Music Music Music

So the music I play on the ship covers a wide variety of genres. I’m part of the group the HAL Cats. We play sets in our lounge and on the poolside deck. We have 2 books with 300 songs. There’s all different kinds of songs- we’ve done themed nights of 50s/60s, Motown, and more to come!

We also do a night of “Singing with the HAL Cats.” It’s like karaoke with a live band. Sometimes there are some good singers and it’s fun. Other times there are some TERRIBLE singers and I’m trying not to laugh the whole time. Either way it’s a good time.

Then we play the shows at night. Most of them are pretty cheesy but some can be fun. The dancers and singers are all really good and have been doing ships for a while now. Some of them have also done stuff in Vegas, with Disney, and with other cruise lines. We all live in the same area and see each other a lot, and they were all really friendly and welcoming when I first got on the ship. But not anymore… no just kidding, they still are! One of them is a die-hard Alabama football fan, so he keeps me up to date on scores. He broke the news to me about the LSU/Ducks game. I was devastated. But at least we can agree we both hate Auburn!

One show is called GarageBand, and it’s by far the silliest for the band. During one song where the singer sings a love song, the band is dressed up in jumpsuits and angel wings. Again, I’m trying not to laugh while we act serious.

Some of the other shows are pretty cheesy: bad jokes, silly costumes, and weird storylines. But other times they can be really good, and the music and talent of everybody is always top notch.

Sometimes we have guest entertainers. For example, last week there was a guitarist, really funny guy, great player, and the music was fun. We usually have one rehearsal with him and then the show, so we have to be on our game. However, sometimes they don’t need percussion. Like tonight, I don’t need to play, so I have the whole day off! And sometimes there’s a magician or comedian on board. The nice part is since I don’t play, I get to watch their acts. They’ve been pretty funny so far!

Playing is fun on the ship. I get to open up a little and play what I want. I smile a lot since I’m part of the show on stage. People always recognize me on tours and walking around the ship and tell me how they like the music and shows. I kind of feel like a rock star here! By the end of the 12 day cruise, everyone I met on tours and around the ship were coming to watch us play. It’s really cool!

Me, the bassist, and drummer are all Jewish. We’re thinking about doing something cool about it, like playing Hava Nagila at a set. The singer in the HAL Cats is from Colorado, so we automatically understood each other. There’s also a couple girls who went to CSU on the ship. They’re nice but still the enemy.

I could go on and on, but I’m going to be Istanbul today, and I heard you can get nice Turkish cymbals for cheap! Score! Anybody want anything?