Are DJs Musicians?

[superheavyfunk]

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

There's a reason this forum is known as TalkBoomer around the net

 

[Bikingbasser]

I liken DJs to audio engineers and record producers. They're talented, and know a craft that can get to the level of art. They are often musicians that play an instrument, but are known for (re)mixing.

 

[OptimalOptimus]

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.

you nailed it

 

[Hot Rats]

"Look at what a artist I am. I have taken pieces of all these Picasso paintings and glued them to this big canvas."

 

[AgostoMortal]

 

[OptimalOptimus]

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.

to be all of those you need an ear... a musical ear and see the big picture ...

Which to me is far more a musician than the so called musician who play cover in dive bar

 

[SteveHeissner]

If the DJ can play a musical instrument(s) at a reasonable level of proficiency (say, good enough to play paying gigs) then he or she is a musician.

 

[rohi]

No.

I also have very pointed opinions regarding people who heavily rely on samples. Don't get me started

 

[TuneIn]

"Look at what a artist I am. I have taken pieces of all these Picasso paintings and glued them to this big canvas."

Oh boy, oh boy, can I get a ticket to the next show?...hahaha.. no

 

[DrMole]

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.

The always implied slams on cover musicians- i find troubling. The majority of orchestras are loaded with the highest-trained musicians on the planet and most
of them are playing covers- that someone else wrote, albeit 100-400 years ago.
There may be new compositions( not written by the first violinist nor the bass section) but Mozart and Beethoven, et al
pay the bills.

 

[superheavyfunk]

you nailed it

When ppl go out of their way to start threads like this and say things like "I know I'm an old fart but..." Then you know it's just gonna be grampa simpson yelling at clouds. All a reasonable person can do is try to point it out and walk away

 

[andruca]

There's a reason this forum is known as TalkBoomer around the net

I hate the "OK boomer" mindset (they have a level of merit yet to be equaled by further generations) but loved your joke and you really have a point regarding this thread (and many alike). I've heard DJs with a level of musicianship and overall artistry most "real" musicians I've played with (or just plain old me for the case) won't ever achieve.

 

[friedlbug]

67.7% of respondents don’t know the difference between a live set and a DJ set. Seriously, if you have to look that up, you probably should have before commenting.

You realize that we’re a group of bass guitarists throwing around stereotypes, right? Can you imagine a bunch of people who produce music from oscillators and filters lumping you in with, oh I don’t know, Gene Simmons as a musician? I know we don’t all play like Gene Simmons, but they don’t all play MP3s at parties, either.

 

[bass12]

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.

Well, we know the direction hip-hop-oriented threads usually end up going here on TB. The TB demographic is largely on the conservative side, musically speaking. But I have no doubt that these kinds of threads do open a few eyes to some different music - and possibly even some new ways of looking at music.

 

[DrMole]

I hate the "OK boomer" mindset (they have a level of merit yet to be equaled by further generations) but loved your joke and you really have a point regarding this thread (and many alike). I've heard DJs with a level of musicianship and overall artistry most "real" musicians I've played with (or just plain old me for the case) won't ever achieve.

As NOT a boomer- I still find "OK, Boomer" to be the weakest of replies.

At least "Your Mom" jokes are funny- always

 

[Yango]

Nope. In my opinion a DJ is a DJ, not a musician.

 

[JaseOfBase]

I don’t know the last time I went out and saw a DJ perform as only a curator of a playlist. They typically are mixing by key, BPM, and my favorite word play between songs.

Who is a musician anyways? According to the dictionary it is, “a person who plays a musical instrument, especially as a profession, or is musically talented.”

Manipulating anything to create a sound is considered musical...right? A drummer pounding on drums is a musician. Is someone who sings a musician? Yes? No? What about the person playing buckets on the street? How about the person tapping on controller pads to trigger and manipulate sounds and music like the musicians connected to DJ Tech Tools?

 

[DeltaPhoenix]

There isn't an answer in the poll that applies to all DJs.

An old school turntablist has different set of skills from someone who launches Clips they may or may not have made in Ableton versus someone playing tunes that they have curated and their focus is on getting people dancing AND there are so many other variations of what people do that can be called DJing. What about so-called Beat Makers using a DAW and samples to create a new beat, bass line, keyboard or Symphonic chord stabs or pads and lead melody? Are they musicians or composers, is there a difference between those two? They didn't truly "Perform" the part but they did write the part.

If someone remixes a track, what they do can be considered being a musician, composer or maybe not. Depends on their process and inspiration.

I think being a DJ blurs the line between being a music lover, being musically inclined and being a musician with the possibility of having some composing skills because they do follow some sort of song structure.

 

[Lagado]

What about the person playing buckets on the street?

I don't suppose you threw anything in the bucket did you? I've been up against it lately.

 

[stringthrough]

Interesting. So, in my high school chemistry class where we were in a science lab, had to wear ppe and mixing chemicals and observing reactions along with my teacher wasn’t “performing experiments”?

There are experiments and there are experiments. The ones in a high school lab are meant to demonstrate an understood reaction/ phenomenon and to give students a sense of what it's like to perform chemistry experiments. A chemist doing research experiments is trying to formulate new compounds or gain a better understanding of chemical reactions, etc. There is a big difference. (P.S. I was a pro chemist for a brief time after college.)