Originally posted by Taike:
Seriously, Diki, who could even afford a grammophone player in the 20's and 30's. Also, musicians weren't paid what they're paid nowadays. In fact, musicians weren't held in high esteem and were pretty low on the social ladder. One only has to look at the great classical composers. If it weren't for wealthty sponsors they'd all have lived like paupers. Quite a few did, in fact. Even doctors were a poor lot once but that's a different story.
Times have changed and live entertainment doesn't come cheap. People no longer just want a singer or a band. They want a show with special effects, etc. It takes an entire airplane just for the equipment and quite a few of the stars' demands are outrageous. Give them the wrong mineral water and they go beserk. Perhaps a little thought on how hard African-American artists had it not too long ago might make them realize how little they're into it for the music. It's all money they seem to care for.
Still, canned music will never come over the same way as live entertainment. Not even a Live recording will. So what if they can your performance. How often do you think they'll have to play it before the audience gets sick of hearing it. A 'live' musican/band will give variety. And if they ever can my playing...I'd be honored. Gosh, I wish my time in the elevator will come some day!
Taike
ROFLMAO, Taike... What world are you playing in? I certainly don't see regular gigging musicians treated with any more respect than they were in the 20's and 30's... And they had divas and stars that had just as outrageous demands as nowadays. Not to mention superstar classical composers like Liszt, the Mick Jagger of his day! And there are plenty of stars from the last few years that died paupers, too (few doctors, though!)..
Plenty of people could afford gramophones in the 20's and 30's, Taike (at least in the US) but they were ANYTHING but 'hi-fi'... and did not have the volume to compete with a real big band (or even small combo). Even nowadays, it takes a reasonably beefy PA to get louder than a real drummer playing hard...
The fact is, there is only a small fraction of full time working musicians nowadays, compared to the 20's and 30's. And high quality recordings and more powerful PA systems is PRECISELY the reason for it. I only WISH that things were different, but they are not. The proportion of live to recorded music being played continues to diminish every year, and has been doing so for a VERY long time.
And, no disrespect, but if people really WERE still interested in live music, there wouldn't be a single OMB using an arranger with a gig. There would be full bands, everywhere. Just like there used to be. We would still be playing, but we would have a REAL rhythm section, and REAL sidemen, instead of pre-canned (dare I say... 'sampled') musicians...
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