Well, I guess I just hoped everyone would remember that I DO use an arranger for solo work, as well as using it for other things. It would make assuming that I'm slamming the OMB's a bit harder to do... Oh well

Diversity, musically and in the 'process' is what I personally think makes us continue to grow as we get older. I haven't yet got to the point where I consider music strictly as a form of income, to me, it's still hopefully an ART, and one that overwhelmingly (other than here) is practiced by ensembles. You COULD go out and watch a guy wave a baton at a CD player, but it wouldn't be 'listening to an orchestra', even if there were software (which there is!) to make the CD follow him...

Likewise the OMB. It's the FACSIMILE of music, except for what you actually play (not conduct). And while I WILL use it from time to time, I don't pooh-pooh the legitimate performance of music (you know, where EVERYTHING is being performed live ), and crow about how many NH gigs I can get by performing with machines. No offense to Zuki, or anyone who plays those venues at that pace (good for you!), but you won't find ONE artist who's work you cover, who's music you admire, who's playing you try to emulate, that would consider doing that as a full time career.

It's a JOB.

Some of us want to paint the Mona Lisa, and some of us want the contract to paint a block of apartments. Both of us use brushes and paint... But the apartment painter will usually work more, and make more money in his lifetime.

But who is the ARTIST?