A musician is someone who composes, conducts, or performs

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate a person who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters, who write both

and lyrics for songs; conductors, who direct a musical performance; and performers, who perform for an audience. A music performer is generally either a singer (also known as a vocalist), who provides vocals, or an instrumentalist, who plays a

musical instrument A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make Music, musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person ...

. Musicians may perform on their own or as part of a group, band or orchestra. Musicians can specialize in a musical genre, though many play a variety of different styles and blend or cross said genres, a musician's musical output depending on a variety of technical and other background influences including their culture, skillset, life experience, education, and creative preferences. A musician who records and releases music is often referred to as a recording artist; while a musician who primarily writes and records art music, media soundtracks and scores—including for films, theatrical stage productions, and video games—or

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

is usually called a composer. A music producer, while not necesarilly a musician outright, may themselves be a musician. A conductor, by way of gestures, leads and provides live direction for, or ''conducts'', an ensemble, typically an orchestra or choral group.

Types

Composer

A composer is a musician who creates musical compositions. The title is principally used for those who write

or film music. Those who write the music for popular songs may be called

songwriters A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...

. Those who mainly write the words for songs may be referred to as lyricists.

Conductor

A conductor directs a musical performance; conducting has been defined as "the art of directing the simultaneous performance of several players or singers by the use of gesture". The conductor stands on a raised podium and communicates with the musicians through hand gestures or eye contact.

Performer

Examples of performers include, but are not limited to, instrumentalists and singers who perform for an audience. A musician can perform as a solo artist or as a part of an ensemble (e.g. an orchestra, a

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

or a pop group).

Producer

A music producer plays a crucial role in shaping the sound of an album or song, overseeing the recording process, and guiding the overall creative direction. They often collaborate closely with artists, musicians, sound engineers, and other industry professionals.

References

External links

{{Authority control Occupations in music Entertainment occupations Music production