Click here to download the PDF of the “10 principles to being professional”.

As we’re always looking to get better, I thought I’d point out an iPhone/iPad app that lets you do just that.

FunkyDrumTutor, is an app that explores the rhythms of Bata drumming which you can then apply to many musical situations. For each of the rhythms, there is a historical overview, video and audio recordings, as well as the music notation, complete with variations.

The app is simple to use and they have a companion website from which you can download a PDF booklet of the rhythms and view some videos with suggestions on how to make the most of the app.

Here’s one of the videos.

Since a lot of people are interested in short contracts rather than longer ones, I thought I’d elaborate on that topic a bit.

It’s important to understand that cruise lines prefer for people to go for longer contracts simply because it reduces cost. Flying people around the globe is not cheap. Goes without saying that longer contracts are a lot easier to be had.

However, some musicians do get signed off the ship for medical or disciplinary reasons and this often results in cruise lines needing to replace this person in a hurry. That’s when they’re more willing to negotiate shorter contracts.

Since these “emergency” contracts pop up sporadically and at the last minute, only those that already have a medical exam completed and have their passport (C1D visas and seaman’s book in some cases) ready, can be considered for these gigs since you wouldn’t have time to get this done on such a short notice. This is one of the main reasons that re-hires that have already a full contract under their belt are usually approached first to fill these short gigs.

In some cases there’s also more room to negotiate better salaries for these short contracts which is why we prefer to offer them to our loyal clients that do longer contracts as well simply because they deserve a pay raise. Often cruise lines raise your salary only for a specific “emergency” contract and put you back to your regular salary for consecutive contracts.

Short contract or long, the thing that gets the ball rolling is the audition. So don’t hesitate, set up your audition as soon as possible.

Some cruise ship contracts can be 6 months long (or more if you decide to extend). Staying motivated throughout your contract is very important and will help to leave a good impression of your overall performance.

I had already touched on this subject with the topic “What to do with your free time“, which talks about some of the things you can do when you’re not on stage. This topic, however, is about your actual performance; making sure you don’t let your performance slip because of monotony.

While a lot of the shows you’ll play will be new and thus challenging and fun, some others will be played regularly in a weekly or or bi-weekly interval. This can become monotonous and if you’re not careful, letting your guard down may make you prone to silly mistakes.

One way I used to try to motivate myself was to not only try to play a perfect show, but I set myself the challenge of introducing one brand new fill or variation of a groove (I’m a drummer) into each show. That’s easy you say? Well, my criteria was that the music had to absolutely benefit from this one new thing. In other words I had to find something that was musical, that fit the style and added interest to the music. This will keep your imagination going and it will add to your own musical vocabulary.

This actually made me listen to some of my favorite music, trying to get ideas of things I could incorporate into the shows. I’m not talking about flashy technical wizzardry, but tasty musical contributions.

This pretty much works for all rhythm section players since our job often asks of us to interpret the charts to some extent.

As a horn player you can always focus on perfecting the things the sheet music asks you to play. In other words, perfect your tone, finger technique, embouchure, intonation, time, reading skills, stylistics, etc.

But you can also improve your improvisation skills. If you don’t improvise at all, this would be a perfect opportunity to get into it, especially since you have other musicians to ask for advice and you can put your skills to the test by asking for short solos during show time.

These are just a few ideas.

Monotony can be difficult to conquer once it sets in, but being aware of it and making some concrete efforts to combat it will most definitely help.

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. 

1. Get the details on the job description

This is one of the most important steps. If you know exactly what it is that the employer is looking for, you won’t waste time, money, and energy presenting the wrong package. There is no point in submitting a tape of your local blues band if the employer is looking for a cover band that plays all kinds of musical styles. Similarly, there is no point in applying as a clarinet player if the job description clearly indicates that woodwind players have to play saxophone, flute and clarinet.
Also, if sight-reading is the main focus of the job you’re applying for, there is no point in hoping you’ll slip by simply because you can improvise like Charlie Parker.

2. Be flexible enough to present what’s actually needed

Let’s assume that you got all the details on the job description and you realize that you don’t exactly fit that description. It is probably wiser for you to take some time to try to fit the description, rather than trying anyway, hoping it’ll pass somehow. Try to make changes to your line-up, add some repertoire or start a completely new project that’s geared toward the job in question. You want to avoid getting turned down, otherwise it may be hard or impossible to establish credibility with the company you’ve auditioned for, which in turn can ruin your chances for a future career.

3. Audition only when you feel that you have a good chance of passing

Often musicians apply for a job they are not qualified for. Now, you could argue that that’s what auditions are for, and people couldn’t possibly know in every case whether they are qualified or not. I agree, all I’m saying is that if the job description mentions that strong sight-reading skills are required for example, musicians should ask themselves how good their sight-reading skills really are and be honest about it.
Being dishonest about what your skills really are can hurt you in more ways than one. Let’s assume for a minute that you slip through the cracks and you end up in an orchestra but you can’t cut the gig. First and foremost, you’ll be humiliated in front of other musicians, you’ll feel uncomfortable, you may actually feel guilty for not being able to do the job, and you will get fired on top of it, which will most likely kill your career before it has begun. (This happens all too often…)
So if you are unsure about whether you are qualified or not, ask questions. Call the agency you are about to audition for and ask specific questions that will help you get a good picture of the job you’re about to apply for. With that knowledge you can always postpone the audition and work on the skills that you may feel you’re lacking.

