In March there was the Grammy Awards (awards presented by the Recording Academy to recognize achievement in the music industry) and in April there was the ACM Awards (Academy of Country Music Awards).

This is not a blog on which Idiom of music is better.

This is not a blog on which show was better.

It is an observation on the instruments and instrumentalists presented or lack thereof.

The Grammy's had a lot of vocals, dance, rap and hip-hop performances. Manny of them with no instruments on the stage. Made me wonder where are all the musicians? Are they off stage, are the artists performing to a pre-recorded back track or is the music being created by electronica via computer?

In comparison the ACM Awards had instruments on the stage for EVERY performance. I watched electric guitars, acoustic guitars, slide guitars, lap steel guitars, pedal steel guitars, mandolins, banjos, acoustic bass, electric bass, keyboard, piano, violin, fiddle, viola, cello, horns, percussion and background vocalist.

The difference in the two presentations could not have been more telling.

Pop, Rock, Rap and Hip-Hop music has been using more and more drum machines and electronic music to create.

Country still does it the old fashion way.

Jay