Originally posted by Diki:
The problem lies in music EDUCATION. This is being decimated in the US, programs are under stress in many other countries, too. While the technology marches on, and greater and greater power to make incredible music rests in the hands of people that need less and less money to get these tools, unfortunately, due to teaching programs becoming close to extinct, making music on a computer or open keyboard is becoming little more than manipulating what other, more skilled players have already DONE.
They aren't making the music themselves, they are manipulating loops of REAL musicians, they are creating 'mash-ups' and calling it 'creativity', they are making music where possibly up to 75% of it or more wasn't performed by themselves. They think that holding down one finger, while a loop plays, and twiddling a filter cutoff is 'playing music'.
Now, if arrangers are being used to teach music in Europe, you can hardly blame them... There are many even HERE that think that holding down ONE finger while the machine plays 90% of what anyone hears is 'making music', too. But unless you COULD play all those parts yourself if you HAD to, you still aren't 'playing' music. You are 'triggering' music that someone else played...
Maybe we don't have as much to learn from the kids as we think we do..? 
Overhere in Holland the public musicall education is partly funded by the government and in general viewed up on as a wise investment.
Parrents get to choose what instrument their children learn and keyboard lessons are very popular because of the versatallity of the instruemnts and the rather low prices of the instruments combined with the quick results.
Still i think its a pitty that most people overher base their opinions onn the US market... which is allready nonexcistent for Arrangers.
Where US is Synth country, there Europe is arranger country and Asia is Organ country.
Piano's are equally popular everywhere...
But everyone must agree with me that arranger keyboards are the ultimate instrument for children to get their basic music lessons, and that is the reason that arrangers will survive.