This is a debate that I always love bringing up with people time and time again, and that is the question as to whether or nor electronic composers really are musicians. Now for me the definition of a musician is someone who plays an instrument or sings. If you think about it though, most people producing electronic producers these days are doing neither. They really fall more into the category of a composer:

A composer (latin com+ponere, literally “one who puts together”) is a person who creates music, usually by musical notation, for interpretation and performance.

via Wikipedia

There are of course all of the other musical forms out there as well such as entertainers, instrumentalists, vocalists, etc. Neither is inherently better than the other but there is a definite distinction between the different categories and I think it is important for people to identify themselves properly. Frank Sinatra for example was quite clearly an entertainer, but that doesn’t lessen his accomplishments or talent at all.

Taking this thought a step further though a whole other side of the discussion begs to question whether anyone can be classified as a musician or composer. With the prevalence and easy access of music composition tools these days, does anyone who has a cracked copy of FL Studio on their computer earn the right to call themselves composers or musicians? At what point or level of accomplishment (if any) can you define yourself has a musician or composer? There is certainly a level of student in all of us as we continue to learn and improve ourselves in this craft. Perhaps the level that you can call yourselve a musician is only reached when your fell peers identify you as one.

Anyone care to weigh in on the debate?