<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000"> I agree with you again, Jer.  For an advanced music student working on the fingering of a difficult passage far into the night, a 'digital piano' is surely a boon, because he/she can plug in headphones.  And if you are doing complex MIDI or other computery stuff and using 'Sibelius' or other notation software, again, the digital instrument has its place.  Or if you are in a small ensemble who visit care homes giving performances, a portable keyboard is great.  But for playing PLEASURE, there is an element missing in even the best of the electronic instruments. Some kind of physical response that you get from wooden levers, felt hammers, steel strings etc.  That surely goes for listening pleasure too - I can't think of a single CD of major piano repertoire recorded on a digital instrument. I agree that "HMIE" sounds funny. In fact it's now subsumed into another body, but it was the goverment department in Scotland (not in England and Wales) responsible for monitoring quality in schools and colleges. <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.hmie.gov.uk/">http://www.hmie.gov.uk/</a>   Those of us who have worked in education, have all known the apprehension of an impending Inspectorate visit! (Though in my twenty-one years of college teaching, I never got picked for a classroom observation). Best regards, David. <blockquote type="cite"> Same here David.  Funny line even if not meant to be humorous!  HMiE!  J  I do not have even one reputable music teacher in my client database that teaches on a digital.  Not do any of the professor’s at my college while teaching there.  Yes, they all say the same as yours do too.  Many will simply say “they are a toy to be used for amusement for off-time pleasure but not for real practicing or for real performing.”   While some may own one, they allow waiting students to “play with them” with head phones on while awaiting their lesson time.   I can see that.  Keeps them from being bored.  I don’t see them as a threat either.  Just a new way of life, for some, for now…  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Jer Groot RPT</blockquote> </body> </html>