Sorry, Gary, but if making money is the sole goal in life, music is a TERRIBLE way of ensuring it. I could have made so much money as a doctor or a lawyer that even a fully booked arranger ‘entertainer’ wouldn’t come close..!

And if you think the ‘musicians’ in your arranger are world class, you’ve never played with one. Sorry to be blunt, but the worst guitarist I know that I would consider a ‘pro’ can play circles round the best arranger in the world. The best of them play circles round me!

I wonder, with money apparently so important, and waiters making so much more than you did playing, how come you didn’t drop playing? Your logic suggests that’s the goal… Or perhaps playing music actually IS more important than money!?!

At any level… 🎹😎

I'm surprised that you are willing to debase yourself by making such big-headed statements.
Is there only you who knows what a Pro or world class musician is?
Why does Gary or the rest of us not know what a Pro or world class musician is?
The definition of Pro is simply someone who earns their living at that particular thing.
Why should we have any reason to believe there are any Pro's on this forum who are any better than ourselves.
The word Pro is so overused on here by guys who are trying to put themselves up on a pedestal.

What is more important in this world is whether someone is a nice guy and Gary is universally acclaimed for that.
Apart from on this forum, I have never heard of Abacus, Diki or any of the other "Pro proclaimers" who don't impress me at all.
You are entitled to believe that everyone looks down on someone who uses auto-accompaniment if you wish but in reality,
that is only your opinions which don't matter at all to the rest of us.
This sounds to me as though some of those who proclaim themselves to be Pro's are very insecure and need to bolster their image by pulling others down.
Arrangers have auto accompaniment so that anyone who doesn't have access to a band can still play without sounding a bit EMPTY.
The guys who play with a band sound just as EMPTY when the band is not there.
We all play differently in the same way we all cook a meal differently and no other has the right to say "only my way is right".
Why not drop your insecurities and boasting and use the arranger forum to post about arrangers with or without auto accompaniment.
If you dislike auto accompaniment so much, you could always go on piano or organ forums where they don't discuss such like.
I played organs for many years in pubs & clubs and wish I had a good Hammond in my home at this moment but,
I live in a home, not a studio and, I wouldn't be able to take it with me when I go out.
I never knew there were such people as instrument snobs with inflated ideas of their own importance.

A good player will get the best out of their instrument no matter what it is; however there is no reason for a keyboard player to emulate the same as a Sax player etc. as its palette is much greater, (Unless all you want to do is recreate a specific instrument) so you can create your own sound and be individual, (Rather than sounding the same as every other Tom, Dick & Harry out there) so make your own sound (That’s what professional keyboard players do) and become unique rather than trying to make your keyboard sound like something it isn’t. (In the old days you could recognise a player by his style (No matter what keyboard he was playing) but these days with arrangers those that know a small amount about arrangers just say oh that’s a Yamaha or that’s a Korg, with the player being an irrelevance)

Bill