Astral Fridge Magnet wrote:
To paraphrase something I said earlier. To believe to be something doesn't actually mean that you are the thing you believe to be. I, for example, could believe that I am an extremely funny person and have the talent to be a successful stand-up comedian. I could tell this to everyone that I meet totally convinced what I think is true. In reality though, I am at best mildly funny on occassions and certainly not good enough to be a stand up comedian. Despite what I may presume, the fact of the matter is that I am deluding myself and therefore not really what I believe to be.
forge wrote:
I mean it does seem a tad elitist to care whether the lowly beginners call themselve's musicians
At the end of the day, I don't really care. I was really only just challenging a point. I don't mean to come across as elitist. Or am I deluding myself? Maybe I am being elitist, but just don't see it.
Shit, I think I am spending too much time on this discussion, but you got me going now.
he he...now I'll reply again too and so it goes on
what you seem to be talking about sounds a bit more like some kind of mental illness, in which case you must know alot of nutters!
the example you gave kind of illustrates the pointlessness of being botherd by the titles being misused even better!
really, if you were the said person wanting to ba a stand up then it would depend how long you were prepared to be booed off stage before you gave up and acknowledged that you cant cut it - and the same for a muso
in fact in both of those cases BECAUSE they are performance oriented career paths it's pretty easy to find out pretty early in your career how rubbish you are because the audience will let you know that, even if only by walking and showing no interest ever
if someone is rubbish and still carries on believing in themselves despite no audience ever appreciating them then in a way good luck to them and they deserve the honorary title as much as anyone, they just might need the additional prefix of "crap"
but a "crap stand up" is still a stand up!
and anyone who wouldnt be prepared to take it that far or even to the stage at all probably wouldnt call themselves either of those titles for long without giving up and becoming an accountant or something instead because it takes alot to keep getting up in front of an audience that thinks you are crap
and the audience could be online or records/CD buyers whatever
christ the music industry is one of the worst and most infuriating industries to try and exist in for any length of time, I dont think any of us really consciously choose it - it's like a debilitating illness that can ruin your whole life wasting money on equipment to help you make that pointless tune that wont make you any money or see the light of day beyond a few listens on myspace - I say that as someone who has played guitar for about 20 years so I could be called a musician I reckon!
maybe the ones you are talking about are the people who audition for the "idol" game shows and dont realise there's no real prestige in music - people seem to be drawn to it like moths to a light bulb because they think it is all groupies and limousines, a fast wealthy exciting life - but the people who get that arent the majority of the sad cases working in the music industry - look at any of the top ten artists from the last 10-20 years and a staggering percentage now are probably real estate agents
but even then they'd probably call themselves a "singer" and the producers would see them more like a teen magazine model but call them the vague title of "artist"
I dont know I'm doubtful there really is any significant group of people out there who can only play smoke on the water or stairway and actually tell everyone they ARE a musician (as opposed to "want to be") their bluff would be called too easily
[/cynical rant]
No I didnt intend to write this much either, but it seemed a bit more interesting than talking splitting the bloody forum for the 500 millionth time
You don't address anything I said, but to tell me that I should use tabbed browsing (which I do, thanks) instead? Amazing insight. Really. 
