When is a musician a musician?

[gregh]

This is an episode of Engines of our Ingenuity, which I heard one day on the local jazz channel. Mostly I thought the beginning was interesting, giving exerpts from Für Elise played as written and as a musician interpreted it.

https://www.kuhf.org/programaudio/engines/eng2345_64k.mp3

[inverted]

Anyone with a general interest in how music works and some technical proficiency. I know a lot of "musicians" who are reasonably able on their instrument but couldn't be expected to string together a basic chord progression, or know which key is which or even how a triad works.

I get asked to accompany people on piano more often than far more technically able pianists because there is no written part, just a chord sheet. Playing La Campanella is one thing but a musician should be able to vamp over I-IV-V at least too.

[mjames]

When you can play and/or create music?