Where are Pro Arranger KB Players headed? well we talked about where the music business, DJ's, Live bands etc, are headed, .....but aside from "Nursing home jobs" which is pretty much a given,.... what about the "PRO Gigging Arranger keyboard players" regarding playing out live at other Venues besides NH's? Will you be performing with it solo, duo, band, keyboard/DJ/Singer mix or? is it pretty much headed to the living rooms again like home organs from yesteryear for personal use?
Just where is the Arranger Keyboard Player headed in the future...?

Thoughts?

Arranger use by professionals is small, (It always has been) and will probably continue in this vain with minimal change, due to the fact that probably 99% of arrangers go into the home.

Bill

Bill thanx for your thoughts....

Actually in Holland, there are quite a lot of gigging musicians using arrangers..

Mostly those playing dutch and schlager music, which is still a considerable part of performing musicians.. In germany and Austria, its even more that use arrangers on stage...

Still a considerable amount, altough considerably less then a decade ago..



The problem is with the youngsters, they either refuse to invest huge amounts of time for gathering player skills and just go daw, deejay and small analogue synth..

Or they go for guitar... or straight piano... both combined with singing.. how strange it sounds, areangers are way to compkicated for them. And a piano player does not require a full backing but can perform okay with just a simple drum beat... knowing this, it only seems logical for Yamaha to morph their high end workstation and arrangers into a single instrument.

If nothing happens, arranger keyboards (as well as synth workstation) will soon belongbto the past in Holland... they will be alive as long as old timers keep playing and buying them..


Keep in mind tough that Asia and south east asia are totally different markets where areanger keyboards are still very popular with young and old...

Had to sit and think for a minute and go back a lot of years but the number of Arrangers I've seen played in pro situations I could count on my fingers, no toes needed. Not counting a few I've seen who just use their Arranger to play backing tracks. Just counting those that are really played.
Here in SC there is music all over but only one guy uses an Arranger
( BK5 now a Yamaha ) and he uses it just for the drum patterns in a duo with his wife. He plays LH Bas and RH chords. She does all the fills on a Keytar.
Three other acts use drum machines, no arrangers. Everything else I've seen is all live. The other thing I've noticed is the Backing track thing which I saw all over in NJ is almost nonexistent here. Only seen one guy doing it.
I don't see much of a future for Arrangers in pro gig situations outside of the NHs . They never really caught on big in the first place.

Bill and Bachus....all good points....it's sad but in tne evolution of music it is inevitable....there are many other ways too make music as the people have spoken with their actions....great topic..and the other question is ...what is Replacing arranger kbs?

There are a relatively large number of arrangers in use in Mexico. I've sold four to a friend there, and he says they are in demand, even earlier model used ones.
I know of only four or five in use around here.

At one time, on Baltimore, there were at least two dozen keyboard players, all but one were also singers and OMB or duo entertainers with female vocalist. They performed just about everywhere, nite clubs, high end restaurants, VFWs, American Legions and animal clubs. With few exceptions, they all worked primarily on weekends and had full-time, weekday jobs. Today, that number is down to about a half-dozen at most. Many have passed away, while others have shifted to the senior circuit, which is far more lucrative.

Some of the venues switched to Karaoke, mainly the American Legions and VFWs, where the same dozen or less members stand in the spotlight and sing the same songs every Friday or Saturday night. Most, only have musical entertainment one night a week, while the restaurants and nite clubs usually have musical entertainment both Friday and Saturday nights. A large number of restaurants in this area have cut out music all together.

When I was in Mexico a few years ago, arranger keyboard players were in nearly every hotel and restaurant, usually duos and trios and they performed nearly every night of the week. At the Palace Las Americas, where we stayed, they had nightly shows, keyboards were in every show band, and there was a keyboard player in the lounge as well.

I have a friend that lives in Malaysia who performs with three to four, drop-dead, gorgeous lady musicians, puts on some huge shows, and is constantly on the road, touring with his group. My good friend, Panda and his ladies have been and will continue to be very successful.



I sincerely believe that as long as there is musical entertainment in this world, arranger keyboards will continue to play a significant role in providing that musical entertainment.

Now, lets define Pro Players. A professional (person) engaged in a specified activity as one's main paid occupation rather than as a pastime. Example: a professional boxer, a professional rugby player, a professional musician, a professional entertainer. These are paid professionals, individuals that provide a specific service and getting paid to do so. So, whether an entertainer/musician performs in a bar, restaurant, nite club, retirement community, assisted living center, or nursing home, he or she is still a professional in this regard. So, Donny asks the question "Just where is the arranger keyboard player headed in the future?" No one, absolutely no one, really knows.

All the best,

Gary

I think arrangers and those who play them will stay around. But things are changing as they always do. Roland is producing one arranger (or possibly one line) for the world market. The BK9 was the last of the BK series introduced and the first discontinued I believe. So it doesn't appear that Roland intends to make a true top of the line anymore. The Yamaha Genos will probably be more like the Montage with real time knobs and so on. This indicates that Yamaha knows they have to appeal to the younger customer and the older player is on the way out. But arrangers will still be around as they are popular outside of N. America.

Just thought I would post another vid of my friend, Panda and his ladies. Notice, Panda is playing his old, outdated, Yamaha PSR-3000 and making some beautiful music with the ladies, all of whom are accomplished musicians.