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I guess I am kind of hardcore on this!

I don't think talent really plays a role; that's part of whether you are a good or bad musician. It's the devotion to the art form, making it your life rather than a hobby, even a serious hobby. I have a lot of respect for those who devote their life to something, particularly an art form, which rarely leads to lucrative employment. If you devote your life's work to it, you are a musician. I realize the term can be used very differently, and very legitimately in different ways, by different people. This is only how I use it.

Part of this probably grows out of the small amount of guilt I have when I play a gig. Am I worthy of playing the gig, yes. Do people really enjoy what I do; yes. I get great feedback. But I know how hard it is for so many "true" musicians in our town to get consistent gigs that I always feel (a little bit) like they should be there instead of me.

My therapy session is now over.

I hear you. And I can't say I feel different. I compensate by hiring "real musicians" in my band. I'm the wannabe. They need the money. But I get them the gigs. So for that, I get to "play" and they get the "pay".

The venue has to refer to us collectively as musicians, in any case, like "you musicians are awful", "we don't feed the musicians", "we can only give a small pay to the musicians", "you jazz musicians need to play some rock and roll", "you musicians ought to be glad you're playing here" ...and so on...

So a musician is a service provider. Kinda like house maids, custodians, street cleaners, etc. That way they don't have to refer to us as "Hey you---use the employee back entrance".

(and the above isn't that far from the truth...)

Last gig I played was a charity event (for free) and the venue first asked us to provide an insurance certificate. While they eventually waived the requirement, I was thinking: Hey don't you know I'm not really a musician?

Isn't it much like the term "expert"?

If you give yourself the label, you sound like an insufferable blowhard. You just have to wait for someone else to give you the label, which is completely subjective of course!

"insufferable blowhard" just makes me laugh!

I'm not hoping to be a musician, I just want to avoid being an insufferable blowhard!

I think that's it!

It happens when you accept that you are a musician and allow yourself to be one without comparing yourself to how good someone else is. It's when you do your own thing and walk your own path and share something of your own through music.

Hi,



As I see it, this definition, maybe a bit oversimplified, fits in well.

Then there are pros and amateurs, but a pro is someone that makes money doing an activity, an amateur is someone who does something for pleasure or hobby. It (pro or amateur) can be applied to musicians, runners, painters, farmers, etc.

A musician is someone who plays music. A pro musician is someone who gets paid for playing music. An amateur musician is someone who plays as a hobby.

Then there are good pro musicians, bad pro musicians, good amateur musicians, bad amateur musicians. It's possible for an amateur musician to be a lot better than some pro musicians, bad usually pro musicians tend to be better than amateurs (so somebody will pay them for hearing how they play).

So I am an amateur musician (I play piano music and nobody is going to pay for hearing me to play). I am not amongst the good ones. I am not even near the good ones (in case of doubt my teacher can corroborate that). At least I hope not to be an insufferable blowhard, but I am not the one who has to judge it. Up to know my neighbours are not complaining when I play so that proves that I have achieved that... or at least that my apartment is sound-proof

This is my view on the subject... but sometimes semantics are tricky and there are multiple uses for the same words.

Regards,
Kurt.-

Just curious
Would there be such thing as a sufferable blowhard?

To me, music is a form of communication. A universal one. It's a form of communication that can clearly express true emotions and meaning through the input and expression of the performer.

So, in a sense, a good musician is similar to a good communicator in that there message has to be sent and (hopefully), accurately received.

Whatever musical message you want to send is up to you. How it gets received is usually dependent on how it was sent which will usually go back to the transmission (the performance) to begin with.

So what does this all mean you ask??,....well nothing. I'm just screwing around.

The real answer is so simple. Without over thinking this, if others enjoy your playing, then your playing is music to there ears.

Now let's eat!

Perhaps... i.e. a blowhard who is unpleasant, but marginally tolerable

in·suf·fer·a·ble/inˈsəf(ə)rəbəl/
Adjective:
Too extreme to bear; intolerable.
Having or showing unbearable arrogance or conceit

blow·hard/ˈblōˌhärd/
Noun:
A person who blusters and boasts in an unpleasant way.

I am finding it absolutely hilarious that you have made this your sig line.

Of course, I find myself in a job interview the other day and I am asked regarding a particular area of my experience: "would you consider yourself an expert?"...

Ummmm... uhhh... "Yes, I guess so" was my bumbling answer. Rather than professionally conveying my opinion that saying so of myself would make me sound like an insufferable blowhard, I instead said the exact opposite of what I think people should say in order to demonstrate having a modicum of humility.

Arrrrrrghhhh!!!

Typical musician, never think they're good enough.