Uncle Dave,
I can remember the band days when someone was shouting or signaling chord changes to me or I was giving changes to the guitar or bass players. Then there were the acrobatics involved in getting the band to start and finish at exactly the same time and keep the tempo steady etc. I did my vocals and played my parts. And now with the arranger, I do my vocals and play my parts (and the sax or whatever lead/solo parts choose to, and I can sing a couple of parts as well). I’m still doing what I’ve always done but now I have the accompaniment that I choose, everything stops and starts when I choose, I get to choose the tunes and the keys, the rhythm doesn’t fluctuate and no hot shot guitar player has barfed in the van for at least 2 decades. With the arranger, I’m able to pay my bills and have a little over. My purist friends, who are by far better musicians than I will ever be, are also driving trucks, working on roofs etc. to make ends meet. With the arranger and a good sound system, I can compete - sound-wise - with DJ’s. I can remember when the big discussions were about how DJ’s were putting live and almost live performers out of business. The decent single acts, especially the completely self contained acts, continue to survive. I work harder than I ever did and I enjoy it more than I ever did. For anyone who thinks that using arranger tools is cheating and revolting, I suggest that you keep doing whatever makes you happy … I just bought a 2008 Toyota Sienna and I love making double payments.
Ciao,
Jerry