Without the human aspect, music is nothing more than coordinated noise. I agree with Boo and Wrinkles, someone has to make the music - even music played by DJs and KJs. Someone with individual instruments, guitars, drums, trumpets, saxes, and yes, even arranger keyboards. From what I've been able to garner, much of today's music is written by musicians using arranger keyboards--not synths and PCs. So, at least from my perspective, arranger keyboards will be around longer than most of this forum's members.

A good example of this is concerts. Imagine a Jimmy Buffett concert with nothing but backing tracks. Yep, Jimmy standing up there singing his heart out with a PC sitting on a table next to him. How about a Sinatra or Elvis concert in Vegas with the same setup? You guessed it! The concert goers wouldn't be there. They would be somewhere where there's at least one band member along with the performers on stage. They'd be down in Bossier City, LA watching Don Mason singing his heart out at Ernest's Restaurant and making that keyboard's guitar sound like the best steel player on the planet. They'd be applauding and asking for more while filling his tip jar with 20s.

I was at an American Legion a few weeks ago, a place where I played every Friday night for more than 6 years. Since I left, they added a stage, a large deck overlooking the Susquehanna River and really fixed the place up. When they have a band, even an OMB performer, the place is packed. The evening I was there they decided to have a DJ. There was only a half-dozen people on the deck where he was playing. The brought an OMB duo in the following week, same location, and 75 people were dancing on the deck.

There are a few times when Donny and I disagree - this is one of those times. Sorry Donny.

Good Luck,

Gary