Definition of Professional Musician

E

Ed Dixon

New member
To help settle a local discussion, what would others here consider a definition for a professional musician (like bass, guitar, keyboard, singer, drummer, etc).

What other categories of musicians would also be normally recognized that would be one or more notches below that of a professional?

Ed
 
i heard from someone a year or so ago that if you've been paid for playing music, then you are a professional musician. that may or may not be true.
 
I would think that if one gets paid to perform music, that makes one a professional musician.

I would label myself as one if the earnings from playing contributed some noticeable amount to my overall earnings. So I have been a professional musician in the past, but I would not call myself one now.
 
My thoughts are along the following lines:

1. Professional - One who makes the vast majority of their income from performing music. Example: studio musician, touring band member, pop star, etc.

2. Semi-pro. One who occasionally gets paid on a fairly regular basis to play, but that the majority of their income is from other sources. Example: Weekend band member and gig player with a full time day job.

4. Performer. One who plays in public on a regular basis, but rarely is $ involved. Example: HS band member, church band member, club live mic performer.

5. Hobbist. One who plays mostly at home, rarely plays in public, and rarely is any $ involved.

Ed
 
Ed Dixon said:
My thoughts are along the following lines:

1. Professional - One who makes the vast majority of their income from performing music. Example: studio musician, touring band member, pop star, etc.

2. Semi-pro. One who occasionally gets paid on a fairly regular basis to play, but that the majority of their income is from other sources. Example: Weekend band member and gig player with a full time day job.

4. Performer. One who plays in public on a regular basis, but rarely is $ involved. Example: HS band member, church band member, club live mic performer.

5. Hobbist. One who plays mostly at home, rarely plays in public, and rarely is any $ involved.

Ed
Click to expand...

I agree with that, however I would remove the word "vast" from #1, otherwise you'd have to have another category for the 55% pros :)
 
Ed Dixon said:
My thoughts are along the following lines:

1. Professional - One who makes the vast majority of their income from performing music. Example: studio musician, touring band member, pop star, etc.

2. Semi-pro. One who occasionally gets paid on a fairly regular basis to play, but that the majority of their income is from other sources. Example: Weekend band member and gig player with a full time day job.

4. Performer. One who plays in public on a regular basis, but rarely is $ involved. Example: HS band member, church band member, club live mic performer.

5. Hobbist. One who plays mostly at home, rarely plays in public, and rarely is any $ involved.

Ed
Click to expand...
Seems like a reasonable breakout.
 
I think that your definitions are not bad, but this is one of those questions that there is just no correct answer to. "Professional" has too many different connotations, one of which implies that you are engaging in an activity as a livelihood. However, many people have expectations related to work quality and businesslike manner when you use the word "professional".

By your definition, Courtney Love is a high level professional. Lots of money, but not very businesslike.

If someone told me they were a professional musician, I'd have several follow up questions because I know better. I think the best answer to your question would come from non-musicians to understand their expectations. You might find that people would expect professional musicians to be able to read music, for example.
 
Apropos of very little, wanted to share what I found when I opened up my old Joe Meek MC-2 compressor for the first time in more than a year the other day.... a warning on the documentation said:

FOR PROFESSIONAL AUDIO USE ONLY!
 
Why the interest in titles? Call yourself "Grand Exaulted Emperor of Guitar" if you want.
 
tc4b said:
Why the interest in titles? Call yourself "Grand Exaulted Emperor of Guitar" if you want.
Click to expand...

The discussion involves a third person.

I do not consider my self a professional in any form or fashion. I play in public 5-6 times a month. One or two of those involve $. In the typical year I spend 5-10 times as much on gear as every comes in from playing. That probably puts me somewhere between Performer and Semi-Pro.

Ed
 
Although I am involved in music "full time" I do not consider myself a professional musician. My involvement is 1, I teach guitar; 2, I do repair and set up work; 3, occasionaly I record someone else; 4, I play in a band. While all these combined account for most of my personal income I can not consider myself to be a professional musician. If all I did was play, and that supplied my income then I would most likely think of myself as a professional. Anyway, that's the way I think of it.
 
Like we say in the Stagehand business,.....


Being a pro only means you have been paid for the work,......


It does not mean you are any good at it......


And in my experience,... there are lots of 'PRO'S' out there in all trades, who are fairly incompetent in their jobs......and the sad part of that,... is that they don't know it......



Steve
 
Thatupstateguy said:
Like we say in the Stagehand business,.....
Being a pro only means you have been paid for the work,......

It does not mean you are any good at it......

And in my experience,... there are lots of 'PRO'S' out there in all trades, who are fairly incompetent in their jobs......and the sad part of that,... is that they don't know it......
Steve
Click to expand...

To a great extent, that is the issue being discussed on this end...

Ed
 
taco bell and leather pants

It would be prety easy to refute me on this, but to me, a "professional" musician is one who shows up on time, doesn't play too loud and can and will play music he may or may not like for a buck. Just getting money to do your thing is how the Olympics work, not necessarily music.

Lots of guys make money playing, but they may be mini rock stars that enough people dig to keep him in taco bell and leather pants. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I wish people did like me and my music warts and all.

I figure they probably don't, so I show up on time, don't play too loud and will bust out with free bird if someone yells it out at the right time. That's what I always thought being a professional was.

Now, if someone says "SRV was a professional and he played the music he liked!" I'd have to say that there is no doubt in my mind that he did crap gigs where he had to play "Brown Sugar" or some other crap bar song he wasn't interested in. I might also say that he was an artist and it would be an insult to call an artist a "professional guitarist".
 
There are many takes on this, but mine is that it is a matter of attitude.

I do not presently make my entire living in music, but I have in the past. I show up on time and in condition to play, play my parts to the best of my ability, and I am considerate of other musicians, audience members, stage hands, club owners, etc. I do what is necessary for the show to go on, and I have been playing music for more than 40 years. I consider myself a professional. YMMV.
 
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