Are DJs Musicians?

[Gravedigger Dav]

The DJ is the dweb with no social skills that works the record player at a party because he doesn't have a girlfriend.
I can't understand why people think they are even worth of note.

 

[darkbass]

DJs are not musicians like musicians are not DJs

 

[Bassist30]

So anyone making electronic music in is not a musician? That's probably discounts about half of the music makers over the 100 years since Musique concrete.

Like the Great Bassist Mr Anthony Jackson said, I rather be buried than have a machine outdo me.

 

[mikew31]

Seems to me that many DJs, by definition, are musicians. (Obviously not the dude sitting in the corner with a CD player at your cousin's wedding pushing play all night)

From Merriam-Webster:
Definition of musician
: a composer, conductor, or performer of music

From Cambridge English Dictionary
musician
someone who is skilled in playing music, usually as a job:

From Dictionary.com:
a person who makes music as a profession, especially as a performer of music.

From Wikipedia:
A musician is a person who plays a musical instrument or is musically talented.[1] Anyone who composes, conducts, or performs music is referred to as a musician.[2] A musician who plays a musical instrument is also known as an instrumentalist.

 

[Paul New]

Times change, but some things remain the same. A producer is still a producer, a musician is still a musician, a disc jockey is still a disk jockey.

 

[Hypocrite]

If being a DJ qualifies as being a musician, then I'm an authorised electrician just because I can change a lightbulb.

 

[davec]

I know that a musician can become a DJ. But, does being a DJ somehow make someone a musician?

My oldest daughter told me a friend of hers is a wonderful musician. When I asked whether her friend was an instrumentalist or vocalist, she gave me the "Dad, you're such an old fart" look and grumpily replied, "He's a DJ; DJ's are musicians."

OK, I'm an old retired guy, and my daughters frequently roll their eyes when I ask such questions, but - are DJs now considered musicians?

Does Berklee have a DJ major? Do folks now conflate being a DJ with being a musician?

It really depends on the DJ; if they are simply playing tracks, no. If they are mixing beats, changing the tracks, yes about as much as a cover musician is. If the DJ is sampling and making beats and creating something new yes, most DJ’s who fall in this category can play a traditional musical instrument as well.
for reference I’m a 49 year old father of 4 that doesn’t really care for electronic music.

 

[Aragrim]

no and they will never be!
they are lazy because first they brought 50 kilo's on vinyls with them and now they bring 2 freaking usb sticks...
they have cdplayers that mixes and matches the db's for them.
they make a mix at home and just jump up and down to impress the ladies...
no no NO!

 

[Joma3]

I think the problem is people read this question and picture the guy at a wedding or bar stealing their gigs... Is a DJ, a person playing songs back to back all night, a musician? No...though it does require some skill to be good at it. But is a DJ, a person creating new music out of samples and various sounds, a musician? Sure...they're making music. I may or may not care for it, but if I have to like it for you to be a musician, there are a lot of fantastically talented players out there that aren't musicians.

 

[Liam Wald]

Like the old joke about the guy who is asked if he is a musician and he responds, "Yes, definitely I am a musician. I can play the radio!"

 

[neurotictim]

There's some serious gatekeeping going on in this thread.

A lot of gatekeepers in this thread.

These, +1000. As I read it, the original question was meant to imply a "DJ" is someone that does more than arrange songs on a laptop for weddings or whatever. I wouldn't object to a clearer demarcation between them and the content creators, but I digress.

If I said a guy who knows NOTHING about theory (knowledge/education) but plays an instrument isn't a musician, I'd get flamed. If I said that people who play in cover bands (originality/songwriting) but don't write aren't musicians, I'd get flamed. If I said that a keyboard player (using premade sounds) wasn't a musician, I'd get flamed.

More importantly, if someone said that I wasn't a musician because I don't fit their arbitrary definition of the word, I'd tell them where to put that opinion. Does the DJ consider him/her/them self to be a musician? Cool. Easy. Does it matter if I consider them to be musicians? Nope.

YMMV and all that.

 

[andruca]

My musical life is almost 100% circumscribed to rock musicians. I use to say I know more artists amongst engineers than amongst such musicians, and I think that summarizes my opinion about it. IDK where the limits of being a musician are nor who could be so arrogant to define such limits. I definitely think there's art in "recycling" other people's works to make something new. If the newly created piece is still music, well, I guess the creator can be considered a musician too. The premise of this thread sounds childishly pharisaic to me, sorry.

 

[bass12]

Are percussionists musicians? I used to DJ. I also used to study conga and bongo playing. When working on various scratch/cross fader techniques the process was pretty much the same as when I would work on drum techniques.

 

[Liam Wald]

Turntables can be and are used as instruments.

So can coconuts, spoons and farts.

 

[superheavyfunk]

One asks a controversial question in a forum that is mostly frequented by self-proclaimed "old farts," whose favourite subjects revolve around rehashing conversations about long dead bass players (Jaco is the greatest ever!!) and tired old manufacturers (Leo got it right the first time!!) and expects a reasoned discussion about a brand new instrument that only gained mainstream acceptance in the last 15-20 years? Lol

DJs can absolutely be musicians, in the same way that many of the "bassists" around here are absolutely not. If your rationale against a DJ being a musician is that they aren't creating their own music, then I hope you're also eliminating cover bands, most jazz and classical cats, and most likely yourself... At least, if your goal is to be fair and not just have a circle jerk of confirmation bias.

Anyway, I have a list of DJs who are absolutely musicians and significantly more creative than most artists in recent years, imo. Here are just a few, for those of you that are willing to broaden your horizons: DJ Premier, Kid Koala, DJ Shadow, Mr. Scruffs, Blockhead, Amon Tobin, Coldcuts.

 

[Mark Ambler]

We need Oscars for (movie) projectionists!

I would say that with sampling, loops, etc, DJs are taking on a role not dissimilar to electronic 'music' producers, but that doesn't make either of them musicians. It's just a different 'skill', like it or loathe it.

 

[madjazzbass]

Hell No! ... And that goes for "DJ Kahlid" too! FOH!!

 

[TuneIn]

First response from Google says - A DJ is simply someone who plays pre-recorded music to an audience… that's it. Just like a photographer is simply someone who takes still pictures with a camera. ... DJs can be musicians, they are just not musicians inherently.

But really -

 

[thetragichero]

man i thought the Billie Eilish threads were the epitome of OK Boomer but i guess this one takes the cake

 

[evenintheshower]

Sorry, but I have to say no. Arrangers? Yes. Programmers? Yes. Creators? Sure. Musicians? No. I love the comparison to running around gathering famous New York City restaurants' food and then presenting those items as one's own.