Karl writes [about trends in classical music] ... >I think one needs to put the invention of the phonograph into that >equation. On a day to day basis, back in 1900, if you wanted to hear >Music, you made music. I agree with Karl et.al that the invention of recorded music has put a damper on the need for live music as a medium of distribution, but there is still a need for live music in another sense and that has been dampened too but not by technology but by government. First let me say that its not just CM but all music. In the 30-60's, there were clubs almost all of which had a live band. Even many restaurants had a pianist and there were large dance halls with dance bands and ball room dancing. Live music is wonderful not so much for the fidelity of the sound, but for watching the performers do it, the visual excitement. The government's role in its demise has been taxes, especially real estate and business taxes. A business, say, a club, pays so much for a square foot of floor space which ultimately includes real estate and business taxes. They have to recover that cost through sales. Bands, ensembles, and grand pianos take up the floor space for several tables, especially in small clubs where amateurs might get a chance to play. A cassette player, amp, and ceiling speakers take up none and produces music for the customers. In Europe I see musicians everywhere playing music in the streets for tips. (If you are good, really good, this is a great way to get discovered. I believe that if Liszt were alive today, and began playing an electronic piano in a small bar, he would be famous in less than a year). The same is true for some U.S. cities, San Francisco, New York. However, with our trend toward shopping centers, which are "private property", musicians can't play there without permission - which is all but impossible to get. All of this has the effect of withholding the live performance of CM from the public and the resulting "winter of classical music", with the resulting loss of jobs for graduates of music schools. To see the reverse effect, imagine this. The governments, local, state, and federal allow the business to take a tax credit for the value of that flood space used by CM ensembles, orchestras, and pianists in their businesses. I think there would be live CM music everywhere since many musicians would play (at least 1 or two days a week) for free to get the exposure and sell their CD's and cassettes (you can now make you own to sell). This would have the effect of exposing the public to CM. Such a tax law would be impossible to get passed but you can see the reverse effect of expensive floor space on live music. "The more expensive floor space becomes, the less live music there will be, even if the musicians would play for free." (Pirkle's 1st law of live music) "An ever increasing percentage of floor space cost is taxes (Pirkle's 2nd law of live music) Just an opinion. Bill Pirkle