Archives: January 2012

A lounge band’s job

January 26, 2012

By now, most musicians know that it has gotten much more difficult to get a job on a cruise ship simply because the demand is smaller than the supply. Knowing how to keep your job is thus more important than ever before. Some of the bands that don’t get re-hired may be puzzled as to why they’re not offered a job, after they have “successfully” finished several contracts. The answer may not even be related to the quality of the band. Some of the best-sounding bands may not be the most successful bands on ships.

The answer may lie in the fact that “successful” may mean something different to the band than it does to the cruise line. more info

A musician’s confidence

January 23, 2012

Dear Musicians,

I think it’s safe to say that most musicians are naturally driven to play as best they can. No one in their right mind would go on stage and embarrass themselves on purpose. We thus practice individually and rehearse in groups, to get the overall music to sound as good as possible.
However, tangible factors such as amount of practice or talent, and the experience of the individual are not the only ones affecting a musician’s performance. A much more unlikely factor may have a much bigger impact on a performance than we would like to acknowledge sometimes. The musician’s confidence level. more info

Are you a musician?

January 12, 2012

Bored of the same old gig? Want to get out of town, party, travel, play music and get paid all at the same time?

Then view our video and contact us soon to set up your audition.

The importance of a professional attitude

January 9, 2012

Let’s face it, being or becoming a good musician is tough. Theory, harmony, arranging, ear training, composing, history, sight-reading, instrument related technical skills, embouchure, stylistics, improvisation, ensemble playing… the list seems endless. One can spend several lifetimes and still not perfect all aspects of music. And I don’t believe that it is necessary to be perfect. Most, if not all of us, have weaknesses in some areas, and thus we practice and continually strive to get better.

However, I believe that there is one important aspect that a lot of us neglect, even though it may very well be a deciding factor in determining the success of your career. I’m talking about a professional attitude.

Update!
Since I posted this article, I have recorded a podcast episode on this topic. You can find it here.

more info

Medical exams for cruise ship gigs

January 2, 2012

Dear musicians,

To work on a cruise ship you must pass a medical exam. How detailed this exam is depends on the cruise line that has offered you a job. Some include detailed blood analysis, drug tests, chest x-rays, detailed medical questionnaire and more. Some cruise lines require that your Body Mass Index (BMI) is below 35.

Being in good general health is thus important and we want to make sure our clients are aware of this policy so they won’t be surprised later.

Some musicians are asking whether they can get a medical exam done before they are offered a gig on a cruise ship. This, however, does not make much sense since all of these cruise lines have different medical exam procedures. Wait until you’ve been offered a job to get a yours done. At that point we’ll be able to give you detailed instructions and provide you with the correct forms.

Once completed, the medical results are typically valid for 2 years.

It’s also important to note that the exams are at your cost. Some cruise lines reimburse a part of the costs to you once on board the ship, some don’t.

If you have any questions about medical exams, let us know.