by the way, i downloaded one of your mp3's, you are talented.
anyways, the thing that is missing is Jamming! That is how I got good at what i do (Improv!), my guitar instructor taught me how to communicate with other musicians, the most important skill i'll ever use in my entire life, as far as music goes.
of course, you could record tracks and send them back, etc, but it isn't the same, you can't get the same Climax effects and "break" effects, and other natural magics.
what is with that anyways? i'm a guitar student, but i spend about 5 hours a day on guitar, most students spend 15 minutes a day, then complain that they aren't getting it. In other words, in one month, i achieve more than many do in a year.