G'day Foolestroupe & Rowan (and Uncle Tom Cobbley & all ...),

Of course we all now about those organic factors in our quirky, Olde Worlde music devices ... but the new world has other ideas ...

I was reading the latest issue (September 2006) of Discover ( al light magazine of: "Science, Technology & The Future) and the column of Jaron Lanier (their resident gadfly?) began:

Last week I had a jarring conversation with one of the most Influential figures in Silicon Valley.
Me: I wish more kids were learning to be musicians.
He: In 10 years computers will be able to use a combination of artificial intelligence and massed data from the internet to generate music better than human musicians. We can already use these techniques to choose hit songs more accurately than record executives. Musicianship will be an obsolete profession by the time today's kids grow up. There might be good reasons to teach kids music, but creating a new generation of professional musicians is not one of them.

I won't quote more ... buy the mag ... or check their website: Jaron's World to see what Silicon Valley thinks should replace us!

Excuse me ... I think I'll go listen to my computer synthesise the perfect digital "Duke" Tritton ... ot was that the Cyber-Art Thieme ... ?

Regard(les)s,

Bob