Perhaps it's useful to think of the idea of opportunity cost. If you focus on one instrument, the opportunity cost is the ability to play/work with multiple instruments. If you spread your focus to multiple instruments, the opportunity cost is typically a slower rate of development.
This is where it comes down to your priorities. Do you think it's more important to quickly develop skills on one instrument, or is it better to explore and learn about multiple instruments.
Another idea you might want to consider is the distinction between being a musician (general) and being a specific type of instrumentalist. In some ways, learning multiple instruments should eventually make you a better musician overall. But this may be at the expense of the technical proficiency you may achieve if you specialize. This is not to say you are one or the other, rather there is general knowledge that relates broadly to everyone, and specific knowledge that relates only to your specific instrument and style. You choose which type of knowledge is more important, which informs where you place your focus.
As a musician, an upright bass player may choose to take improvisation lessons from any instrumentalists and is not limited to learning from other upright players. A very competent upright player would be better for working on technique, but you are likely to learn more and better ideas IMHO by exploring the improv approaches of different types of instrumentalists.
Although natural interests and aptitude have a role in your path, you can also envision the future to see what you think is possible; then choose a path that facilitates your goal. IMHO we are each different. Some will focus early, and some like myself will always tend to dabble, because versatility is intrinsic to our personality. Trust me it's not just the way I think about music.
Let's put things in perspective. Music school turn thousands of graduates but most do not make a living as professional musicians, or even teachers. I dropped out of collected after the 3rd semester, and somehow I still ended up as a successful professional musician, despite my somewhat heretical views. Oddly I never had any expectation that I would be professional musician, but apparently that was my path.
This is where it comes down to your priorities. Do you think it's more important to quickly develop skills on one instrument, or is it better to explore and learn about multiple instruments.
Another idea you might want to consider is the distinction between being a musician (general) and being a specific type of instrumentalist. In some ways, learning multiple instruments should eventually make you a better musician overall. But this may be at the expense of the technical proficiency you may achieve if you specialize. This is not to say you are one or the other, rather there is general knowledge that relates broadly to everyone, and specific knowledge that relates only to your specific instrument and style. You choose which type of knowledge is more important, which informs where you place your focus.
As a musician, an upright bass player may choose to take improvisation lessons from any instrumentalists and is not limited to learning from other upright players. A very competent upright player would be better for working on technique, but you are likely to learn more and better ideas IMHO by exploring the improv approaches of different types of instrumentalists.
Although natural interests and aptitude have a role in your path, you can also envision the future to see what you think is possible; then choose a path that facilitates your goal. IMHO we are each different. Some will focus early, and some like myself will always tend to dabble, because versatility is intrinsic to our personality. Trust me it's not just the way I think about music.
Let's put things in perspective. Music school turn thousands of graduates but most do not make a living as professional musicians, or even teachers. I dropped out of collected after the 3rd semester, and somehow I still ended up as a successful professional musician, despite my somewhat heretical views. Oddly I never had any expectation that I would be professional musician, but apparently that was my path.