4. Put some time and effort into preparing your best possible package

This applies to bands, small ensembles, and solo entertainers. Often artists get turned down, not because they are bad entertainers, but because they didn’t supply a package that’s appealing, that can be viewed quickly and that presents exactly what was asked for in the beginning. Often this happens because the artist already has some demo laying around that could kind of qualify but not really, and instead of modifying it or recording a new one that fits the specifications, they send it in anyway.
Usually, demo packages include the recording itself, which should present the exact repertoire you’re planning to play on the gig, a short resume of each member, and a list of your repertoire.

You won’t impress people with fancy DVD animations or 12-page resumes, but rather with short examples of the repertoire that’s asked of you, played with energy and skill.

5. Try to impress with your playing, not with your resume

I would say 7 people out of 10 probably fall under this category. Simply put, a masters degree from the best school in the country won’t get you a gig if you can’t play, yet all too often do people try to sway the decision in their favor by mailing in overly long resumes stating all the famous people they’ve played with. You’re doing yourself a disservice if you hype yourself up with your resume and you can’t back it up later during the audition.

6. If you fail, accept the criticism and use it to prepare better for your next audition

All the practicing in the world may sometimes not be enough to pass an audition. If that’s the case, accept the reasons that you’re given by the jury, and go home and practice those specific things. If they aren’t forthcoming with specific reasons, ask questions. I think it’s only fair that a jury tells you what your weaknesses are if they turn you down.
I’ll spare you the details of all the things we’ve heard from people that have been rejected. Just watch “American Idol,” and you’ll get a good idea of what we go through sometimes.

7. Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses

This step ties in with step #3. Keep in mind that the ideal candidate for a job is not always the best musician. Other qualities like honesty, work ethic, respect for others and inter-communication skills, amongst others, are qualities that you’re being judged on. Weaknesses you’ve been trying to hide prior to the audition will come out during the audition and will speak volumes about your character. Would you hire a dishonest person?
A lot of candidates don’t bother to cancel their audition if they can’t make it! This leaves a very bad impression. Companies like to know that they can rely on the people they hire, not to mention that there should be mutual respect between the two parties. All candidates that fail to notify us (at Oceanbound Entertainment Inc.) of their cancellation will be blacklisted, and won’t be given another audition slot.

Those are my seven steps to a successful audition. I hope that some of you will find this information helpful. Please visit my website for more information on the subject of “Music on Cruise Ships.” Contact me if you have questions or if you’d like to audition.

When you’re at sea, it can be days or weeks before you arrive in a port with a music store close by.

It is thus really important to make sure that your instruments are in good shape and that you have some basic maintenance tools with you.

Here are some malfunctions that keep coming up:

- I have repeatedly seen active basses run out of battery power, to the point where the bass stopped working in the middle of a show! There are thousands of basses out there that sound phenomenal that don’t require any 9 Volt batteries. If you can’t live without your active bass, make sure that your bass works properly, this may help in predicting, at least to some degree, when battery power may run out.

- Woodwind players keep losing pads from underneath their keys. It’s good to know how to replace pads and to have a supply of common pads and all necessary tools handy. Same goes for springs. [url=http://www.dornpub.com/SaxjPDF/lyons1.pdf]Here[/url] is a great link to an article about basic saxophone maintenance and repair.

- Horn players have to be careful about getting their instruments out of the way when tech crew strike the bandstand. I’ve seem numerous instruments get dinged in the process. This can quickly put a trombone player out of commission. It is extremely difficult to find a good brass repair man while you’re in, say, the Caribbean or in Asia somewhere.

- Guitarists and bass players should have several sets of strings handy.

- Drummers should always have some miscellaneous hardware accessories on them. The drummer you’ll be replacing, may very well take felts, washers and nuts off the cymbal or hi-hat stands without realizing it. I even used to bring my hi-hat clutch. These seem to keep disappearing. I also used to bring my bass drum pedal to make sure I felt comfortable. In case the ship has a really good one, you’ll always have a back up.

Got some tips for us? Add a comment below.

Below is my personal “travel check list”. Of course it’s not complete. Everyone has their favorite things they “must have” on a ship. So if you think something vital is missing on my list, just post your additions in a comment.

