When the bar is lowered SO far on the term 'musician', to the point where you don't actually have to play ANYTHING and you can call yourself one, that's the time the term has lost all meaning whatsoever.

Now, anyone with an inkjet printer and stock art files is a 'painter', anyone with an e-book reader is an 'author', and anyone that can push the 'Play' button is a 'musician'.

O tempora, o mores!

Or was she that 70's Canadian singer with the big hair?




Ian

Musician (From Wikipedia)

A musician usually plays a musical instrument, especially (although not necessarily) as a profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music. A person who makes music a profession, anyone (professional or not) who's skilled in making music or performing music creatively, or one who composes, conducts, or performs music (especially instrumental music) is a musician.

Musicians can be of any music style not limited to classical, orchestral or choral, and musicians can have skills in many different styles outside of their professional experience. Examples of musicians' skills are the orchestration of music, improvisation, conducting, singing, composing, arranging, and/or being an instrumentalist.

Nice little article on electroacoustic music:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroacoustic_music

Also, a more in depth article on Electronic Music and musicians/composers/performers:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_music

Or...Musique concrète

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musique_concrete

The term "musician" obviously has a very broad meaning...much like defining "music".

Ian

But none of those definitions include the term 'button pusher'.

Let's face it, if you can press 'play' and mime over an audio track, then everyone in the world is a 'musician'.

You know, this strikes me as an awful lot of tap-dancing to justify something so broadly that there is no shame in any form of fakery. I'm sorry, but maybe YOU need to justify this, I don't. On the other hand, I am not involved in selling, demonstrating or promoting arrangers. So my motives are unsullied by commercial concerns.

If anyone here thinks that miming to audio tracks makes you a musician, you are so deluded as to not be worth talking to. And if you DON'T, why so silent when someone says such absurdities?

What's the difference on having a drum track or horn section playing along vs an audio track. It's still 'cheating' in the eyes of the so-called purists. Make music how you can. If you happen to have an exceptional voice, that usually trumps a mediocre musician. Now Freddie Hubbard and the likes is a different story. But no one here is Freddie Hubbard.

Zuki, I agree...make music how you can...and, I might add, try not let narrow-minded critics keep you from doing what you love and from expressing yourself musically, no matter what form of expression you choose.

If not for the music creators and musicians that were blessed with open minds, we'd still be listening to early "rock" music, which involved hitting a rock with a stick.

You know, Zuki, in my line of work, I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to play (and perform with) the very latest gear, meet all kinds of musicians from pro to amateur, novice to advanced, learn and appreciate new (some based on older ideas too) forms and methods of music production and/or entertainment...and get paid for it.

Not a bad deal.

Ian

PS...Do you miss performing?

Thx Ian.

Really fortunate to take your love and talent and make a living. A great gig!!!

Yes, miss it, but starting to get 'comfortable' on the daytime ease of life. My hours are a lean 8 - 3:30 or so and off every night and weekends. I do want to pursue it again some day (but it'll have to be soon).

Thanks for asking..

Rico,

You have opened a real can of worms here, isn't your real job repairing washing machines, perhaps you should trying singing with the backing of a few out of balance Bosh machines in high speed spin mode, put a different load in each should give you a reasonable frequency range, BTW don't use the new direct drive machine they are much too smooth and quiet in spin mode. We have one and I tried it, it don't work.

Whatever turns you on Rico is OK be me, I'm not a purist, I own an arranger, a purist would play a Mouth Organ (harmonica)and sing at the same time...

Be careful Tony...those washing machines have buttons that need to be pushed...

And yes, we can be pretty sure the very nature of an arranger keyboard ensures that it's user can't be a purist....but, it appears not to stop some from being critics.

Thankfully, criticism doesn't appear to prevent Rico and Tostie from posting their fantastic arranger playing...you know, Tony, perhaps the truly talented don't have time to listen to critics...they are too busy producing great music for us to enjoy.

Keep those great tunes coming, Rico...you are an inspiration.

Ian

Some of you (but not all!) may have noticed I am restricting my scorn to those that merely mime over the top of complete tracks.

If that is expressing yourself musically, I can suggest that an iPod is MUCH cheaper than an S950! And the 'tracks' are much less expensive than Yamaha will charge!