Well, I can only go by the comments I received during and after the gig, and, if I was to take stock in them (and I do), the performance was anything but boring.

Not having the luxury as you do of having a vocalist, I have to find other ways of making the playing interesting, and I do manage do be able to do quite well, at least so far...I get a lot of return requests.

I don't just sit there and play one tune after the other...I use a microphone and interact with the crowd. Many years of doing Yamaha clinics have helped me tremendously with working with an audience.

Fran, I do have a very wide view of "acceptance" for what other arranger players use to perform...my comments are/were restricted to my own needs, and in the case of playing, my own pleasures as well.

Use what works for you...I personally would find playing over a commercial SMF very boring indeed, and as far as DJ'ing, well...it would be about as exciting as mother's day in an orphanage.

DJ'ing isn't "playing"...it's "DJ'ing"...I cringe when I hear a DJ say he was "playing last night", or whatever...personally, it's no more "playing" than using a CD player at home...the only skill involved is "working" the crowd (certainly handy for anyone who performs), and a half-decent knowledge of what music will work for a certain age group, but, it most certainly is not "playing"!

Again, these are my personal opinions.

I play lots of times without the arranger on full...I often use LH bass (comes from many years of piano/organ playing), and fortunately, I have a really awesome sounding arranger in the Tyros4, so if it sounds bad, it is not the instrument's fault.

"Karaoke" keyboarding, such as singing over a commercial SMF, is only one step away from singing over an MP3 of a tune with the vocal track removed...at that point, it is just "singing" (or "performing vocally") and certainly not "keyboard playing" in any sense of the word.

I don't have a problem with how other arranger "players" perform. I do have a set of parameters that I work within, and they aren't for everybody, but, they do bring great personal satisfaction and pleasure to me.

Ian