"I'm sure that I am in the minority hereon this issue, but if you can't pick up and instrument, whatever it may be and make some sort of melody or chord progression you are not a musician at all."

Perhaps a bit too restrictive. Listening to some singers make me believe that they are truly 'musicians', even though they aren't playing an external instrument.

Billie Holiday always makes me think of an alto sax when she sings, because her phrasing and emphasis is so dang musical. It's like she is playing sax riffs with her voice.

I can play a few instruments in varying degrees of proficiency, but I don't consider myself a 'musician', but rather a 'player' instead. I guess in my own mind I consider 'musicians' as folks who can sight read music while they are playing that music.

So to me 'musician' has a more professional aspect to it.

But that's just me. I'm mostly a gear geek anyway...

Fire, the wheel, and the I IV V -- foundations of civilization.