This thread is a pattern in and of itself.

1. The 'taking jobs' element is in there, repeats every 6 month or so on the forum, some saying yes, some saying no.
2. The argument about what constitutes a musician with the common threads of can/cannot read music, plays a real/not real instrument, composes or doesn't compose, etc.
3. Style elements
4. It is missing the element of whether or not a singer is a musician or not. C'mon all of you who say no, you need to weigh in here.


The question is actually - does it really matter what anyone says as to who is a musician and who is not?

If someone says those who are called DJs these days says they are musicians, what does it really matter? Perhaps it's an identity matter?

My sister is a straight-up studio singer and she recently did another gig this past week with the Anderson, IN symphony orchestra as a soloist. SHE says that she's not a real 'musician' because she has never composed or improvised. She can sing the socks off of anyone who has ever posted a song on this forum; in just about any style from coloratura soprano opera to R&B, to C&W, to pop, to jazz. That's just the facts. Google Heather Bays music to listen. But she says that I'm more 'musical' than she is, and I'm a hack, but I have written about a hundred songs, taught myself to play many instruments, etc. But I can't read music very well. I'm learning one of Chopin's simple preludes (I thin it's Opus 28 #4), but I'm struggling with it. Who cares? It's a beautiful song.

I also enjoy listening to the songs my kids love from the modern dubstep DJs. They are about the only crowd that are doing interesting stuff with synthesis/electronic music these days that has a public acceptance. Being a fan of synths since some of good stuff of the early 70's, it's refreshing to see/hear that the world of synthesizers and electronic music is not dead. Just bought my 14 year old an Akai XR-20, which is basically an MPC pre-loaded with sounds. He's into rap (clean, non-misogynistic stuff) and he is learning how to program drum patterns and lay in bass-lines. All from pads arranged in a non-keyboard fashion. He showed interest, and it's something for him to do besides baseball (on the JV team). He's also taking guitar lessons. Do I consider his beat making any less important than learning guitar? No. He also plays clarinet. Hasn't blown the clarinet in 3 years, took it off the shelf a couple weeks ago and he could play many of the tunes that he played while being the only 6th grader invited from his school to play in the Colorado Springs-wide middle school honor band. I'm not going to force him to play, because he enjoys it at will. If he enjoys making sounds creatively, I'm not going to stop him. He may someday invest in one of those Ableton controllers.

I remember back on this forum when the video of the Rick K. and the Allnighters drummer caused a stir as to whether he was a musician or not. Musician or not, he is the reason the Allnighters have a solid tour schedule. http://www.rickkandtheallnighters.com/tour/ all these years later.

If any of us have any 'rights' to declare who is and who is not a real musician, it's only because our own identity feels threatened when someone we consider less skilled or qualified gets tagged with the same label we have built our identity upon and so feel devalued as a result.

Now, press repeat......

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