My problem with "musicians."

[Nigh Invulnerable]

Being completely honest and unlike my normal self, I'd tell him to shove his self righteousness right up his urethra so he can smell it since his head is stuck so far up his own arse.

As far as I am concerned, you play music, you are a musician. You write music? you are a musician AS WELL AS a composer. Good or bad, that is up to the beholder, but let no one tell you you aren't a musician.

Sorry, this topic touched a nerve.

You may want to brush up on your anatomy texts there. I have no idea how shoving someone's head up their urethra would let them smell their arse.

OT: your buddy sounds like he has no idea what he's talking about. If you make money performing music, I'd call you a musician.

 

[Nathan Crumpler]

If you play an instrument that requires an amp, if you play music that the average person has heard of, or if you can't read sheet music, some classical musicians will never respect you regardless how hard you practice or how good your performance was. There are plenty of music majors that are really laid back, but you will eventually bump into some who are arrogant beyond your imagination. I'm not saying your friend is like this, but if you keep hanging out with music majors, you will eventually run into these kind of people.

 

[Chasing-The-Light]

I've had this sort of argument with an ex-girlfriend of mine, before. She played guitar and I played the violin, and I just couldn't help but feel a little... well... condescending towards her, because while she knew all the chords and what not to play, she relied a lot on tabs to play, while I read sheet music. She would constantly tell me that she didn't need to learn sheet music to play the things she wanted to play.

Maybe it's the classical musician part of me that just can't wrap my head around not learning sheet music.

In your case, though, I do see your point in that both of you are basically doing the same thing, just in a different genre. If I were you, I wouldn't take it to heart, really. You each have your own preferences, and obviously his major has gone to his head and he now thinks he's better than you because of it. It's kind of like the English major who suddenly thinks that they're better than any other writer on campus because they're an English major.

I hate people like that...

 

[Jegsimmons]

can you play an instrument correctly and regularly?
Yes? then you are a muscian.
no? then you aren't.

ITS NOT THAT FUCKING HARD PEOPLE!!!
Cover band or no!!!

(but seriously? artic monkeys?...geez, here i am just trying to play holy wars...the punishment due by megadeth. *rolls eyes*)

 

[Bvenged]

I play keyboard and guitar for entertainment, self taught. I detest the idea of the "grades", I thoroughly enjoy playing other artists music my own way and I've jammed my own stuff too (not that I ever bother to remember the stuff I come up with for later dates). Does this not make me a musician, even though I can't read sheet too, despite playing music?

"A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument or sings. It may or may not be the person's profession."

Thanks, Wikipedia - and I'm pretty sure the "Musician" page on Wikipedia is pretty darn regulated.

Ask him what he plans to do once he graduates, then tell him I'll have 2 sugars with that.

 

[ThatPurpleGuy]

You might not write the music, but if you can play at a level that people are willing to pay you to play songs for them, then I definitely think you can call yourself a musician. Relative skill or knowledge shouldn't come into the equation, because anyone who enjoys writing and performing music in just about any setting can call themselves a musician.

This. Being able to play with other people is what makes a "musician" in my eyes. There are plenty of people out there with degrees in music, sure they can probably play more complex, structured instruments (like violin or even piano) but not neccesarily able to play anything more than solo.

I have been drumming for over 18 months now (so I am average at best) and played guitar in my high school years and even within instruments exists the snobbery. A jazz drummer could look at a rock drummer and say "your not a musician" because a jazz drummer has a lot more technique and finesse going on and an in depth knowledge of musical theory, but can they make music that sounds good? Not always and this is why the rock drummer, while maybe not as skilled can still be classed as a musician the same as the jazz drummer.

Just a side note to the OP. You are much better off learning how to read music. It really helps to be able to just look at something and play it. Especially music notation for drums as there isn't too much variation. If you have been playing drums for a while, you will pick it up very quickly.

Edit- Just re-read OP and nowhere does it say what instrument you play so disregard what I said if its not drums..Tambourine? lol

 

[likalaruku]

So I just had a discussion with my friend who's majoring in music as to what actually defines being a musician. See i'm in a Arctic Monkeys cover band and my friend doesn't consider me a musician because i'm playing another persons work.

That's what tons of mainstream artists do; They remake old songs & hire people to write their lyrics & music for them.

 

[smithy_2045]

Sounds like you have a problem with douchebags, not musicians.

 

[Don Savik]

At least its not as bad as my friend who won't listen to any of my criticisms about anime/manga/japanese art simply because he likes them. Same with the Mass Effect franchise, he thinks I'm just a troll talking out of my ass. You may think, how are we friends? To be honest, I don't really know, but it works somehow. Because.....people are weird *shrug*

We all meet people like this, and its best to just smile and nod.

 

[Hazy992]

Bah, not semantics again! Why do more and more threads appear to argue semantics? Pull a dictionary, if you're so lost.

But if we didn't have petty semantics arguments what would we talk about?!

Something more sensible, which would be anything else, I suppose.

How about if games can be considered art? That's more sensible, right?

Captcha: thumbs up. Quite

...-_- That was uncalled for.

It wasn't a personal attack on you, it's just that there's been loads of those threads lately. Sorry if I offended you

 

[Shivarage]

We only really play college parties so they seem like an alright band to cover. Most parties are into brostep stuff though so I ain't making no living off it, just a bit of cash here and there.

Oh, you're American... if you like it then is cool, I can't really understand American tastes - I love music as an art form rather than just entertainment eg. Bob Dylan's lyrics, classical music for their sounds or The Cure for their moods, that kinda thing : / I'm odd...

 

[AquaAscension]

On the one hand, I understand his point of view because, to quote a poem:

"A pen doesn't make you a poet anymore than running red lights on your six speeder bike makes you an anarchist."

However, I understand your point of view because I imagine that you put a decent amount of work into playing your instrument.

If you don't put work (or at least have a modicum of passion for your work), then you're just running red lights on your six speeder bike and calling yourself an anarchist... and no one's buying that.

Rather than skill or whatever, it comes down to work for me.

 

[TheRealJLars]

Hah, that sounds like a great majority of my friends.

The fact remains is that if you can competently play an instrument, YOU ARE A MUSICIAN. The problem of course is that while there are some really cool music majors, a lot of them have their heads lodged firmly up their ass, and those guys will never respect you if you don't play classical or jazz.

I've played saxophone for over 10 years, I can read music, I can write music, I have a greater working understanding of music theory than a lot of people that I know. But I still get scoffed at when I tell people I play in a ska band.

btw: The Arctic Monkeys are pretty rad.

 

[M0rp43vs]

Snip

Artistic license- biology invoked!

 

[Galletea]

Unfortunately people who major in something run the risk of being a pretentious ass. It happens and he probably doesn't even realise what a dick he is being. He just needs to validate his own insecurities by latching onto the thing he is pretty good at.

Being a musician just means that you play music, it doesn't matter who's it is. Be proud of what you do and just ignore him, eventually he'll realise what an idiot he is being, or someone will tell him. Just try to change the subject when he starts his asshattery.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Musician

noun:
1.A person who plays a musical instrument very well or can write music.

2. A person who can convert feelings into music artistically
Chick: Hey, what do you do.

Dude: I play guitar, I'm a musician.

Chick: Oh cool. Let's have hardcore sex!

Urban Dictionary knows.