I really liked the beginning of the thread. When I read Unle Dave's post...Its not just about "arrangers", "forum members" or "personal achievements". After all the hoopla, I just want to help close it out by returning to the original topic, and its one up and coming professional musicians should take great note of. Its a good point Dave..
I played Professional, meaning my only source of income (not on arrangers) for just over 10 years while living overseas. Yeh I started "busking" with my guitar and some friends, got to clubs, went on to small tours and did some nice festivals. Got to see a lot, sleep a lot (trying to be nice) and practiced all the rest of time.
To your point U-Dave- about energy, I had some, but I learned to recognize why the "M-Jacksons, Madonna's, LZepplin's ELP (all the rockers) did so incredibly well. They really had the energy to GIVE to the large audience. Its no joke, I felt it in my own little world, in the local music store the "lookers" used to crowd around while I ripped out my jazz chord solo's or Tony Rice bluegrass licks. Yeh I was giving it out and it felt good. But I was lost in the 40,000 seat crowd of the Marlboro's festivals, nervous and scared shitless (excited?) in my own way, despite sucking up every bit of energy from the featured acts (met Kenny Rogers man). The "aura" is pretty cool and you can feel it.
I met Danny Devito once- you figure a guy who looks like Danny Devito in your school and tell me he's gonna be famous- that is pure energy, I tell you the man is amazing and "YOU" get the sixth sense if he comes up behind you cause you can feel his presence (dont you dare). Its a very special gift and you dont have to be famous to enjoy and most of you know (cause we like our little worlds and its groupies)
Anyway, more than the silly remarks we tend to make the idea U-Dave has is still solid to me, I did not see him instigate any such remarks, but rather return some silly one with silly ones. Funny cause Scott, I love to read your posts too. No way U-Dave is gonna right a book like yours (Sorry U-Dave).
Scott I will buy your book and should I have my arranger just yet (PSR2000 is coming soon) I expect to learn a lot about arrangers and their use from you.
Finally to tie up your comments (ScottY), I and a partner (just 2) have a small computer consultant company in NYC. If I ever thought about what the other 10,000 computer consultants (the comp) are doing, I would probably quit. Once you get an idea, follow through with it be it a book or a song, so what if someone has a similar one (its bound to happen), you just have to keep the blinders on, complete it and thrust it out to the world, let it find its place... and keep trying should it be dwarfed by another.
Both of you (along with DonM) are my favorite reads so you best keep getting along, hell if each of you tried to write the same book I bet they would be so different we'd have to buy both.
You guys are the best and I am happy to put my two cents in.
Cheers and have fun, on and off the stage.
Tgalf