Audition tape/promo video

[ding_man]

I wasn't sure where to put this thread. If a mod thinks I would get better responses in a different section that would be sweet.

I'm a senior in college (music performance/jazz studies yeah I'm wasting my time blah blah :P), and I'm looking to do cruise ships or maybe work for some companies that put together bands in Asia after I graduate. I have friends that do this and I've talked to them and I've done some research, but I always dig coming to talkbass and brainstorming with random cats of all types.

Obviously every company does things differently, but I'm looking to make a "general" audition tape so that I can work towards something and have something to show on youtube and stuff. Something kind of edited thing that shows my ability to play different styles, etc.

I was wondering if you guys (or any of your buddies) had videos like that that I could check out, and I'm looking for input on what kind of grooves or tunes would be good to put on there.

I'm looking to maybe do some sort of Reggae groove.
Some sort of Jamerson thing.
Maybe some sort of rock thing. Something grooves on one note like ZZ Top or Van Halen maybe... I don't know I'm just brainstorming.

I'm kind of looking to put some "pop" type things on it and some hip fresh stuff, but that's stuff I'm still looking for discovering everday.

I know I didn't ask a lot of direct questions, but ha.. what do you got for me Talkbass?

[SLaPiNFuNK]

If you are looking to do Cruise Ships, unless you play in a "Band" on the ship, like a Cover Band / Top 40 Band, you are going to need to show that you can do a lot...

If you are going on the ship by your self, you are most likely going to be in the Show Band and the Rhythm section of the show band usually breaks off into a combo to play cocktail hour sets...


For a Cruise ship audition video, I would demonstrate playing different types of groves... Walking Bass Lines (ballad, medium, and up-tempo), different tunes... Stella, Autumn Leaves, Rhythm Changes. Play a head / one chorus of solo to show some chops and use lines in the solo that quote other tunes to show you "know your stuff."

Find a chart from a musical or something that has a specific line that must be read, to show that you could read a chart.

Then you could show other groves like you described.

To my understanding though and I could be wrong... like the reggae band that plays out by the pool is usually a band on the shore that is on the boat together. This goes for the top 40 bands as well... but they may be looking for players to fill in for 1-2 months at a time (I did that for a while in my High School days).

Cruise Ship gig is definitely cool especially if you do not have on shore commitments, great shedding time.

A buddy of mine just went on a mini tour in Asia, it was with a band though...

Good luck!