How to Distinguish a True Musician

            If you were to  go out on the street and ask strangers for examples of musicians, it would become painfully clear how many people do not know what a musician is. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines a musician as a composer, player, or performer of music. To be correctly identified as a musician, a person should be able to do all three.

            The most important step in the making of any song is the composing of that song. A great performer could play a badly written song perfectly and still not be considered a musician. It is a sad fact that many of today’s pop stars such as Miley Cyrus, have a team of songwriters composing their songs. Some great composers include John Lennon of the Beatles and Mozart. While Lennon produces simple, yet catchy, songs, Mozart tends to write incredibly complex songs with dozens of instruments. They may write drastically differently, but nonetheless, are composers.

            It is hard to believe that many of today’s musicians fail to even play or sings the songs that they write (or have a team of writers write). How can one possibly be called a musician when they fail to play music? Some musicians can play many instruments while some cannot even play one. An example of a “musician” who cannot play his own music is T-Pain. He has never played a single instrument on a recording. Even his voice, which is sadly his instrument of choice, is completely distorted by auto-tune. Some examples of excellent players include the former guitarist of guitarist of Guns’n’Roses, Buckethead, as well as Rush’s drummer, Neil Peart. They both excel on their instrument of choice. Most importantly, however, they can actually play their music without any kind of special assistance such as auto tune.

            All of the music that musicians create is, after all, for the people. This is why to be considered a musician, you must be able to put on a show. In the case of rock bands or grand orchestras, a musician’s ability to perform can be measured in how exciting and engaging their solos are. The ability to engage the audience in live shows is essential to anybody who claims to be a musician. A person who stands in the middle of a stage and plays a great song  with perfect accuracy will not get a good reaction from the audience unless they show their passion for what they do. One performer in particular, Carlos Santana, lets his listeners hear the passion he puts into his songs. From every bend, palm mute, and solo of his, you can feel the musician’s passion. Another great example of a performer is Lady Gaga. She litters her stage with props and literally puts on a show every time she performs.

            One who can compose magnificent masterpieces isn’t a musician. One who can only play their instrument with perfect accuracy isn’t a musician. A person who can only perform a song well isn’t a musician. A musician is a very rare breed. It is a word that describes someone who has mastered all aspects of music. A musician has to be able to compose great songs, play their instrument wit great accuracy, and engage their audience in live performances. Very few people in the world are worthy of the title of musician. Some of these people include Billy Joel and Joe Satriani. They can write great songs, play them flawlessly, and engage their audiences in live performances. The musician is truly a rare breed.