Advice to Solo Entertainers

My friend Max DiFaz, performing during a formal night

Since I have never worked as a contract/solo entertainer, I asked my friend Max DiFaz for some advice that I could share here on the blog.  I’ve worked with Max on two different ships and he does a great job of entertaining guests under any circumstance.  He is a trained drummer, pianist, and vocalist and is a very talented producer/arranger as well as an accomplished visual artist.  My first contract working with Max was on a 7-day Caribbean itinerary on a very large ship (actually was the largest in the world at the time) out of Miami, Florida.  The next contract with Max was a few years later and the ship was much smaller, more upscale, and doing semi-world cruises with a different itinerary every cruise throughout Asia and Europe at the time.

The Piano Bar onboard a Carnival ship

Before I get to  Max's advice I would like to take the chance to respond to a few specific questions I've received.  The first question is whether or not it is OK to use lyrics at the piano, in the form of paper or on an iPad or other electronic device.  My advice is to try and stay away from it as much as possible.  The reason is that the entertainer is there to entertain and build a connection with the audience.   If you have something in between the entertainer and the audience, it puts up a barrier and there is a good chance that the connection to the audience won’t be made easily.  I would suggest only using it if absolutely necessary, especially if there is a request from a guest that you kind of know the song but are not 100% confident without the lyrics.  In that case, better to use the lyrics and fulfill the request than not.  Whether it’s intended that way or not, watching an entertainer sit at the piano and read the lyrics makes me feel like I’m not important and the entertainer is just playing for themselves.

The Piano Bar on a Holland America ship

The second question relates to the use of sequencers/drum machines and whether it is OK to use multiple keyboards or to just go acoustic.  Any option is OK as long as it fits the venue.  If you have sequencers and multiple keyboards and you are playing to a small venue where everyone is seated right at the piano then it might be overkill.  Whatever an entertainer in a piano bar uses in addition to the piano should be used as an enhancement and not a crutch.  In simple terms, the entertainer should be able to step in the venue and perform with just an acoustic piano, but if they understand how to properly enhance with sequencers, multiple keyboards, etc. in a tasteful manner then it’s OK.  But my recommendation is to contact the office and see the cruise line’s take on it, or even contact the Musical Director of the specific ship to see what might work best onboard there.

Some Norwegian Cruise Line ships have a
Howl at the Moon, incorporating a dueling pianos format.

The last question I received was whether to have audience participation or not in a Piano Bar.  Absolutely include audience participation!  It is a great way to get the audience involved and keep them coming back to your venue night after night.  But don’t make the mistake of turning yourself into a human karaoke machine.  I would not recommend having individuals come up to your piano and sing by themselves with your accompaniment.  It may seem like an easy opportunity to give your own voice a break.  But if you let one guest do it, they will all want their turn and then you’ve found yourself turning into an accompanist for the next 4 hours.  Better to do group singalongs to keep everyone involved.  If someone continues to ask you to sit in with you, invite them to the ship’s next karaoke session if there is one onboard (most ships do have them).  But don’t cheapen the quality of your show, you were chosen by the cruise line for the quality of your own entertainment, not to hold karaoke sessions.

Now onto the advice from my friend Max.  His first piece of advice goes to Piano Lounge entertainers (see my previous post for the different of a Piano Bar and a Piano Lounge) in that, “the entertainer needs to be positive, but not ‘over the top’ as with a piano bar situation.”  Basically be able to tell why your audience is there.  Are you there as the main event?  Or are you there to create a great atmosphere as they relax from their long day on a tour? 

The Schooner Bar onboard Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas.

His advice for Schooner Bar/Piano Bar entertainers is “to have a very extensive songlist that includes many styles of music and audience participation songs such as Margaritaville, American Pie, etc.”  Good advice because the crowd can vary from ship to ship and even cruise to cruise.  Audience participation draws in the crowd and can make them feel a part of the entertainment.

Max also adds, “Each performance requires high energy and a tolerance for guests who at times rapid fire their requests.  Most piano bars have guests sitting right at the piano as well as around the room, and the job of the entertainer is to create a high energy atmosphere to promote drinking which translates to revenue for the room.”  This is an excellent point and something that every entertainer should understand.  The bottom line of any bar, lounge, etc. whether it be on land or at sea is revenue.  The best way an entertainer can boost the revenue of their venue is to entertain the audience and keep them there.  If you are not connecting to the audience, they will leave.  On a cruise ship there are always other forms of entertainment going on and the guests have options.   Cruising is a billion dollar industry and everything is broken down and analyzed.  Part of entertainers re-hiring will be based on the revenue from their venue.

Matt Yee, always has an entertaining show onboard.
Matt performs more risqué shows, but with the
approval of onboard management.

How to entertain the guests?  There are many different methods from audience participation to theme nights to comedy.  But when it comes to comedy, Max offers some simple advice that goes a long way, stating, “I suggest that comedy is a dangerous thing on a cruise ship, but that being said, the entertainer should always direct the comedy at himself and not at the audience.”  Guests come from all walks of life and what might be funny to one guest might be offensive to another.  You never know the background of each member of the audience.  Best to be careful and err on the side of caution.  That being said, I have worked with some piano bar entertainers who push the line on purpose, but they work closely with the Cruise Director and Musical Director and the guests are informed of the nature of the show before they step foot in the venue.  If you have anything in your show that might be considered controversial, best to let the Musical Director and Cruise Director know beforehand and they can help determine if it is right for the venue.  Trust me, they have a lot to think about on a daily basis and don’t appreciate surprises in the form of guest complaints about one of the entertainers onboard.

That brings me to another important piece of advice from Max about working closely with the ship’s management team.  He says, “The best advice for a performer is to always have a discussion with the Musical Director, Cruise Director, and sometimes the Hotel Director to understand the entertainment philosophy of a particular ship.  What works for some may not work for others!”  No musician can do the job on their own, it takes teamwork.  The ship’s management has usually been on the ship for a long period of time and they know what works and what doesn’t and they might also have their own preferences.  As long as you are not sacrificing your beliefs and integrity, it usually pays to take their advice.  There is also a report to the specific demographics every single cruise, so it is a good idea to consult with them at the beginning of the cruise to see the ages of the guests and where they are from.  A good entertainer can kind of customize their repertoire to fit the needs of a cruise.

So far I've written about musicians in the orchestra and now solo entertainers.  The next posts will be dedicated to another set of musicians onboard: Bands.