Musician??

I had horrible experiences with piano lessons as a lad. Painful just about every way: teacher, parents, recitals.

I now try to play piano and still feel intimidated by it. And yeah, I can read music okay.

I am okay with being called a musician, though, since I played guitar and sang with a local rock band. I figure, after they've invited you to do a gig and have paid you a few times, you can call yourself a musician!
 
I guess it depends how we define "musician."

I have friends who are professional musicians, playing in top rated orchestras. I don't have their ability, knowledge, & innate gifts. They have worked long & hard to be able to play like they do.

I do enjoy playing music on my ukulele, though. Some days go better than others. But even if I'm just strumming a chord, I'm making music. It's a hobby, & I don't plan on ever playing for others. But I don't think it's wrong to say I'm a musician. Maybe it just needs a qualifier? Amateur musician? Casual musician? Beginning musician? But on a good day, I am creating music, & I think that makes me a musician.
 
I had horrible experiences with piano lessons as a lad. Painful just about every way: teacher, parents, recitals.

I now try to play piano and still feel intimidated by it.!

Yoy're not alone with this. When I was a youngster, I took piano lessons. The teacher used to regularly hit us, so if you made a mistake, you got hit. She had other random reasons for hitting us. I have no desire to play keyboards now. My sister lost all interest in music. I just lost interest in piano/keyboards, but fortunately, (thanks to my dad), didn't completely lose interest in music.
 
A young resonably well known in the UK actor once rebuked me for calling him a celebrity.....he said "dont call me that, I'm an actor, thats my job..."
 
That is so true. A few years ago I said something to a fellow that he took personally and it infuriated him so that called me bald. That was the best he could do. I feigned a level of offense to it that I hoped would assuage his anger. I suppose being called bald is worse than being called a musician.

At least he didn't call you a bald musician, that would really hurt! :D
 
If you play music and it moves people, that would qualify you as a musician. If you play music and you understand something about how music works, that would make you a musician. If you have a ukulele collection and strum and hum for your own fun I would agree that's a gray area. I used to think I just play the ukulele, but now I claim to be a musician who happens to play the ukulele. I am an intermediate player. I can hold my own with "real musicians." They are usually surprised. Some still reject the idea that a ukulele is an instrument worthy of playing with other instruments, especially guitars. It took a lot of recognition from other people and other musicians for me to be comfortable, and still I usually say I play music rather than I am a musician. But I would like to declare right here "I am a musician." Just sayin'
 
At least he didn't call you a bald musician, that would really hurt! :D
That is a good one. I'm not at all offended at being called a musician. This is the second time I've been called a musician. I just thought that it is interesting. Perhaps a am a bit sensitive to labels, maybe unreasonably so at times, and being referred to as one gave me pause to think about it more than necessary. I know that some people really identify with the ukulele. I know that when I retired the biggest struggles were with identity. For thirty years my identity was defined buy my career, and when I lost that I sort of became a nobody. After a while I got used to that. I really really don't want to be something at this time, maybe that is the real issue for me here. But my point is, to me musician is an identity. It defines who a person is. It is like tee shirts. A lot of people wear their tee shirts to make a statement. I can see me in a tee shirt that has "Musician" pasted across the front of it to tell everyone who I am. So I guess it has to do with identity. What is the difference between a guy who plays the ukulele, and a musician who plays a ukulele? I would say that the difference is identity. One is defined by their passion, the other is not. I'm getting a bit philosophical here I guess and I don't mean to make it into more than it is. I just thought that it would be fun to talk about. I'm kind of an introspective person in my old age.
 
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I’m getting close to retirement & I can relate to the identity thing. I’ve been a pediatric nurse for 38 years, and giving up that identity will be weird. Maybe I’m lucky that I found the ukulele & making music before I retire, so I can get comfortable with the “musician” identity ahead of time. I play for myself, for friends & family, in ukulele groups, and at church. I suppose that qualifies as a musician? At least in my heart & soul it feels that way.

As far as the ukulele being a “real” instrument, I was super nervous about that when I approached the members of the worship band at church about joining them. How would they react? Would they scoff at my ukulele? Happily, they welcomed me with open arms. They like the sparkle that my uke brings. I was kind of intimidated about my lack of formal musical training, but I have a good ear & a good sense of tempo. Now I’m not hesitant to offer suggestions when something doesn’t sound right.
 
I have many friends who make their living as musical performers, aka "Musicians". None of them self-refer as "musician", but all call each other musicians.

They've called me a musician, too.

