No need to apologize to me, John. I'm not offended. No need for humility, either. you won't find THAT in large supply either. I'm sorry if I sounded harsh but there are really no 'arranger wars' here, and no real arranger-bashing either. If a post gives your knee and involuntary jerk, then I suggest that you re-read it and make sure that what got a rise out of you is actually what was said. Sometimes 'buzz words' will jump out in a phrase and make us respond to something that isn't there. Happens to everyone, me included. Saying that learning a traditional keyboard instrument might give one a better foundation in music than an arranger keyboard, does not constitute arranger-bashing. It's just an opinion; not even shared by all. There has to be room for these kinds of non-confrontational opinions. You should always feel free to disagree which can easily be done without making it a moral issue. Welcome to SynthZone. There is a lot of information here from a lot of sources. You always want to position yourself so that people WANT to help you. Good luck in your future endeavors. You'll probably do very well. You seem to have the drive and the passion.

chas