Hi folks:

Please don't condemn things like Garage Band out of hand. They give 
millions of people the chance to participate in music as *creators*, 
rather than passive consumers. They're kind of crude, but the fulfill 
the same function as the old $25 Kay guitars. Sure, many people who 
start out playing with Garage Band will never take it farther, just as 
many of the folks who had those Kay guitars never got neyond 
strum-strumming "Puff the Magic Dragon". But, as usual, a few will, just 
as a few guitar-playing kids went on to discover Rev. Gary Davis or 
Andres Segovia.

Anything that increases people' *participation* in music should be 
encouraged.

Peace,
Paul