I often refer to myself as a "retired firefighter/paramedic". I'm also a retired Starbucks Barista. Funny thing, when I'm in a conversation with firefighters or paramedics, I'm always included, the word "retired" never comes up - from any of the others. When we had an engine come to the school I was working at last week, the crew kept calling me by my old rank, and telling the kids that I had trained them, and they wouldn't be where they were without me. And I've been retired over 14 years... I walk into a Starbucks where the staff knows me, and they start asking questions about coffee and how to fix things - even the managers do it.

And if I'm around a group of musicians, if they know me, I often get asked if I have my uke with me, and sometimes get invited to sit in. That never happened when I played guitar. Someone who I started listening to when I was in High School, 40+ years ago, recently asked me to show her how I did a blues turnaround on a ukulele, because she coulnd't figure it out. After I showed her, she told me to call her any time I had any questions, "because that's what musicians do for each other".

Yeah, I'm just guy who plays the ukulele - but I'm also happy to join the "musician" club.
 
Music is organized noise. Once in a while I stumble into making music.

Great quote! :D:shaka::D I stumble upon it once in a while myself...
 
Musician schmusician . . . What’s in a name? Do only “musicians” play well?

Yes! because if they play well, they are musicians, at least by my definition... methinks you're looking at it backwards. :)

bratsche
 
Well, my point was that labels don’t matter. If one loves to play or sing music he/she is a musician. Perhaps not a great or even good one, but, none the less, a musician. Just as a person who writes books or stories is a writer, and one who paints or draws or models clay is an artist.

I tried to refrain from joining this thread because I thought it was inane. But I am a writer and a musician, and so I guess I got sucked in.

I’m gonna go practice one of my instruments now and make some music—such as it is. :eek:ld:
 
The Oxford English Dictionary describes a 'musician' as:

musician /mjuːˈzɪʃ(ə)n /
▸ noun a person who plays a musical instrument, especially as a profession, or is musically talented.
– DERIVATIVES
musicianly adjective
– ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French musicien, from Latin musica (see music).

So, in my humble opinion, that means ALL of us here.
 
Rolli, I know your story and personal ukulele "playing" journey so I understand where you are coming from. Most of us that stumbled onto the ukulele as our first musical instrument and are basically self taught don't feel "professional". I associate musician with someone who knows music theory, all the scales and modes, can sit down and jam with anybody in any key.

I like that definition of a musician because it describes me. However I have to say that I am a crappy musician because my theory and modes and jamming is somewhat patchy and less than fluid. That being said, it is obvious that being a musician and being someone who plays the ukulele are different paths instead of the two being on the same path (viz., that a musician is the advanced player, or that the player is a remedial musician). The upshot of that is the acknowledgement that the person who plays the ukulele might be further down his or her path than a musician. Being a musician is a philosophical stance and I know this because when I first arrived here I suffered a bit from culture shock. I was used to hanging out with musicians and I didn't feel that support here. Instead there were tabs and tutorials, and people who could play the ukulele excellently.

So being a musician isn't about quality; it is about how you approach the task.
 
Being a musician is a philosophical stance and I know this because when I first arrived here I suffered a bit from culture shock. I was used to hanging out with musicians and I didn't feel that support here. Instead there were tabs and tutorials, and people who could play the ukulele excellently.

So being a musician isn't about quality; it is about how you approach the task.

I'll agree, with reservations; I don't read notation, or tab, and don't pay attention to tutorials. If I can hear it in my head, I can usually play it. I start with the melody, and everything else follows.

But when I came to UU, all I got was support. People seemed to go out of their way to be encouraging. I've met some people here who have become great friends - some of whom I've never met in person. I haven't done any videos in a while, and keep getting asked when I'm going to start doing that again. That's the UU family, and the culture I've come to expect here. (And, like all families, there are some jerks and worse on occasion. But family, nonetheless.)

-Kurt​
 
Someone called me a musician last night. I don't feel like a musician, I feel like a ukulele player.

Interesting thread. To me the term ‘Musician’ implies a higher degree of competence and mastery of music theory and practice than ‘Player’. I play the Ukulele and a few other instruments, I make music but can’t see that that makes me a musician (well not at the level of skill that I have) though there might be times when it’s simplest to describe me as one.

All occupations and pastimes have varying levels of skills within them. To my mind a book keeper isn’t an accountant as the later has to have much higher level skills, similarly a fitter assembling an aircraft isn’t an aircraft engineer as the later has much higher technical skills and accreditation. IMHO there are ‘players’ some of who are on the path to becoming a ‘musican’ - I’m on that path but it’s very long, I walk slow and mostly I’ve stopped to rest and admire the view.

Edit.
Cambridge Dictionary : https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/musician
Musician = ‘someone who is skilled in playing music, usually as a job’
 
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