Misunderstood musicians?

I hope it's no offence of what I'm gonna do here but here it goes...

Tera , if I'm not wrong you're currently taking grade 6 classical piano?

Serialninja , you play the violin and electric guitar right? I'm pretty sure you studied classical violin and took the exams right? As for the electric guitar , I guess there's no such thing as learning the electric guitar the classical way. So I guess you have been exposed to both worlds , the classical world and the contemperory world am I right?

Well just let you know , I use to think that you have to possess a grade 8 theory and practical cert to deserve the title of a musician. That was not until I took up the Jazz syllabus. Seriously man , it opened up a whole new dimension to me in how i defined music as. Music is not really much about theory although I must say theory helps you a lot. It's also all about personal self expression which I think the classical syllabus has neglected all these years. If a guitarist can improvise even if the only scales he knows are those below 2 sharps/flats , he still deserves the title of a musician nonetheless. You don't need to play in B major or G# minor to be a musician , if you get what I mean....

Yes those classical composers like Bach , Liszt , Chopin had the self expression of music in them which led to their masterpieces but it just that the classical syllabus emphasises so much on the works of these great composers , appreciating their works , studying their works , anything but emphasising on self expression of music.

Musician is all about self expression and I truely think that a kid in a primary school band can be called a musician as well.

Musicianship is a culture....
 
mu·si·cian - NOUN: One who composes, conducts, or performs music

not saying that the dictionary is the ultimate guide but it pretty sums what i think being a musician is :wink:

Even if it's an amateur who's just thought of a melody for a song, and slowly worked out the chords on his own without any sense of theory leading him. The end product is still a song, a very honest composition of how he felt and wanted to be expressed using the instrument of his choice. He's still a musician by my standard of definition
 
serialninja: do realize that in this free marketplace of ideas, every opinion has equal standing. We need not be dogmatic about this. No one here has a monopoly on definitions.
 
WHOA!!!!!

we know what your problem is.
you have a problem, yes you do.
you make us run.
you make us laugh.

how can we not appreciate you for that?
you make us feel like a child again.
to run and laugh.

problem : over-dissecting things and trying to make things right.

quit crowning the false king. you'd only make a fool of yourself.
 
Vaiyen said:
I second that. However, what exactly constitutes a musician?
Must one be able to play an instrument, write songs, or both? Are singers and musicians mutally exclusive? Cos I often hear them being mentioned separately.
It's a term which is much bandied around, but does not have a universally-agreed meaning.


sorry for quoting myself, but I would like to hear more people's take on this!
 
well a true musician beyond all the playing abilities has to get the message across to the listeners. it is gd to be able to play well but it isnt the most impt thing. :D
 
penta-tonic said:
a true musician

who's a more "true" musician then, someone like John Williams who only 'covers' classical pieces composed by the greats, or a 15 year old kid who has just composed his first 4-chord punk song with a message?

Interesting premise eh?
 
Vaiyen, musician for me is anyone who play music with or without any additional instrument or equipment.

see,, you can whistle a whole concerto.
 
sorry guys for getting so pedantic about this, just finished some tests, and my brain is still in overdrive, so......heheh
 
yes.

but there will be good musicians and excellent musicians.

:lol:
 
QUIT IT!

you are evil people.

all you do is negate.

classify and group.

what is wrong with you people?

who is better? who is not?

WHO CARES?????

do what you do and do it.
 
when comparing, must do the apple to apple thing lah.

let john and the kid arrange the same piece of music and see which sound better.

let john and the kid compose a 4 chord punk song and see which sound better.

emphibian, in discussion, we learn, improve and move on. dont worry lah, Vaiyen is just picking my brain.
 
ah but you see James, doing that will present a whole new conundrum.

"better" is always subjective. To flesh it out, some people might favour the punk song composed by John Williams, because of its technical and theoretical intricacies. However, some people might prefer the punk song composed by the kid, for its sheer raw-ness, passion and message.
Then, it will come down to what qualities are more valued in punk music. But no such consensus exists even among real punk-lovers!


It's a circular debate, this.
Sorry for rambling! haha!
 
he he he interesting thread ... never found this in other forums

well for me,

music is an expression ... just like talking ... we express ourselves in front of an audience just like a speaker ..

when performing a piece or playing a cover it is the same thing as dictating or reading aloud ... but even different person has different style and level of doing it.

Music theory are only tools to help you "express" yourselves better but not making you to be a musician.

well, how's that ....
 
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