Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
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So You Think You're A Real Musician Eh??? What Qualifies?
- Thread starter Rockmark
- Start date
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D
Deleted member 5962
Guest
There are so few who can pull it off when they get older like you and I.
Coop
That one guy
I dunno, I’ve received money for playing and got a scholarship for cello about a million years ago. Mostly I just dig playing music.
I had cello for dessert, once in the 70s.
I wear many hats, not at the same time of course because the hat I wear varies depending on the topic at hand.
There have been times where I played my drums, and people danced. I have at times confidently identified myself as a musician.
Other times I have confidently identified myself as any one of a number of different titles too.
There have been times where I played my drums, and people danced. I have at times confidently identified myself as a musician.
Other times I have confidently identified myself as any one of a number of different titles too.
Collywobbles
Border Collie
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2017
- Messages
- 485
So I'm am a musician after all
But tbh I've always thought of myself as a guitar player. Same as recently at a sailing event the signing-on paperwork stated something like that by participating the athlete gives this organiser rights to take and publish photograhs. At the time I though I'm a sailor not an 'athlete'.
So I'm am a musician after all
You can be an astronaut and a cowboy!
Once we realize that we have the freedom to use our multiple skills, and take them all just as seriously as we wish to, we have fewer limitations and greater possibilities.
P.S. It only took me a lifetime to figure this out.
Last edited:
D
Deleted member 5962
Guest
So I'm am a musician after all
I know these questions are often answered in different ways by different people. I've always said I was a "musician" because I am a "guitar player." I never felt it had to be a profession or I had to get paid. Especially when I knew I was much better than many guitar players I knew who did get paid. But the choice not to play in bars kept me from getting paid when I could have done so. So just the money has nothing to do with it.
On the "athlete" thing... When I was growing up and even up til just a few years ago, the difference in "sports" and "games" was that sports have a "defender." A person or persons who play defense. Games, you are playing against the course, the lane, the whatever, but nobody is "defending" you. So obviously, Baseball, football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, etc. where all "sports." And, bowling, golf, etc. were "games." I remember 15 or so years ago when the TV announcers started calling golf a sport and I remember more than one of my friends who played sports, commenting "when did golf become a sport?" Now, everyone calls it a sport, but 25 years ago I never heard it called a sport.
Some time in the last 20 years, they started calling basically EVERYTHING a sport. Even darts. Naturally it follows that the participants then start being called athletes. Please pardon my "sorry, just because people decide they want to be something and change the meaning of a word so they can" attitude, but playing golf, darts, bowling, etc. does not make you an athlete TO ME. In a more closed circle of buddies, I'd say more, but lets leave it at this... if it is the norm that you drink will playing something, it's a game, not a sport. If it's the norm that you can do this game and most of the participants are drinking along with you, playing that game doesn't make you an athlete. And yes, I understand that an athlete can drink and bowl, or drink and play golf. I've done both in the past. But I've never gotten on the basketball court, or tennis court while drinking, and the few times I had even a few beers while playing softball, I openly admit that it affected my performance negatively, and I never did it in serious or meaningful games. So, while some might find this offensive now (but it certainly was the norm 25 years ago) if I see people bowling, unless I know them to play other sports, I do not think "that guy is an athlete" because he's bowling.
Thank goodness I've mellowed with age on this subject though.
Rusty Chops
Geezer
50 years ago we had inter divisional ball games in the Navy. My division was usually stoned and/or drunk.
The referees loved us! We never disputed a call. We didn’t care. Just fun in the sun. Some anal-retentive types took those games far too seriously.
D
Deleted member 5962
Guest
So, if you are an athlete, sometimes it's hard to separate the sport from a "fun" game. Usually, an athlete isn't very good unless they have a very competitive nature, at least when on the field, court, etc. I have always been guilty of playing my absolute worst basketball, when playing with guys who weren't any good. I'd have to turn off the "serious" attitude, and doing that would make me nonchalant and I'd miss easy shots, not hustle, etc. Even when I did that though, if my team were losing, I'd make sure to get serious long enough to get us back in the lead. Hard to turn it off completely when you play competitively all the time.
By the same token, if you're talking about people who weren't good or didn't play serious ball, but would take those games like they were the end of the world, then yeah, I know what you mean. I've played with guys who weren't good in games that were not serious, and they'd be playing like it was game 7 of the playoffs. Like they were going to show you something. I'm usually amused by that, unless they start trash talking or something.
If they do that, then it's time to have some fun. Collywobbles
Border Collie
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2017
- Messages
- 485
I know these questions are often answered in different ways by different people. I've always said I was a "musician" because I am a "guitar player." I never felt it had to be a profession or I had to get paid. Especially when I knew I was much better than many guitar players I knew who did get paid. But the choice not to play in bars kept me from getting paid when I could have done so. So just the money has nothing to do with it.
