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That is such high praise, thank you!! I love that you’ve been able to catch up on a few videos and that you’re enjoying them! It’s a nice little hit of the fun energy on the ship when you’ve returned to land life. I’ve been really impressed by our entertainment team on this ship as well, and Stephanie and I are honored to play our part in such a talented group!

Thank you!! So happy that you enjoyed the show! It’s our favorite too, so it really means a lot when our performances resonate with the audience!

Thank you so much for coming to see us play so many times! It’s for people like you that keep our spirits high after performances like this, because we know you’re going to be there tomorrow and it’s going to be better! Luckily, schedules like this are few and far-between!

Very fair question. There are signs all over the ship with notices about cameras and about the fact that being in public spaces on the ship is consent to being on camera. A person cannot expect that kind of privacy in public spaces on cruise ships, as so many people are enjoying their vacations and capturing those memories with videos and photos. Additionally, that man had a good laugh with us and his friends when he woke up. He was the best sport about the whole thing.

@@DavidPaigeMusic yeah I get that, my question was more about it being posted to the Internet than it was about being recorded. It’s kind of a larger question, that anyone with a camera can now post to a worldwide platform without context, consent or consideration and the internet is forever. By no means am I saying that you did that as you did supply context and it sounds like he consented to it since he laughed. But in other spaces, it just got me thinking about how people may just be going about their day at a gym, on a trip, etc and how someone else can have the power to choose to send their image worldwide and that person doesn’t get a say. Maybe they do something embarrassing, like tripping. That shame or embarrassment used to be confined to those in the area that saw it …. But if someone posts that online, that embarrassment lives on forever and can be viewed potentially millions of times. Again, not being critical of you and I appreciate that you said it was a fair question. The situation, while benign in this case just got me thinking of the implications of how there are no safeguards since everyone has cameras and they can choose what to put online and how to portray it.

@@yt_energy trust me, we understand this so much. While we perform, at any point, from any angle, and attached to any words, videos and photos of us are posted. The moment captured could highlight a mistake or a moment where hair is wildly out of place or makeup is running or an angle that’s unflattering etc etc. I agree that it’s not necessarily the best answer, but we are subject to that as well. We never know if someone who filming us is making a fun video to remember their vacation, or if they’re filming a piece of content to show their favorite parts of a ship, or if they’re making a video about why they hate the entertainment on a ship because negativity get the clicks. We have no control over what’s posted about us either, so I try to tell our story for us.

Thank you! It feels better to know we are all in it together and that we aren’t alone in our experiences, be they amazing or otherwise! We are pulling for you to get the gig!! It’s honestly an incredible opportunity and it feels great most of the time!

I needed to see this comment as much as you needed to see this video! We are all in it together!

We need to be friends, I think

@@DavidPaigeMusic I would agree!

That sounds like an awesome gig (most of the time). It’s a difficult position to be in, for sure. I wouldn’t bank on the hotel doing much! Has he been promoting himself on social media and with Westin-approved posters in the hotel? Perhaps there’s a way he can help take matters into his own hands?

@@DavidPaigeMusic Hi David! The piano bar gig has been a wonderful experience for him. He calls it "A cruise ship minus the ocean." The hotel hired a social media person but it didn't pan out. Fortunately, the guests and management all rave about him. Several other hotels have expressed interest in him playing for them too. In April a TV production company interviewed him to appear on 'El Piano'- Spain's version of the UK show 'The Piano', but their concern was that he's already outstanding and doesn't have a tragic backstory(!). Ps, we suggested the poster idea but it was shot down as "Too commercial". He posts to social media but between classes, rehearsals, and other gigs he's already putting over 40 hours a week into music-related work. You and your wife have been excellent role models for him, thanks!

​@@DavidPaigeMusic Hi David! We suggested a promotional placard, but they felt it would be "too commercial". He does post on social media, but his class and rehearsal schedule keeps him very busy. He said playing the hotel is like a cruise ship minus the ocean. You and your wife are positive role models for him, so thank you!

Thank you so much! We love that we connected with you! It’s times like that that are amazing and definitely make the contract worth it.

Couldn’t be more right about that!!

Thank you so much!! We enjoyed meeting you two! It made the unusually long wait for a tender boat fun! Thanks for watching and thank you for your kind comments, both on our performances and on our parenting! He’s a great kid and we are happily counting down the days until we see him again!

Yay!! See you soon! Which day are you starting your cruise?

I think that a solo cruiser in their 40s would have an amazing time! There is a solo cruisers group that has fun social activities. There are so many options for entertainment, and the ports are incredible! I think you’ll have a great time!

Seismic Audio sarmss-16. There will be an x and some numbers after it. Those numbers are the lengths of the two tails. Get the one that makes sense for your set up

Thank you so much!!

Great running into you! Hopefully we will see ya at one of our shows tomorrow!

We haven’t been to Norway yet! We would love to do a Northern European contract, but right now, we are on the Viva, Prima’s sister ship, and we are in Spain.

Thank you! This song is so much fun!

I’ve been playing pretty much every day for 24 years. At first I couldn’t play more than a few minutes without my hands starting to cramp or my fingertips hurting, but over time, my hands, wrists, and vocal cords got stronger. I still do get fatigued, but I try to focus on resting my hands and voice in the hours I’m not working. It’s hard sometimes, but most days, it’s nothing more than normal show fatigue. At the end of the show, I’m tired, and by the time I wake up, I’m fine.

😂

We became certified scuba divers on this trip! 🤿 🫧

Thank you so much! When are you guys coming back?? I don’t understand why the ship/company does what it does with regards to its secrecy, but I’m happy to tell everyone about our entertainment team.

