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Hobbyists -vs- Real Musicians?
- Thread starter MultiScaleMale
- Start date
Can't help but dig the irony of people committing time theft at their non-musical day job while arguing whether they're a musician.
Just sayin' in general, no need to respond lest ye doth protest too much.
The vast majority of "musicians" cant afford all this gear or to "talk" music all day.
Just sayin' in general, no need to respond lest ye doth protest too much.
The vast majority of "musicians" cant afford all this gear or to "talk" music all day.
I play a lot of golf...I even make some money here and there...I surely am not a pro...Same with bass...I play in a cover band with a bunch of other dudes in their 50's...we make a little money...(key word being little)...point is I'm not a pro golfer or a pro musician...but I am a golfer...and I am a musician 
....no need to be so hard on ourselves...life is short.
....no need to be so hard on ourselves...life is short.Awesome!
But buying strings is definitely not punk. A real musician would know that.
I can hold my own on the bass. Even know a fair amount of theory. I've done a couple of hundred paid gigs in my "illustrious career". People, including my wife have referred to me as a musician and I'd be like, "nah, this is just my hobby".
Call yourself whatever you want. At the end of the day it means nothing.
I really wanted to be a successful musician so i play Bass. I guess there is a HUGE difference in definition between your successful and mine.
I eat Ramens. I have Ramen recipes. I am real a musician.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Musicians play music - simple as that. Mozart made lots of his money giving lessons to the King's court. Ron Carter gives bass lessons. Lots of great musicians struggling to pay rent or get jobs, and lots of people with not much but looks driving in limos.
Etc.
Etc.
Hobbyists -vs- Real Musicians
I'm not sure what this means. To me, anyone who can play a musical instrument with a degree of proficiency is a "real musician", even if they're not a full time professional musician. But then, what does "professional" mean? Is it that music is your main "pay the bills" income, or that you make more money from music than you spend on it, or just that you've been paid at least once for a gig?
I know a handful of professional musicians for whom it's their only job. Most of them don't earn very much from it; enough to pay rent, keep the lights on, put food on the table and gas in the car. Some of them are very well known by national standards but they'll never earn as much as I do in my office job. Most were in bands playing original material back in the 70s and 80s but they're pretty much all doing covers now, or backing guys who were singers in bands in the 70s and 80s, playing the songs the singer sang back then, so still covers from the guitarist/keyboard player/drummer's perspective.
I know a lot of hobbyists; I'd classify myself as one. People who gig once or twice a week, and make enough money to fund our hobby and a bit more, but it's not paying our bills. None of us are known as musicians outside of our circle of friends or a few interested patrons in the clubs and bars we play regularly. We're doctors, university lecturers, business analysts, human resources advisors, IT solutions architects... We're mostly in cover bands, but might play a few originals. Many of the guys I play with are better musicians than the full time pros I know. We do it because we love music and enjoy spending time with like minded individuals. And with no egos or dramas, etc. these guys are a lot more fun to play with.
I'm not sure what this means. To me, anyone who can play a musical instrument with a degree of proficiency is a "real musician", even if they're not a full time professional musician. But then, what does "professional" mean? Is it that music is your main "pay the bills" income, or that you make more money from music than you spend on it, or just that you've been paid at least once for a gig?
I know a handful of professional musicians for whom it's their only job. Most of them don't earn very much from it; enough to pay rent, keep the lights on, put food on the table and gas in the car. Some of them are very well known by national standards but they'll never earn as much as I do in my office job. Most were in bands playing original material back in the 70s and 80s but they're pretty much all doing covers now, or backing guys who were singers in bands in the 70s and 80s, playing the songs the singer sang back then, so still covers from the guitarist/keyboard player/drummer's perspective.
I know a lot of hobbyists; I'd classify myself as one. People who gig once or twice a week, and make enough money to fund our hobby and a bit more, but it's not paying our bills. None of us are known as musicians outside of our circle of friends or a few interested patrons in the clubs and bars we play regularly. We're doctors, university lecturers, business analysts, human resources advisors, IT solutions architects... We're mostly in cover bands, but might play a few originals. Many of the guys I play with are better musicians than the full time pros I know. We do it because we love music and enjoy spending time with like minded individuals. And with no egos or dramas, etc. these guys are a lot more fun to play with.
I’ve wrestled with this myself. I was pro for many years - that’s how I earned my living. I realised along the way that in my old age I would need somewhere to settle and preferably not pay rent so I became semi-pro and worked during the day. Bank managers don’t give musicians a mortgage. Now I’m retired from day work and I still play but not always for money. I never stopped being a musician. I just changed the circumstances in which I played. A musician is someone who plays a musical instrument with proficiency. A professional musician is someone who does it for a living.
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Seeing your avatar made this whole thread worth it for me.
If one plays music, they are a musician.
TL;DR but liked anyways.
No TL;DR -- an easy read.
I think if I am making good music, then I am a musician. It's not relative to anyone else and what they are doing. If I am getting paid to be a musician, I am a musician, even if by other people's standards my music isn't as good as they think it should be. These types of convos are like debates about whether jazz or p-bass is better, Fender or Squier, EUB or other kinds of basses, etcetera.
Shut up and play!
P.S. This post also makes me a published writer.
P.S. This post also makes me a published writer.
Finally some clarity, real musicians play Fenders. Thread over.
It means nothing to you , which is fair enough. The words being discussed actually do have meanings. You appear to be a semi-professional musician. Call yourself whatever you want, at the end of the day you're still a semi-pro musician.
And this whole time I thought I was reading the opinion of a pro who judged others not worthy. Rather, we were seeing a self-assessment projected outward.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
I have a day job and sleep inside. I'm not a real musician. Besides, I am a bass player, so just a person who likes to hang out with musicians.
