Originally posted by Diki:
I just wish that manufacturers would 'tailor' their styles more regionally. European arranger users (except UK, perhaps) are going to use the Schlager styles extensively, whereas, in the States, it's unlikely that you'd EVER use one of these.
Well, EUROPEAN is a big word. Music varies a lot across the this part of the world. Although "Schlager" can mean "popular song" or something like that, it has a certain feel and arrangement that can be discribed as German popular music. Also in Holland, where I come from, this kind of music has fans, but it is in no way as popular on the radio for instance as in Germany.
Dutch radio is mostly English and American music and if the Dutch write their own music, even the lyrics are in English. In France that is different again.
HipHop, R&B and Country rule over here, but perhaps less so in Europe. I feel that arrangers would lose much of their 'Mom and Pop' image in the States if they would pack their keyboards with young, 'hip' styles (you can still load 'em up with schlagers if you NEED them!).
I like hiphop, funk, R&B and Jazz. However, if I would take my keyboard to play in public places in my country, most people wouldn't like it. Jazz is not very popular in Holland. Most people don't know the Jazz standards anymore, largely due to politicians, who interfere with broadcasting (
It almost sounds like Holland is a communist country, but it isn't - it is rather complicated to explain how it works in my country)
Fact is that because of this meddlesomeness by politicians, the programming changed very much over the years and I have seen Jazz, Country and some other music styles disappear from the air completely on the Public Radio. Commercial radiostations took over (after they were finally granted permission by our government to broadcast) but only people who like that kind of music listen to it.
http://www.nederland.fm Most stations are commercial. Only Radio 1, Radio 2, 3FM, Radio 4 and 747AM are Public radiostations. I often listen to Juize FM and Arrow 90.7 FM
Back to the Arranger keyboardplayer: I think that in my country you wouldn't make a dime by playing only Jazz, Hiphop and dance. If I want to perform with that kind of music I had better buy a DJ-set.
..... The big three have extremely capable voicing programmers for their Workstation lines - time to let them loose on the arrangers!
I wouldn't mind having more musical tools on the arrangers. But if there was more demand, those arrangers would be on the market. It is not for nothing that you have different keyboards. A lot of people who buy
the Korg Triton etc. wouldn't appreciate the styles that are in the keyboards like the PSR3000, so why pay for it?
------------------
drdalet