WOW mike that was awesome. I am ALMOST willing to pay you for that fine piece of writing! I think that the WHOLE industry HAS to evolve, and luckily I am not affraid to try to vision different versions of the music industry rather than live in the denial that it IS an obsolete dinosaur! IF any of us dreams of the gravy train I think the dream ITSELF is flawed. the dream should be to do something Enjoyable and valueable to society while earning a living AND HOPEFULLY a surplus to pass on to your offspring. I don't think you have to be pretty to sing, or even have a peferct pitch, I LOVE Tom Waits, who TO ME AT LEAST doesn't fit that mold, but he is both creative and expressive! I buy his cDs over and over again. AMONG OTHERS. but the MODEL itself is flawed, it's OUTDATED. if you could start over (which YOU CAN'T) how SHOULD it be. how COULD it work. that's where you'll find solutions rather than just bellyache about the problems. I'M not saying that's what YOU are doing, but that is the temptation,..denial, complain, and then die bitter... or adapt eveolve, thrive. i think it IS a choice. thanks for the post though it is alot to think about, and I'M SURE i will learn from what you have shared (even if it is not RIGHT AWAY!)