Colin, very nice post and great reflections. If I may, I would like to toss in a thought after shuffling through the dust of this planet for many years. Cheating? Cheating is the thought! You say you are not playing if you step record something. Your are cheating. I agree with your first statement. If you are step recording you are not playing. That’s right! You are just step recording. You would be doing what you are able to do. After doing it for a while you might become very good at it. If you enjoy music very much, and that was your way to it’s enjoyment because of little other talent, so what? The man is not cheating but enjoying what he is capable of doing. Not lazy or buffering his lack of ability but applying himself to his own ability and enjoying it. His way to the enjoyment of the same music you enjoy expressing it within his own capabilities. I wonder if Oscar Peterson knew how to spell step-recording of even knew what it meant or even could do it?

Quote: “And our wonderful machines do nothing to enhance actual musical talent”.
Strange!!! I played tenor sax and clarinet, for a little more than forty years, in a dance band. When the band broke up about fourteen years ago, I luckily ran across the likes of an arranger keyboard. Heard it, liked what I heard and bought me one. There is no way you could ever lead me to believe that this wonderful machine never enhanced my musical talent. Other than those two small points I enjoyed reading your thoughtful post.

By the way, Franks one finger talent on his keyboard has provided me and many of my listeners with tons of enjoyment when I take my break time on my wonderful little KN machine playing my gigs. Ruthie also kind of swoons over Franks approach to music interpretation and his choices of instrument selection. I agree and not just because I learned a long time ago it is advisable to agree with her, and more healthy, but I really agree.

Doug