>I think there's no question that the easy availability of recorded
>music discourages people from becoming amateur *and* professional
>musicians.
Huh? I've never seen any evidence of a musician shortage. In my apartment building, I hear a pianist, a violinist, a trumpet player, and an opera singer regularly, and I'm constantly battered by instrument cases on the subway. Maybe it's just the upper west side. But there's also no shortage of electric guitarists, singer/songwriters of all sorts (droopy, righteous, ironic, etc.), laptop remixers, etc. etc. - everywhere. Some of them are great, some suck, but that's always been true.
Doug