Am I a Musician?

So Many Wires

I sometimes see posts from musical people questioning whether or not they are musicians. In fairness it is often started from a click-bait post qualifying themselves as the gatekeeper of what it means to be a musician, triggering a sometimes heated discussion on the topic. This usually brings out the divided "experts" to argue where there is no real argument, but it generates "engagement" and apparently, that is what drives the world today. I encourage the refrainment of dividing people in any way.

Here is the Merriam-Webster definition of the word, musician:

Merriam-Webster's Definition of a Musician

This is not exactly the clear one-sided answer to this question that some would expect, or perhaps hope.

The purists will latch onto the "especially: INSTRUMENTALIST" part of the definition. It's not an unfair position to take. If one spends years learning and mastering an instrument or more, seems reasonable to harbor an allegiance to that definition.

But, "composer"? Now that throws a bit of wiggle-room into the puritanical position. There are so many tools that aid the ability to compose music without ever picking up an instrument, that if one can hear the music, one can create or "compose" it as well. It could be argued that makes one more of a songwriter, except that is not what the definition says. A songwriter is a composer; by extension, they are a musician. But a songwriter does need to create their original musical score with some skilled discipline.

Where Do I Land?

Do I Look Like a Musician?

So, before I answer this, let me give you a little backstory.

My musical life began with the accordion at age six. I took lessons and played it for six years. I learned basic music reading skills with this instrument. Around thirteen, I took guitar lessons for a couple of months. Then nothing until age nineteen when I took bass lessons for a couple of months before I joined my first band, Seducer, as a singing bass player. I learned some basic drums while in that band and would have my own drum sets for a while, although I never played in a band as a drummer. I just wanted to know how to play them. In my third band, and thereafter, I was a singing guitarist. In the following years, I took a music theory class which opened my eyes to all instrumentation leading me to play keyboards and some harmonica and more.

Having said all that, one might conclude that I would weigh heavily on the side of the instrumentalist definition of a musician, but that would not be accurate. You see, I think of myself mostly as a songwriter. I've always had music in my head and could never get it out until I started learning instruments, which led me to learn instruments and compose music, so I could get those songs out of my head.

This was my path. I did not have the tools they have today. Tools that could have led me to possibly never pick up an instrument and learn how to use it. However, I am fairly confident that I would have learned at least one, regardless. The point is, today, it is not entirely necessary.

Today, tools exist that can help you get the songs out of your head, whether you hear them or not, without ever learning an instrument. You can compose music without the foggiest idea of what a triad is or where the middle 'C' is on a keyboard. As long as your ear is true, you can compose music with these tools. And, according to Merriam-Webster, if you are a composer, you are a musician. This is still a skill that must be honed and polished even if it is not the traditional skills of the past. Just because these tools are available, does not facilitate anyone to becoming a composer of music. That still requires commitment, discipline, and passion. And without that, you are not a musician.

Where I Draw A Clear Line

Robots Are Not Your Friends

AI... if one is using AI to generate music so they can sing, rap, or vocalize over it, you are definitely, not a musician. There is no discipline, commitment, or passion in creating a musical background in this way. You are a vocalist in whatever style you are vocalizing. If one is a singer and lyricist in a band but offers no other structure to a song, they are a songwriter and still get credit for their contribution, but the musicians created the music as a soundboard for their contribution to the final art product. AI is an amazing technology today, one that can create major shortcuts into the art world. But, be rest assured, it is a shortcut and has nothing to do with art or being an artist.

It can create backing music for you to practice your vocalizing skills, but if you present it as an original piece of musical art that "you" created, that is an untruth that you are unwilling to acknowledge. You are more of a poet or writer with background music. In theory, you are creating a melody, rhythmic vocal, or phrasing on top of generated music, but you would not have made that vocal without the generated music used to work from. You are still an artist, but it would not be fair to call yourself a musician if that is the full extent of your artistic contribution.

Final Thoughts

Light Up An Idea

Being a musician is a commitment to a disciplined skill and path. Be willing to learn and grow from wherever you start in your musical journey. It can indeed be at a "just for fun" level because there is still a commitment to learning to play songs you know and love. That is another form of musicianship. Having respect for that commitment is what earns you the badge of a musician.

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