It remains an interesting question. I know a few true musicians, and it seems to me that it has something to do with their whole life revolving around music, though they have to do other things. A related (though maybe different) set of criteria would be people who are truly musical. The same thing is true about artists -- some people are just artists, and other people, though they may paint or whatever, would not say, "I am an artist". The question of when you graduate -- in your own mind, your own terms -- to being able to call yourself a musician or an artist is interesting. I am neither, but occasionally I can see what it would be like to be one -- envy, really. I know that I am a writer, there are criteria that I could defend, ways I have of knowing other people who I would call writers and so on.

yours, Peter T.