"Even on the drum level, it's all about stating your theme, going back to certain things that need to be emphasized, not doing fills for the sake of doing fills"

John Otto's quote speaks with the value of purposeful drumming. He stresses that drummers should focus on specifying their theme and highlighting particular aspects of the tune, instead of just playing fills for the sake of playing them. This suggests that drummers need to be mindful of the total noise of the song and how their playing fits into the larger picture. They should understand the song's structure and how their playing can help to highlight specific elements. By doing this, drummers can ensure that their playing is purposeful and adds to the overall sound of the song. This quote is a reminder that drummers need to be mindful of the general sound of the song and how their playing suits the bigger photo.