what is ironic is that I agree that anything goes if it goes,

yet I am possibly one of the least "cheating" arranger players on this site. I never use smf, never use sequencer, use only bass/drum most of the time, and the
other time divided between using an occasional bigband
horn riff or bossa guitar strum for spice, or using just the
drum and playing lh split bass, or using no arranger and
just playing full kb. I never use intros or performance pads, just outros, fills, fades..and only use 15-20 sounds.
and the biggest "cheating" I do is using the transposer a lot--which makes no difference in what things sound like.

but that's just how I like to do it. I can do what i like
because I'm semi-retired and don't gig for a living, just
for enjoyment and supplementary income. If I had to make a living at it, a lot more "cheating" would be required--no more playing standards/jazz/latin/blues/
exclusively but would have to do top 40, 70's/80's etc..
and would have to use smf, seq, full arrangements, etc.

quality is not what most people are into, or dj's would not be considered "artists"..I'm grateful for the handful left
who appreciate quality, and for those others who may
consider me "entertaining" because i play sax, sing, and
occasionally come up with a droll one-liner off the cuff.

if people accept canned music as "entertainment" they
prefer to real musical creativity, that's just the way it is,
and I find nothing wrong with those who can provide that
in an entertaining way..that's a craft that deserves respect
too, and if a dj can "scratch" a little better than the next
guy, or has a better feel for when to play what selection
than the next guy, that's a craft too..piddling as it is.

the technology cannot be ignored. but what puzzles is this, as my friend recording engineer Vince Traina (Ex-
Atlantic Records)used to ask: Mo, rcording technology keeps getter better and better, why is it that as it improves the quality of the music keeps declining in inverse ratio? (btw he said this in 1991)