What do you consider to be a musician?

[mellotronaut]

a musician is a person, who believes, he or she has Long Covid and improvises his or her way around a cytokine storm, using either his or her voice or a musical instrument.

[vurt]

anyone with a song in their heart, a spring in the step, or a twinkle in the eye.

[Gavincoolguy]

What's the scuffed version of this?

anyone with a song in their heart, a spring in the step, or a twinkle in the eye.

[vurt]

What's the scuffed version of this?

anyone with a song in their heart, a spring in the step, or a twinkle in the eye.

a whistling bin man? (trash collector for the americans)

[30pinsimms]

a musician is anyone that can communicate with and understand rhythm and melody.

[30pinsimms]

anyone with a song in their heart, a spring in the step, or a twinkle in the eye.

and an athlete is anyone that knows how to walk. or breathe.

[vurt]

anyone with a song in their heart, a spring in the step, or a twinkle in the eye.

and an athlete is anyone that knows how to walk.

well it is an olympic sport

[Aloysius]

Anyone who identifies as a musician. You are anything you feel in 2024.

[zerocrossing]

I think it points to a sad state of affairs that this question is even asked. It implies some line that really isn't there at all. I make music professionally, but my brother, who's got a degree in music from one of the best music colleges in the world, does not, yet I'm allowed to say I'm a professional musician and he isn't? Silly. It's a spectrum, and everyone, from the most casual singer to the full on professional gigging musician or composer is on it. I feel that gatekeeping scares people away that might otherwise enjoy making music, even if it's on a very casual level.

[BBFG#]

On a second look, I noticed the question asks "what" and not "who"...
Maybe that invalidates many of the answers then?
List your favorite sequencer, drum machine now?
Wonder if this is just a marketing gimmick for BITB now...

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

I think it points to a sad state of affairs that this question is even asked. It implies some line that really isn't there at all. I make music professionally, but my brother, who's got a degree in music from one of the best music colleges in the world, does not, yet I'm allowed to say I'm a professional musician and he isn't? Silly. It's a spectrum, and everyone, from the most casual singer to the full on professional gigging musician or composer is on it. I feel that gatekeeping scares people away that might otherwise enjoy making music, even if it's on a very casual level.

Thats very interesting. Certainly if you can facilitate making music on any level you are a musician regardless of monetary reward.

I tend to think of it a bit different. In my concept it is a state of mind. I would HAVE to create music on some level using a stick if I had to simply in order to exist. Without it my soul would die. I have sacrificed too much in my life in this condition. At times I have supported myself other times not. I know many great players that could walk away from it at anytime with no consequence. They do not have the MUSICIAN condition.
I can also recognize someone with the MUSICIAN condition in a mater of moments.

[harryupbabble]

to me,
musicians are people who play instrument(s) and/or make music
any kind of music

my mp3 collection is full of musicians...
but mostly, a certain type of musician:
the songwriter

songwriters are half melodyist and half wordsmith
elton john is mostly a musician
bernie taupin is mostly a wordsmith or lyricist

but a rare breed are both of those:
paul mccartney
john lennon
david bowie
joni mitchell
bob dylan
paul simon
robert smith
dolly parton
bruce springsteen
stevie nicks
neil young
carole king
pete townshend
the two guys in steely dan
the two guys in abba
the glimmer twins
page and plant
ray davis
prince
etc

there are too many others to list but still, supposedly they are rare...
a very small percentage of the whole world

i want to add them all
to my mp3 collection
consume, consume
yummy yum yum

i myself is not much of a musician
i tried playing the electric guitar, the bass, and the keyboard
i didn't progress too far
but it doesn't mean i'm done playing them

and i listen to a lot of songs,
just like quentin tarantino watched a lot of movies
i guess i'm absorbing all sorts of songs
does that count as "being" a musician?

it's only rock and roll but i like it
i can't get no satisfaction
start me up
get off of my cloud
you can't always get what you want
here comes your 19th nervous breakdown

beat on the brat with a baseball bat (oh yeah, oh no)

Here in my car, I feel safest of all
I can lock all my doors, it's the only way to live
In cars

yeah, i tend to "absorb" those kinds of songs

[VOODOO U]

A stupid question with stupid answers because all you morons can't look up a word in the dictionary.
A musician is a person that can play an instrument.
See how easy that is?
A better question is does a musician need to know music theory?
The answer is of course no.
Music theory is designed to restrict intuitive connection to Satan which is key in the creation of music that actually matters.
You're welcome.

[jamcat]

I think it points to a sad state of affairs that this question is even asked. It implies some line that really isn't there at all. I make music professionally, but my brother, who's got a degree in music from one of the best music colleges in the world, does not, yet I'm allowed to say I'm a professional musician and he isn't?

No, I don’t think you can call yourself a professional musician until you’ve made more money as one than you’ve spent to become one.

By that metric, neither of you can claim it, as vanishingly few can.

[vurt]

A musician is a person that can play an instrument.

the kazoo, is a musical instrument.
yazzoo, were an 80s pop acts, but are irrelevant to this discussion.