On the "athlete" thing... When I was growing up and even up til just a few years ago, the difference in "sports" and "games" was that sports have a "defender." A person or persons who play defense. Games, you are playing against the course, the lane, the whatever, but nobody is "defending" you. So obviously, Baseball, football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, etc. where all "sports." And, bowling, golf, etc. were "games." I remember 15 or so years ago when the TV announcers started calling golf a sport and I remember more than one of my friends who played sports, commenting "when did golf become a sport?" Now, everyone calls it a sport, but 25 years ago I never heard it called a sport.
Some time in the last 20 years, they started calling basically EVERYTHING a sport. Even darts. Naturally it follows that the participants then start being called athletes. Please pardon my "sorry, just because people decide they want to be something and change the meaning of a word so they can" attitude, but playing golf, darts, bowling, etc. does not make you an athlete TO ME. In a more closed circle of buddies, I'd say more, but lets leave it at this... if it is the norm that you drink will playing something, it's a game, not a sport. If it's the norm that you can do this game and most of the participants are drinking along with you, playing that game doesn't make you an athlete. And yes, I understand that an athlete can drink and bowl, or drink and play golf. I've done both in the past. But I've never gotten on the basketball court, or tennis court while drinking, and the few times I had even a few beers while playing softball, I openly admit that it affected my performance negatively, and I never did it in serious or meaningful games. So, while some might find this offensive now (but it certainly was the norm 25 years ago) if I see people bowling, unless I know them to play other sports, I do not think "that guy is an athlete" because he's bowling.
Thank goodness I've mellowed with age on this subject though.
We recently had The English Bridge Union (Bridge being a card game…) legally challenge a decision by Sport England not to recognise it as a sport because it does not involve physical activity. It reached the High Court, which is our highest law court. That said at my sailing event some of the fleet were without doubt athletes. One of them did a talk on his pre-Olympic training. One part that amused me was when he mentioned being repeatedly towed out to sea at high speed for three miles so he could sail back in on a specific point of sail with the wind directly behind the boat. It was a bit like being a three-chord guitar slinger listening to John Petrucci or Steve Via talking about theory. He was without doubt an athlete.
dmatthews
Dave's not here
All the athlete in me is on my foot.
D
Deleted member 5962
Guest
Well, it stands to reason that you can't have athletes foot unless you are an athlete, right?All the athlete in me is on my foot.
dmatthews
Dave's not here
But I've never had musicians hand!
Hey, now I’m sorry I wasn’t in the Navy with you guys!
Rusty Chops
Geezer
Welp, the “Brown Water Navy” (later in my hitch) wasn’t quite as fun. Too many close by tracers for my taste.
That’d be a little too dicey for my taste, too.
Rusty Chops
Geezer
I’d rather play baseball, but at age 68 I’ll stick now to guitaring and jawin’.
Have I mentioned today how cool and refined I think PRS guitars are?
My used “Paul’s Guitar” might be the best guitar I’ve ever had.
At least, best for me now!
Have I mentioned today how cool and refined I think PRS guitars are?
My used “Paul’s Guitar” might be the best guitar I’ve ever had.
At least, best for me now!
I don't understand the question. Not what it is, but why it's being asked.
You are as much a musician as you want to be. I'm reminded of a poem I heard many years ago:
“If you want a thing bad enough to go out and fight for it,
to work day and night for it,
to give up your time, your peace and your sleep for it…
if all that you dream and scheme is about it,
and life seems cheap and useless without it…
if you gladly sweat for it, fret for it, plan for it
and lose all your terror of God or of man for it…
if you simply go after that thing you want
with all your capacity, strength and sagacity,
faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity…
if neither cold, poverty, famine, nor gout,
sickness nor pain, of body and brain,
can keep you away from the thing that you want…
if dogged and grim you beseech and beset it,
you'll get it!”
---Les Brown
So your question isn't "Am I a Musician?" Your question is, "Am I willing to pay the price to know?""
You are as much a musician as you want to be. I'm reminded of a poem I heard many years ago:
“If you want a thing bad enough to go out and fight for it,
to work day and night for it,
to give up your time, your peace and your sleep for it…
if all that you dream and scheme is about it,
and life seems cheap and useless without it…
if you gladly sweat for it, fret for it, plan for it
and lose all your terror of God or of man for it…
if you simply go after that thing you want
with all your capacity, strength and sagacity,
faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity…
if neither cold, poverty, famine, nor gout,
sickness nor pain, of body and brain,
can keep you away from the thing that you want…
if dogged and grim you beseech and beset it,
you'll get it!”
---Les Brown
So your question isn't "Am I a Musician?" Your question is, "Am I willing to pay the price to know?""
