Hi Guys:
Interesting topic. Generally, from a songwriter's perspective, most of the music industry just does not have a clue that arrangers even exist. Regardless, the folks in Nashville seem to have the attitude that a keyboard is "cheesy." That's the way an insider described it to me.
What they want is for the songwriter to have his song turned into a demo in Nashville at the songwriter's expense. I have a friend who has followed this "edict" to the tune of about $750 bucks per song. He has 25 Nashville "cut" demos and most of them are pretty good. A couple are possible chart climbers but it just has not happened for him.
To me, the "lowly arranger" is a fantastic alternative if one will take the time to "Tweak" the sound and edit the results very carefully.
All my best,
Dave Rice
http://cdbaby.com/cd/daverice