Quote:
A person who makes art by pasting cut out images is not a painter, he/she is collagist.

In order for someone to be a musician, they have to play a musical instrument that is capable of reading any piece of at least single part music notation. That doesn't mean everyone has to read music to be a musician, but the instrument you play has to be one that in the hands of some musicians can do that.

If I write an original melody, notate it on a piece of sheet music, and put it in front of every DJ in the world, none of them can read it with their DJ equipment.

.... DJs are not musicians but instead musical collagists.

That's not to say they aren't talented, that doesn't mean they don't create music, it just means they aren't musicians.

If we call DJs musicians, then we need to call people who create collages painters, and people who can write simple web pages (like myself) computer programmers.



I don't think a "collagist" would classify themselves as a painter...... but they would certainly classify themselves as an artist. In the same way a sculptor doesn't paint, but is certainly an artist.

In the same way that a guitarist may not be able to play a piano and would not classify themselves as a piano player but would certainly classify themselves as musicians.

By whose standard does an instrument have to be able to be played to sheet music? That's like saying all communication has to take place using smoke signals. Call me crazy, but times and technology are making lots of things possible. If that guy has a drum pad sampler in his rig...and honestly, I did not watch much of that video..... and he tapped those pads, waaaa laaaa..... musical instrument capable of being played by following sheet music.

Set some sheet music in front of me for Bach's 79th cantata, or even twinkle twinkle little star and I will simply stare at the notes, but does that mean I'm not a musician because I can not read the sheet music and convert it to sound with my guitar?

I agree that if you simply spin records or mix recorded music using turntables .... no, that's a DJ in the strictest sense of the word and not exactly a musician..... however, if you are running samplers and loopers and doing it live to and with the records and other things that are under your control, then yes, I would classify that person as a musician..... certainly not a sheet music reading piano player, but definitely a musician since they are creating music on the fly.

When DJ's first became popular and started spinning records, I was on the side of the argument that non-musicians were taking jobs away from musicians...... however, that is no longer the case. Some of those folks are extremely talented with what they do. So I have to come down on the side that says, yes, a DJ can be a musician.

Last edited by Guitarhacker; 04/14/15 05:14 AM.
You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
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