No machine, gadget, gizmo, innovative keyboard, etc will ever take the place of the human brain and human emotions. Anyone can make music. Even the tooth fairy. Hardly anyone can play it with the emotion it needs to make it work.

That's good 'cause those of us who have music in our veins and can "milk" a melody line will always move up to the front of the line and in front of the button-pushers.

Bring on all these machines........the more the better. It's like fast foods now. People are so sick of eating hum-drum food they're seeking out places where they can experience "mom's old fashioned home-made apple pie."

But there are two sides to the coin. This is becoming an emotionless society. And the more "emotion-less" it becomes, the more the technological ways of making music will surge forward until actual music, played and interpreted by an actual human being, will cease to exist. At that point so will society cease to exist.

There's a story I read:

During WWII Winston Churchill was approached by his Finance Minister who said "Mr. Churchill, we've got to cut our funding for the Arts and put it towards the war effort." Churchill replied "then what are we fighting for?" (because he understood that in a society, in a culture, the Arts are what makes life worth living!)

ME: NOT the machines. If Beethoven had a choice, he would pick the piano every time. When it comes to "freedom of expression" nothing does it like the actual instrument if your goal is to make meaningful music!

Chas is right on the money with his opening remarks.

Mark