I have to agree with Bill and Larry. The truth is, the business end of music has always been about exploitation of the artist to one degree or another. Some of the best singer/songwriters/artist in history were screwed by the businessmen in charge of getting the music played. Not all of them but a whole lot of them - at least when they first started and didn't know what to watch for.

AI does something no other show has done. It gives aspiring singers a chance to be heard by millions of people. And if you aren't a seasoned performer, which most of them aren't, I think it takes a whole lot of guts to get up there and take the chance that most of the viewers will think you suck.

There are a lot of reasons for the demise of the live music scene. AI isn't one of them. The live music scene hasn't had a good year since the late 80's or early 90's at best - at least 10 years before AI started. The exception of course, being the JPF road trips... smile

Van Borden
a.k.a. Buzz Grudge