Cruise ship music advice

[liessa]

Hi,

I have a bit of a random question, Has anyone on here played on ships before?
I'm a vocalist putting together a guest act to take on board and I wanted to ask about the best format for my charts - do you prefer taped music or music in a folder?

Also, though I have charts for this first show, are there any arrangers to avoid in the future? I know there are a few who have a bit of a bad rep with musicians.

Thanks so much

Hannah

 

[elgecko]

Hi,

I have a bit of a random question, Has anyone on here played on ships before?
I'm a vocalist putting together a guest act to take on board and I wanted to ask about the best format for my charts - do you prefer taped music or music in a folder?

Also, though I have charts for this first show, are there any arrangers to avoid in the future? I know there are a few who have a bit of a bad rep with musicians.

Thanks so much

Hannah

I've never played a cruise ship gig but I've played with many vocalists.

If the charts are 2 pages or less, a binder is fine. Any more and taped charts are easier to deal with. Charts should be in some sort of order whether it's set list order, alphabetical, or numbered/numerical. If the charts are loose, ask the musicians to leave the books in the same order they got them. I can't think of any "terrible" arrangers off the top of my head but Dave Wolpe has a reputation for writing good, solid arrangements that work well. Good luck!