Klarinet Archive - Posting 000429.txt from 2001/07
From: Shouryunus Sarcasticii <jnohe@-----.Edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Another musician honoured!
Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2001 18:14:52 -0400
On Sun, 15 Jul 2001, Anne Lenoir wrote:
> Frank, What is narrow-minded about remarking about the difference
> between commercial success and artistic success?
Then perhaps you might consider changing your terminology...May I suggest
my point of view? The etymology of musician is quite simply, "music
person." It does not entail a level of ability or skill.
I don't think it's possibly to deny that the Beatles, or whomever you
choose to name were indeed MUSIC PERSONS. If you don't think they were
particular good music persons, then you say, "bad musicians." People use
terms like that all the time. To say that they were not GOOD or MERITABLE
people of music is one thing...to say that there was NO music at all is a
far stretch.
In turn, what you insist on calling a musician, I call an ARTIST. I
believe that not all music is art, that is, art defined as expression.
To me, not all musicians are artists...and this may be the line you are
trying to draw (and then again, it may not). It is often the line I draw
when I tell people I don't particularly care for so-and-so's work. I
usually get the response that, "Oh, but can't you hear how well
he/she/they sing?"
"Sure - great musical talent, I won't deny. Good musician...lousy artist.
Tell me, what is it that so-and-so has to say?"
This response from me is usually met with confusion - people attatch the
word artist so freely, not realizing that an artist has a point of
expression. A musician, however, can be just about anything - an
entertainer, an artist, a teacher, a poor old accordian player sitting on
the corner of the street, or a pro opera singer who's never really
expressed anything of their own.
So, here you see, I have two particular lines I draw...a musician is a
musician is a musician...but there are good musicians and bad musicians.
(And okay, mediocre ones. Like me.)
And then there are also artists.
Personally, do I think the Beatles as artists? Yes. They weren't ALWAYS.
But there were times when they DID have something to say...and they said
it. That's just how I feel. Maybe they weren't great musicians (they
weren't always bad ones), but to me, never the less, they were still music
people.
J. Shouryu Nohe
http://web.nmsu.edu/~jnohe
Professor of SarCaSM102, New Mexico State Univ.
"I think we have a ghost in our house." - Kaycee Nicole
"I should probably be playing Buffet." - Steve Moore
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