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#399517 - 02/13/15 01:13 PM Re: So What did we learn from NAMM 2015? [Re: Dnj]
Bachus Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 03/02/06
Posts: 7143
Originally Posted By: Dnj
Wow!!!......who knew so many people learned so much from Namm 2015 ....just sayin' confused1


Well, there was a lot to learn... But not on arrangers...
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#399597 - 02/15/15 08:27 PM Re: So What did we learn from NAMM 2015? [Re: Dnj]
Riceroni9 Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 11/15/04
Posts: 1298
Loc: TX, USA
This has been an interesting thread and you are all correct in your assumptions. I have a slightly different slant on Arrangers because they are perfect devices for songwriters... and not many songwriters in the States even understand that they exist. Those of you who make a living (or attempt to do so) playing at different venues, clubs, weddings, nursing homes, social events or parties... understand their versatility.

Those of you who enjoy all the variables of VSTs or OMB... or prefer to play an instrument (piano/organ/etc.) for the pure artistry of it... are all correct. It's whatever works best for you to create artistry or to generate new songs... or to simply be able to entertain a crowd with the versatility of a high-end arranger or DAW (no matter the brand)... it is all good.

The real problem is that music is becoming an undervalued commodity. There are too many artists, songwriters, performers, musicians and people associated with the music industry... and too few opportunities to garner even a small segment of that market... no matter the genre... unless you possess a talent of immense proportions... and the drive to make the sacrifices needed to clamber to the top of the pyramid. Don't forget the money involved... and the thousands of doors that are closed to all of us... because the market for music is over-saturated on a broad front.

iTunes will sell you just about anybody's song for .99 cents. In a few years, it will be .50 cents... and Apple will take half, leaving us to accept a future of diminishing returns. Streamig is an even darker scheme and it certainly does not favor the music maker or creator.

I wish all of you well... no matter which method you use to create your music... whether it be "covers" or original songs or compositions. The arranger is not part of the problem and neither are the other instruments or electronic devices and programs available for creating music.

We are all in this together to one degree or another... and until drastic changes occur in which our products are made available to the general public still buying music... we are in trouble. You had better love what you do... because less than 10% of us will ever make a real living in music.

All my best to all of you,

Dave Rice

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#399605 - 02/16/15 05:20 AM Re: So What did we learn from NAMM 2015? [Re: Dnj]
cgiles Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/29/05
Posts: 6703
Loc: Roswell,GA/USA
Wow Dave, nicely said. And it's so refreshing to see a well-thought-out, beautifully articulated, non-bitter, non-bragging, non-bashing, post for a change; one that gets to the REAL problems in the industry.

Dave says, and I quote, " There are too many artists, songwriters, performers, musicians and people associated with the music industry...". What Dave was too polite to say was, "There are too many NON-TALENTED or marginally-talented......" people flooding the industry. Of course this only applies to 'professional' artists or those aspiring to be. Amateurs and home players can do whatever their wallets allow them to do.

One could make the argument that Arranger keyboards, along with 'loops', sequences, samples, BIAB, and other 'third-party helpers' have the potential to exacerbate the problem by giving non-musicians or amateur-level musicians the capability of producing results that are acceptable to an increasingly jaded and non-discriminating public. And although this may create some opportunities for some individuals that didn't exist before, it is, as Dave pointed out, bad for the industry and for true working professionals who have spent years honing their craft.

On the positive side, technology (let's get away from Arranger Keyboards, music creation programs, etc. and call it what it really is - TECHNOLOGY) almost always has the potential to make something good even better. However, a 40 yr old Steinway is still going to sound better than even the best sample played via a keyboard controller. The subtle nuances of a great instrument simply can't be captured with electrons.

Where I may disagree with Dave somewhat, is how it affects songwriters, the REAL music creators. I think good songs will emerge regardless of the process used to create them. Getting them out into the marketplace is another story however, and I'm sure the plethora of material being generated as a result of the new technology, makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish oneself from the crowd. The good news is that genuine talent, as in the past, will always rise to the top.

As usual, JMO.

chas
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"Faith means not wanting to know what is true." [Nietzsche]

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#399606 - 02/16/15 05:59 AM Re: So What did we learn from NAMM 2015? [Re: cgiles]
Bachus Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 03/02/06
Posts: 7143

I think arrangers loops and all that stuff can help a creative person a lot, not as much as a creative tool, but as the means of getting inspiration for a new creation..


And then there is the fact that musicians vallue other things then the publicum..

I have two friends that make their money as an OMB. One is the best musician i have ever met, playing evevrything live on a stage piano and even performing his own songs, but he has an average voice at best... The other one can barely play a chord on his arranger, but has a top knotch voice and is a born entertainer... Now guess who makes the most money on his gigs?


And then there is all those deejays creating their own dance music in their daws, and making millions of dollars with just a simple beat and half a mellody. While a highly educated Jazz pianist with outright skills has a 2nd job as wayter because he cant make enough money from playing music.


Personally i think its not the musicians making the big money anymore, its the singers and the deejays, and the rest is nothing but support...
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