical hierarchy to the bottom. It's difficult to separate from, because if you think about it, it was largely a part of the reason you started practicing, attended school for music, and had a desire to tour/be in the limelight. It's at the very root of many musicians reasons for playing, so no matter how far they've come, they're always slaves to the expectations of other musicians, forcing them into becoming nothing more than virtuoso's ... with moderate to minimal substance in their playing...
....rather than remembering those people in the audience, who would prefer to have a musical experience, and could care careless about how clean and fast your singles are.