Lawrie,

Quote:

A singer is still a musician (and no, I don't sing myself*). It's just that their instrument happens to be their voice instead of a guitar, or (as in my case) a trombone, or a piano etc.. The voice even has strings (vocal chords), a resonance chamber (chest and oral cavity), a "bow" (the breath), so one could even argue (very loosely) that it belongs to the string family



As you always do, you've made some very good points. When i was trying to make a distinction between singers and musicians, it wasn't for the purpose of putting "singers" on a level below musicians.

Allow me to explain. I've often played for people before and when I was finished, they may say something along the lines of "I wish I had that GIFT!"

While this sounds like a compliment, it makes me want to say "GIFT MY ASS!". Why? Because it wasn't a gift. It was something I've spent thousands of hours working to achieve, with callouses, sore fingers and sleepless nights to prove it.

When it comes to singing, ........... you can never be a GREAT singer unless you were born with that ability! I'm a mediocre singer, ...... and I have to practice to be that good! If I worked the rest of my life for every waking moment, ....... I'd never be a great singer. I'd still be mediocre.

If I put the same amount of time into playing guitar, I would be a great guitarist. How do I know? Because I've approached it before. I never reached it, but I approached it. All it would have taken was more time and effort.

Jackie Evancho is a great singer. She hasn't had time to "work for it". She was born with it.

While both singing and playing an instrument are all part of music, ......... they are two distinctly different things.

One is a singer. The other is a musician. Both are essential, but their roles are different. We could go into all of the other people who make music possible, but that doesn't mean they're musicians.

If you don't play an instrument, then you aren't a musician! You may be a songwriter, composer or singer, but that doesn't make you a musician. You have to "earn" that distinction!

I would think all of the great singers out there would agree. They are the singers. Those of us who play are the musicians!

(Putting on flame retardant suit now!)