The Price of Greatness
The price of greatness is a recurring theme in the film. Fletcher justifies his abuse, and Andrew justifies his masochistic ambition, by connecting it to a desire for greatness. As Fletcher sees it, a musician cannot be great unless they are willing to sacrifice a great deal for their work, and unless they can come back from humiliation and pain. Fletcher's brutality and abuse are part of the price of greatness, and as Andrew begins to get rewarded for his single-minded pursuit of greatness, other parts of his life begin to fall away. In order to become "one of the greats," Andrew talks less with his father, he breaks up with the girl he cares for, and he is mean to his family members who don't respect what he's doing. In order to become "great," like Charlier Parker or Buddy Rich, Andrew makes many sacrifices.
Humiliation
Humiliation is a major theme of the film and a central tenet of Fletcher's teaching philosophy. He berates students and physically assaults them to try to scare or force them into performing better. In Andrew's first rehearsal, he insults Andrew's parents, calls him misogynistic and homophobic names, and throws a chair at him. This humiliation, Fletcher justifies to himself, is part of what makes him such a great teacher and bandleader. The final scene shows Fletcher's greatest attempt to humiliate Andrew, when he puts him onstage unprepared to play the song that the rest of the band is playing. His humiliation tactics act as a kind of test, and Andrew fights back by performing exceptionally, in spite of his embarrassment.
Dedication
Dedication is a major theme in the film, and it is what separates the good musicians from the greats. The dedication necessary to become great as a jazz drummer, according to the film, is something approaching the other-worldly. Andrew's commitment to his craft in the face of obstacles is such that he kicks into a different level of commitment and dedication than he ever thought possible. Indeed, the sense of dedication that he must have must be strong enough to withstand the abusive tactics of Fletcher and the generally toxic environment of the conservatory.
Pain
The theme of pain surfaces many times throughout the film, both physically and psychologically. On his first day in Studio Band, Fletcher's outrageous verbal abuse brings Andrew to tears. He is in a great deal of physical pain, and Fletcher stands beside him and orders him to tell his bandmates that he's upset.
When Andrew practices the drums after joining Studio Band, he often plays so hard that his hands begin to bleed. The physical pain that he is feeling (in addition to the anxiety, fear, and trauma that he suffers under Fletcher's tutelage) is part of his training as a drummer. In the film, getting better at the drums correlates with how much pain one goes in training. The amount that Andrew bleeds while playing the drums is not arbitrary, but rather a reflection of his commitment to his craft.
Ambition
Part of what makes Andrew such a talented drummer is also what makes him so interpersonally challenged and unlikable: his ambition. When he goes out with Nicole for the first time, he talks to her about how he doesn't have friends and how he wants to become a great drummer. Nicole tells him that she doesn't know what she wants to major in and that she feels ambivalent about her college, which dismays Andrew. He cannot imagine being so undecided, and he is momentarily condescending about Nicole's lack of ambition. Later, when he breaks up with her, he tells her that the reason he cannot date is that he's too ambitious about playing the drums, and he doesn't think he can be a good boyfriend. Additionally, at a family dinner, Andrew alienates his aunt, uncle, cousins, and father by speaking condescendingly about their relatively unambitious endeavors. While his cousins are athletes and scholars, Andrew suggests, he is engaged in the lofty pursuit of "greatness." Andrew doesn't respect anyone who doesn't want to differentiate themselves by becoming "great," and his outsized ambition is both what pushes him to succeed and what alienates him from those around him.
Jazz
In a film about an aspiring jazz drummer, it comes as no surprise that jazz is a major theme in the film. Jazz, in all its lawless, ineffable power, is Andrew's greatest love, and the reason he is so committed to becoming "the best" is because he has a genuine love and passion for the genre. In lieu of making friends, he keeps the company of Buddy Rich, the great jazz drummer on the poster in his room. In lieu of parties, he chooses practice rooms. Jazz is significant because it is what drives Andrew. It is also, as a genre, an area in which individuality, virtuosity, and wild abandon are rewarded. In contrast to classical music or pop music, it is a genre of music with a mythos and ethic all its own, and a complicated and ineffable system of rites that Andrew desperately seeks to master.
Paternal Recognition
In the film, Andrew has a supportive father with whom he goes to the movies, and who celebrates Andrew's desires and ambitions as a jazz musician. Fletcher, Andrew's domineering and aggressive teacher, becomes a stand-in paternal figure once Andrew gets into Studio Band. Fletcher's approval and endorsement is much harder won, and Andrew struggles, cries, and bleeds in the pursuit of an approving nod from his bandleader. As a result, he calls his father less, and they fight at the dinner table when Andrew acts condescendingly towards his cousins. Once in studio band, Fletcher's approval is all that Andrew wants, and he goes to great lengths to get it. Even after he has been expelled from the school and gotten Fletcher fired, Andrew still wants to receive recognition from his hard-nosed and abusive instructor. In this way, the film is about paternal recognition, and Andrew's ability to earn that final nod of approval from Fletcher by proving himself to be "one of the greats."
