April 25, 2017
It's hard to believe that 9 weeks have passed with one more week to go. I'm feeling numb. Week 7 was the most difficult. I was feeling anxious for some reason.
I've changed my eating habits. Since I wasn't all that nuts about the food anyway, I realized that I was quite happy eating salads. Lunch (my breakfast) is the meal that I might indulge in something solid. I was also curious about my singing after eating something light before performing. It dawned on me that I was used to singing later in the evening, having time for the food to digest... but I'm singing earlier shows these days. Anyway I've notice less phlegm for sure.
So for me it's a late breakfast (today I had half a ham sandwich), a light salad and a piece of bread before the show and a bigger salad with pieces of chicken after the show.
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I've been practicing my guitar in the day, much like the old days. Since I don't live on Facebook like I used to, I can focus better. I'm increasingly inspired listening to Doru night after night. We're a great team. It's music first. We both have the noble ability to listen, no inflated egos that's usually bigger than one's actual talent.
You'd be surprise how many musicians don't listen to what's going on around them. They just play their part and stop when they're done. Oh the stories...
I'd imagine most cover bands really need an audience to draw inspiration from, because playing the same things, same solos night after night has to bore you after a while. One might argue that a jazz band is a cover band as well. However, the
skilled players are rarely musically predictable. Every night something's different and that's the thrill.
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Although I'd never say it myself, more than a few artists have described the cruise ship experience as "being in prison." It's not an easy life for an artist. As an artist you're mostly ignored and rarely treated with simply Kindergarten courtesy. As a staffer, true, it's isolated. Not having full internet is cruel. The food is ok. (It was great on my last trip.) Making friends is almost pointless. No one has time. And the little free time one might have, would rather be spent sleeping or smoking cigarettes. Extroverts have an advantage. Introverts are doomed, especially old introverts. "Hey, someone ought to talk to that lonely old man." "No way, he looks mean." I do think it's interesting that most of the staff work two weeks on and then two weeks off year round, however artists on the other hand, are on the ship for months at a time and there's not even a message parlor on board. How cruel is that? Of course I've never asked. Maybe there's some fortnightly wenches on the 13th floor. :)
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Would I do it again? This may surprise you, but yes. Providing it's financially 'sensible'. As I've said before, it's work. I'd consider other options. But there aren't that many, that I can see.
Folks have mostly given up on music, they don't think they have, but they have. An artist can make a living if people buy their music. Few people buy music these days. An artist can make a living if people come to see 'them' perform. People don't go out to see 'them', if they do go out, it's to drink.
Folks are happy to be in the comfort of their homes and vote for faux artists to be the next star on some TV show. Blah blah blah.
Yes, I'd play on a cruise ship again.
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