A musician (or instrumentalist) is a person who is talented in making music or performing music creatively, or one who composes, conducts, or performs music, particularly instrumental music.

Musicians can specialize in any musical style, and some musicians play in a variety of different styles. Examples of a musician's possible skills include performing, conducting, singing, composing, arranging, and the orchestration of music.

A composer (Latin com+ponere, literally "one who puts together") is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance.

An orchestra is a large instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. A smaller-sized orchestra, about fifty musicians or fewer, may be called a chamber orchestra. A full-size orchestra, with about 100 musicians, may sometimes be called asymphony orchestra or philharmonic orchestra."

In modern times, the musicians are usually directed by a conductor, although early orchestras did not have one, giving this role instead to the concertmaster or the harpsichordist playing the continuo.

Did you have a musical ancestor? Please add your ancestor to this project. Famous or not, musicians have had a great deal of influence in our lives, so let's recognize them here.

resources

• The Composers of Early American Popular Music