I’m amazed by people who have played for many years and can only do two or three styles of music. A well-rounded musician should be able to play many styles and want to play many different song styles. I'd go nuts doing just a few styles with the great variety of music available today.

I experiment with many different styles and I find that many tunes are adaptable to many different styles. Adding different styles to the arranger is necessary but leaving some off (other than rap) would be a very bad idea. Just think of painting and all you paint is the same two or three pictures over and over. How boring!

I play a bit of keyboard and do vocals. I also play Sax and I’d like to see the sequencers on arrangers improved for this purpose. I can’t believe that there are still keyboards that won’t copy and paste a chorus. On my keyboard I can copy and paste a measure or a complete tune over and over.

I can even change the variations and other functions on the fly while using the sequencer mode playing live. This helps from being locked into the same identical midi file sequence over and over while playing instrumentals on my sax. However, I do midi files also. I’m not sure about sax on a keyboard, but many people really enjoy hearing a live sax today.

Arrangers are a OMB tool. If the sequencers were better they would attract more horn players to adapt to a OMB so as to be able to play more and earn an income to afford the up key of horns and accessories. No one hires a 10-peace band today. Many horn players are missing the boat. Most of the horn players that I worked with in New Orleans could do left hand chords no matter what instrument they played. The arranger is ideal for this style of playing. Left hand chords and right hand licks.

The arranger people are missing a big market. There are still many kids playing horns of all types in school and college bands that learn chord theory and could adapt to an arranger with a little bit of effort. All musicians’ dreams are to play for an audience and many horn players do not have the opportunity. The arranger with a good sequencer would give them this opportunity.

"Variety is the spice of life." This applies to everything. Yes! Even music. Load the sucker up with 1000 styles. There will never be enough styles for me. Except “RAP!” One of those is more than enough.


[This message has been edited by brickboo (edited 02-20-2006).]

[This message has been edited by brickboo (edited 02-20-2006).]