I really think that rap music and the society that fuels it has robbed us of a couple of generations of musicians - where are the modern young Stevie Wonders, Herbie Hancocks, and Duke Ellingtons? TV shows like MTV's "Cribs" don't help... it's a little sad for me to see some 20-something left-field rapper that practically noone has heard of chilling in his mansion and showing off his fleet of expensive cars. I'm sure this just shows young people how to get rich quick in music without going through the trouble to get a real musical education. Why work?

But nobody is fooling anyone - there are several waiters that work in the restaurants where I do that have made comments to me to the effect of "we're rappers - we're not real musicians like you..." and "we don't know how to play an instrument so we just use Acid and mix loops...". These guys know they are short-changing themselves by not learning how to play an instrument, but the instant gratification thing and the chance for instant money is too strong to resist.

We shouldn't be complaining actually... as trained career musos we offer a chance for our audiences to enjoy seeing music played. I can't tell you how often parents bring their children up to where I am to watch me play. And the more that this becomes a rarity, the greater the demand for our services. I kinda dread the day that some wunderkid shows up in my neighborhood that can outplay me - I'll be looking for a new neighborhood when that happens!