As so much of our day to day lives becomes commercialized, commodicized, and corporately packaged, consolidated and bundled, just as it is getting hard to find 'real' food, 'real' workmanship, anything built to last longer than our well researched minimum expected lifespan, expecting music to return to a pre-corporate paradigm is a pipe dream at best.

For good or bad, WE made this bed (our generation WAS the ones who jumped enthusiastically into sequencers, MIDI, arrangers and other forms of making music without a full band), and now we must lie in it.

Just go with the flow and mix it up....hurry all aboard!!
the train leaves the station very soon..

I have no regrets, but I do still keep my hands in non-arranger playing gigs fairly regularly, even if they are just jam sessions...I don't want to lose my chops.

The arranger has it's advantages...it has kept me working when the other jobs were scarce or non-existent, and has mainly been just another tool in the musical tool-chest for me.

Still lots of traditional instrument players here on Cape Breton Island, and for many years there was an abundance of fiddle players and their piano accompanists...it appears to be balancing out now, especially with several schools in the area offering band programs.

Ian

Real talent will always shine thru the technology, I believe. just look at our boy Rory and my new favorite singer/writer, Lianne La Havas.

Of course, the talent will manifest itself in new ways. The "up and comers" will take what they've learned from past innovators and refine it. Technology will be incorporated at the proper time and place(s).

But, I really feel that the world is full of innovative youngsters who will make their mark and constantly improve
the quality of music.

And that will make the world a better place, for all.

Russ