This has pissed me off for a while, and made me a little depressed, so I finally decided to say it in this post.

 

I am a musician.

 

I am not a performer.

 

You may think that’s weird, but let me explain.

 

I see people take the credit for songs they sing, and their fans gush ‘oh my god it’s an amazing song!’ ‘That’s such a catchy melody’ and I gush along with them, but lately I’ve been feeling a little left out.

 

I’m at a music school where we play in each other’s compositions, and I realized a while ago that the actual orchestra or ensemble that plays the piece doesn’t get enough recognition.

 

You might think that it’s nothing much.

 

But let me tell you.

 

I learn many pieces, but for those who work in companies that require them to learn a whole artist’s album of pieces, concentrate on their own work and play for enjoyment, that’s damn hard.

 

A lot of people don’t realise how hard it is to play in an ensemble.

 

Not only do you have to know you part inside out, you have to become one with the rest of your instrument.

 

For example, a whole section of strings must sound like one loud violin playing, because if it’s messy then the whole piece is going to fall apart.

 

If the wind instruments don’t blow their notes in tune and cue in the wrong places that will just trip everyone up.

 

Stupid people say that the instrumentalists play the basic notes and everything else is just computer edited.

 

For those companies who computer edit their music, it’s either because it’s that style, or they’re not good enough to employ professional musicians.

 

Though I dislike the workings of SM Entertainment, because that company is so large, Lee Soo Man can afford to employ better musicians to create better music.

 

Listening to instrumental versions, I can honestly say that their ensembles and orchestra’s are one of the best in Korea. (For a company that is.)

 

I hope one day to be able to go to Korea and play music for those artists, but I still think that each and every single person who plays and isn’t in the limelight should receive a round of applause.

 

True music is hard to come by these days, and true musicians are even rarer.