"Ronald Alpiar" wrote in message ...

What you describe, Bernie, is merely one aspect of the diminution,
dismissal, deprecation and degradation of the role of the amateur in modern
society.

snip

Instead we seem to prefer - like couch potatoes -to watch hypnotically as
professionals perform pagannenical musical acrobatics as as if they were
circus clowns.


Nicely put, but reading between the lines, I think you are far too
sympathetic to the 'entertainment' professional's cause. Why should a
few minutes of activity in a studio make a pop 'star' worth millions?
While a lifetime of any 'normal' activity makes one worth bugger-all?
We do indeed live in very strange times when a 'star' gives his, or
her, time 'free' to raise funds (from the public) for worthy causes.
Global insanity is surely near at such 'glorious' moments.

Did you mean "Paganini" or "pagan"?

Perhaps Yngwie Malmsteen comes to mind with the former. I can't speak
for the latter. ;-)


Chris.B