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March 22, 2012
Dear musicians,
The article below was first posted on my forum back in 2006. It’s still relevant and thus I wanted to re-post it.
I have been a musician since the age of 7 and in my career I’ve passed a larger number of auditions all of which have taught me something. These days, however, as the owner of a talent agency, I seem to be learning a disproportionate amount more about these same auditions. There is something to be said about looking at an issue from different perspectives.
In this article, I want to shed some light on what an audition process looks like from the point of view of the “auditioner” rather than the “auditionee.” I’ll give you seven tips that will hopefully help you prepare better for upcoming auditions.
I should mention that my company hires musicians, bands, and variety acts for placement on cruise ships and thus the auditions I’ll talk about will mostly relate to cruise line entertainment auditions, however, auditions for jobs outside of the cruise line industry are very similar so this applies to just about any musician.
Let me quickly outline the various types of auditions you can encounter when applying for a job on a cruise ship.
The most obvious type would be the live audition, where you go to the audition location in person and play what’s asked of you.
You may also be asked to record your audition on videotape and mail it to the company. This is very similar to the first category since you’d play almost exactly the same music.
And finally, you may be asked to submit a recording of your band or your solo act to the company. This audition differs from the previous two in that you don’t have to perform music that the company provides, but rather your own repertoire.
There are several problems that keep arising in regards to these different types of auditions that have led me to compile the following tips. more info
February 7, 2012
Dear musicians,
When you submit a demo of your band or your solo act, it’s important to submit a well put together package that’s going to increase your chances to be considered. Here are a couple of mistakes to avoid when submitting your material.
1. Don’t submit a type of artist or band that we’re not looking for
The type of entertainers that we describe on the Jobs & Auditions page on our site are the ones that we’ll be able to find jobs for. It is thus a waste of your time and resources to submit entertainers that don’t fit any of the descriptions on our site. You can always email us with questions about this before you send out your stuff.
2. Don’t forget to include contact information
3. Don’t submit inadequate video
A lot of the video demos we receive are either not current, put together in a hurry, or of low quality. Make sure that you submit video of the exact personnel that you’re planning to bring on a ship, taylor your video exactly to the needs we’ve listed, and send us good, high-quality video. Some send us only a song or two even though we ask for 10-12 short samples. Someone that submits an out-dated package, sends the message that they’re not willing to make an extra effort to put together an up-to-date package which doesn’t speak for his/her determination to land a job.
We have an easy way for you to upload your movies to our server. Contact us for details when you’re ready to submit yours.
4. Don’t forget supporting material
A great video demo must be accompanied by an extensive repertoire list (categorized by style of music), bios, and headshots (for soloists) or band photos (for bands).
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
August 5, 2010
Dear Musicians,
Tim Redman, bandleader of his band “Retrospect” has put together a library of backing tracks for songs that him and his band have been performing on cruise ships for a number of years. Tim is offering to sell these backing tracks to those that are interested in adding relevant songs to their repertoire.
As you may know, most cruise lines prefer to hire smaller cover bands rather than larger ones. If you’re hired as a 4-piece band, it’s difficult to make the songs sound full and complete. These backing tracks will help you achieve that.
The tracks were produced on a Macbook Pro using Logic 9, a Motu 828 FireWire audio interface, with various synth plug-ins. The tracks have keyboard parts on them. Some have percussion, and some have extra guitar parts. Tim can send more samples if required, as well as samples of specific songs if needed.
They’re $9 each. Tim may also be able to create new tracks for you for $15 each.
Click here for a list of the tracks for sale.
Here are some samples for you to check out.
April 20, 2010
Dear Musicians,
In this 21st episode of our podcast “Music on cruise ships” I’ll discuss the details of a cover bands’ job with bandleader Tim Redman. You’ll get insider tips on repertoire, equipment, life on a ship and much more. Feel free to contact us with questions via email at info@oceanbound.ca or via phone at 450-714-0964.
Thanks Tim for your help.
March 11, 2010
Dear Musicians,
One way in which gigs on cruise ships are different from gigs on land is that you’ll have to travel far with your gear. If you take lots of it, you will almost certainly be charged big bucks by the airlines and you’ll run the risk that they’ll damage it. Regardless of the charges and the risks involved, you’ll also have to carry your gear and set it up. Who wants to break hauling gear around? Cruise lines do ask you to play in various lounges around the ship, so moving your gear happens quite often.
So, it goes without saying that taking as little gear as possible will save trouble and cash. more info
January 23, 2010
Dear Musicians,
Today’s pick is from one of my all-time favorite albums. Al Jarreau recorded “This Time” in 1980 with producer Jay Graydon. Nothing but the best of the best musicians on this album. A lot of the songs are really “funky” and performed with a lot of taste and soul. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
Album: This Time
Artist: Al Jarreau
Song: Spain
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December 14, 2009
Dear musicians,
You might be on a ship during the christmas holidays and you might be asking yourself if there’s any specific repertoire you might need during those days. Well, the answer is yes, you should definitely be prepared to play some christmas songs and you should definitely have a version of Auld Lang Syne handy for the New Year’s party. more info
October 18, 2009
Dear Musicians,
We get many demos from artists that have a bit of a false sense of entitlement when it comes to cruise ship jobs. Often, this entitlement comes from the fact that these entertainers have already worked on ships before and thus think that what was good enough once will always be good enough.
This is not so, unfortunately.more info
October 17, 2009
Dear Musicians,
This is an article I was hoping I would never have to write. But here I am, typing away, because common sense is, apparently, a lot less common than you’d think. Wikipedia says: “common sense” equates to the knowledge and experience which most people allegedly have, or which the person using the term believes that they do or should have.
Let me explain. more info
