Any wise professional should do their homework/prep before a show regarding content, playlists etc. Live musicians do take it a few steps further though. After I gather new music, I have to learn how to play it and perform it well. And if my band is performing, I have to distibute the same materials and have them do the same, not to mention juggling the personalities..

I don't want to get into a live vs recorded debate any deeper as that is not the topic here.

I will allude to my previous comments- as long as there is a demand for the product, it will continue to be made available. If the computer keyboard totally replaces the piano keyboard, then it will no longer be necessary to manufacture the product.

But I hope that never happens, and though I don 't know when the first piano was used to perform , the keyboard instrument has been around a long time and seems to endure albeit change.