I�ve only had the time to read this thread loosely, so pardon my error if I�m �reading� it incorrectly.

Bill, I DID notice the interchange between you and Diki. IMO, you�re too intelligent NOT to see what Diki is saying. Or maybe you DO see it, but prefer your own views still? But even I have to agree with him at this point in my own career. It�s not about are you comfortable with your OMB keyboard, or are you satisfying your audience, or are you creative enough for what you�re doing now, etc If I read Diki correctly, he�s saying that, if you make the choice to play with other musician s, they�re going to wake up more creativity inside of you. You�ll be getting ideas that you can�t get from a static keyboard that knocks out the same rhythms day in and day out. He�s NOT dissing OMB keyboards, just pointing out the advantages of working with others, feeling different rhythms and backing.

I�m really emphasizing this because he hit the nail on the head as to why I�m probably burning out and feel like quitting music. I�m thinking about the whole month of October, when I do mostly Oktoberfests with different throw-together trios and quartets every gig. What a difference in my playing and my attitude. I can work off of them, get new ideas for riffs, learn different songs, interact both musically and personally on the bandstand. In short, it �wakes me up� and causes me to see things I don�t see when I�m doing a solo. Even when I backed up that all-girl singing group at the party last week. I found myself doing things on the piano I don�t normally think of when I�m playing by myself!

Now I�ve been doing a one-man-band all my life so you won�t find more of a crusader for these keyboards than me. That is, until Diki started talking his stuff here. He really covered the topic effectively. I forgot all about how alive you feel when playing with other musicians with the benefit of increased interest and musical growth.

I produce good music as a OMB or as a pianist. The audience is pleased, the boss is pleased, and I�m somewhat pleased myself. But, if I were to move on to playing with other musicians, I can see me expanding musically again and losing that awful disease: �boring-itis� (as in You�ve Lost That �Boring� Feeling by the Righteous Brothers).

Lucky