| Well, after 4 completed contracts with Holland America, here is some info that may help:
1.Sightreading skills (scale of 1 to 10) 8 to 10 needed
2. Range- You should have at least a C above the staff everyday....7 days a week. This is the min. requirement on most ships.
3. Musicianship- very good. You need to "adapt" to some of the bad charts that hit your manhasset on a weekly basis. Good idea to brush up on theory, just to have the tools for the trade.
4.Endurance* (out of 10) 10. If you get a gig where you are playing 7 nights week, a solid routine and endurance would be required.
5. Patience plus- You will spend alot of time with many different people from all around the world. Sometimes, the players spend a wee too much time in the bar and their patience goes out the window. Find things to do to keep yourself healthy and occupied.....
6.Standards- they provide fakebooks, but they are almost always filled with terrible mistakes. I took the book and corrected all of the bad notes and changes in it. Made the contract that much easier.
*Most ship gigs will pay $350 to $400 per week. It can seem too little depending upon the ship that you are on.....
Try and get your gig direct with the cruise line and stay away from Pro-ship..... |