Travel Check List

- Employment contract, flight details, background check, passport, medical exam, emergency phone numbers and all other important papers, money
- Drivers license, green card (permanent resident alien card), work visas (C1/D)
- Organizer
- Bank Info (in case you want to sign up for direct deposit)
- School books, reading material
- Pens, Pencils, sharpener…

- Tuxedo, tie, buttons, cummerbund (Uniform requirements depend on the company you’ll work for, ask us about this before you leave)
- 4 white tux shirts and 2 regular white shirts,
- two pairs of jeans
- (White pants – depending on the cruise line)
- two or three pairs of shorts
- a couple of T-shirts
- white socks, black socks,
- (white shoes), black shoes, slippers, sneakers, hiking shoes
- one jacket
- Sunglasses
- Laundry bag
- Backpack

- iPod, alarm, laptop, headphones
- Wash stuff: gel, razor, foam, soap, lenses, nail clip, deo, shampoo
- Spare contact lenses
- Camera
- Travel guide
- Air ear plugs
- Photo Album

and if you’re a drummer:

- Stick bag: Stix, brushes, multi use stix, felts, nuts, pencils, ear plugs, metronome
- Cymbals, practice pad, bass pedal, music and tapes
- Batteries, pad locks

I’d like to elaborate on the above…

Airline baggage restrictions and your shared cabin are two compelling reasons to travel as lightly as possible. You’ll see that once you’re on the ship you don’t need that much stuff, especially when it comes to clothes.

But we are musicians and we need our gear.

- Bass players should bring their bass, cables, spare sets of strings, batteries, and whatever you need for basic repairs.

- Same goes for guitarists but they’ll have to add picks and effect pedals.

- Pianists don’t really need anything, keyboards and pianos are provided.

- Drummers should bring their cymbals, bass drum pedal, sticks…See above for more details. Some drummers that go back to a ship they’ve been on before and know the equipment that’s provided may decide not to bring kick pedal and/or cymbals, but as a general rule I would say to bring them. Better safe than sorry.

- Trumpet players should not forget to bring a flugelhorn, mutes and stands for the instruments.

- Same goes for trombone players.

- Sax players will be told before their departure whether they have to bring alto and tenor or whether one sax is good enough. They will, in most cases, have to bring clarinet and flute and stands for each instrument.

As a professional musician it’s always good to have a kit for eventual emergency repairs, a metronome, a tuner, cleaning kit, music paper, pencils, earplugs…

The list gets longer for bands but it really depends on the line-up and the specific gear set-ups of each band, so I won’t get too detailed hear. Make sure you check with the company or your agent what’s necessary to bring before you leave home.

Generally, everything that’s part of the PA system is provided (although this varies from company to company) so that you won’t have to bring it. Examples are mics, mixers, extension cords etc.

Every professional musician should own a tuxedo and every single cruise line I know of expects you to bring one, complete with all accessories like tie, buttons, cummerbund, cufflinks etc.

There are some other uniform requirements specific to certain cruise lines so you should definitely ask what those are before you leave.

Once you’re on the ship and you’re getting paid, you will have to figure out what to do with your money. Here are some of your options.

Safe Deposit Boxes

On most ships, there will be a safe deposit box in your cabin (if not, there will be safe deposit boxes in the crew purser’s office) where you can store some of your belongings including cash. However, money does get stolen occasionally and thus it would be a good idea for you to get your money into your home bank account.

Some cruise lines offer direct deposit of your salary into your bank account, however, there are often restrictions on this. Often, this only works if you have a US bank account. Some cruise lines now open an account for each employee, salaries get deposited there and you’ll be given a debit card which you can use at ATMs on land and on the ship at reasonable costs.

Direct Deposit

If direct deposit is not an option, you could try to wire your money into your bank account from the ship. This is convenient but it takes a long time for your money to arrive at its destination and it can be very expensive. One problem musicians have been running into is the fact that they won’t have any money on them if their paycheck is deposited into their bank account. In this case, you’d have to resort to getting money out of cash machines on board the ship or on land and regular bank tellers.

PayPal

PayPal is a very simple, convenient and secure option. One of the positives is that it is owned by Ebay which is a large, and well known company so you chances are small that you will run into trouble. You can use your credit card to send and/or receive money and you could even send and receive money straight from your bank account without the need of a credit card. It would probably be a good idea to look into this before you leave as it takes some setting up.

International Money Orders

Another option would be to buy a money order and mail it via regular mail either to your home or directly to your bank. If you call your bank before you leave and ask them if that’s possible and how, this may be a good option. It’s very cheap (Usually just a couple of bucks per money order up to $1,000 or $1,500). One downside of this is that you may have a hard time finding places that sell money orders if you are outside North America. Also, since you’d have to use regular mail to send it, it can take a long time to arrive and it may get lost.

Moneygram

Moneygrams are very similar to a wire transfer, but it’s made through the company “Moneygram”. You can locate “Moneygram” tellers from their Web site. The fees are comparable to Western Union and a wire transfer from the ship, but you’d have to be able to get to a teller, which could be a challenge sometimes.

Western Union

Western Union is similar to Moneygram but they are a bit more wide spread so you may be able to locate a branch a little easier.

Others

There are several other money transfer services such as Xoom but again the challenge is always to find tellers where you can get this done and the less popular the service is, the harder to find a teller.

Email: info@oceanbound.com

Tel: 1-888-714-0964