I occasionally get some hand fatigue, but for the most part, I’ve gotten used to the gig frequency. This ship has us performing on tile floors which is taking a toll on my wife who performs in high heels. The tile has been brutal on her. Our voices get more tired than my hands ever do though. Sometimes we are counting down the days until our next day off!

…and on…dude slept for like 3 more songs haha

Oh thank you so much CJ! He clearly missed this solo, but I think he heard a few others lol

😂 luckily, he did! He woke up a few songs later and had a good sense of humor about the whole thing!

Hahaha so am I! What a nightmare that would be haha Long live my Kemper!!

If you want a spot in front I recommend just grabbing cocktails and going early. But that's really only for the couple of more intimate and popular shows (such as Rumors which draws a crowd, but is 100% worth the wait!) - so maybe 2-3 nights depending on how much you want to see. The bigger shows and most of the other entertainment have more than enough seating or are reservation-based.

Thank you so much!!

Wouldn’t that be nice! No, we get paid for the time we are on the ship. During “vacation” we are unemployed. No income unless you get a temporary job somewhere else.

Thanks man, I like using the Ultimate Guitar Tabs app. It’s not free, but it’s inexpensive and very useful. As far as mixing lyrics up, I’d prefer you confidently deliver the verses in the wrong order than to see you reading while performing.

Yes they do. There are plenty of jobs within the entertainment department to audition for. Honestly, first step is going to be research. Figure out which types of jobs would fit for you, tailor your resume and your song list to those kinds of jobs, and make a performance reel. Then you’ll should google the contact information for as many agencies as possible. Go get your job!

Stephanie and I perform rock and pop songs. Our repertoire is over 500 songs now. The ships do not tell is which songs we can or cannot play, but we have to use common sense. Unless we are performing in a venue that is able to accommodate an 18+ show, then we generally will censor certain songs or make selections to avoid any offense to guests with children or sensitive tastes. Here is a video I made about our song list: czcams.com/video/SWmRb3C7Vdw/video.htmlsi=Ze4qUCzbqHfrotj7

@@DavidPaigeMusic thx, u such A kind person hope best for u2

So, Starlink is a satellite internet provider. I don’t know a lot about it, but I assume it’s kinda like xfinity back in the states. I cannot provide my own xfinity, I have to purchase internet from the provider. The question may be beyond my ability to answer, because I don’t know anything about it, but if you have the ability to receive internet from the Starlink satellites without the ship’s help, then I have no idea what the answer is. If you are asking about the ship, then I can tell you that the ship does have Starlink internet that it provides for its guests and crew and that internet on ships is expensive

@@DavidPaigeMusic thx man for ur answer

Thank you! I’m glad you found this video and liked our set! Hope you get to enjoy some more of our videos!

Happy to help! Are you sailing on Viva soon?

@@DavidPaigeMusic Sept 30th to Oct 10th

Thank you!

Yes!! I full-heartedly agree. The opportunity almost passed us by. In fact we both missed the train earlier in life to work on ships, but luckily, the opportunity came back around in our mid 30s and we grabbed on with everything we had and went for it!

Thank you! We usually play 3 or 4 sets daily. We usually get one day off per sailing, but technically speaking, it’s not a part of the contract. They can make us work everyday if they chose, but they know how quickly it would erode the voices of the vocalists to not get a rest day. Our guest cabin is NOT the norm. It’s something unique to this ship and our contract. We require a cabin with a double bed. This ship was designed in a way that neglected that need of crew members, so in order to book us as the duo, the ship and company had to make an exception. Additionally, there is a massive sound issue with a few of the cabins that are above the atrium, and guests would complain daily on every sailing if they were placed in this room, so we got it. I talk about a lot of these kinds of questions in some of the videos on this ship. If you haven’t checked these out, I think you’ll enjoy them and find them informative! czcams.com/play/PLMPmpF_fZL_thPOYjqhmZfi_nOh1vicRM.html&si=nWl8mhPJAt7wirrX

@@DavidPaigeMusic thanks mate for your time to answer all my questions. I’ll checkout all your videos!

Thank you!!! Haha that’s right! I’m so glad I was able to get out of isolation quickly and get back to performing!

Hey!! Thank you!! 😊

I’m so sorry about your experience with the entertainment on the ship! That was the day we signed off the ship for our vacation. The Classic Tones and Nikola Kolev were still here, but there were issues just about everywhere else. Half of the Latin Duo had gone home, two members of the Syd Norman’s band were sent home on medical leave, and the technical issues had not yet been fixed in Beetlejuice. Also, Ocean Music Fest wasn’t ready for a little bit after we left for vacation. It was just really unfortunate timing that all of that happened at the same time.

@@DavidPaigeMusic Thanks David. We have been on many NCL cruises, and were very disappointed with what we encountered on the January 5th sailing. We were also disappointed with the ship's guest services that did not explain or apologize for the lack of entertainment and cancellation of Beetle Juice. When we arrived home, we received the normal request for review of the cruise. I stated our disappointments and never received a reply. A couple weeks later, I wrote NCL customer service and stated our disappointments and never received a reply. We will probably book one more NCL cruise and see if things have improved or not. If not, there are other cruise lines. Very best wishes to you and Stephanie. We would have loved to have seen you perform. You are and adorable couple.

As much as I’d love to do that, the video file would be MASSIVE and would take ages to upload! Also, all the songs we perform are copywritten by other artists. I won’t know which song will get me a copyright strike until I get it!

Stephanie is my wife and Ben’s stepmother

Fair question. I can feel the drums in the room and I can feel the kick under my feet. Additionally, the vocal mics pick up some of the drums and even the custom molded ear pieces don’t keep all of the drum sound out of your ears. With zero signal of the drums in my monitor feed, I still have more than enough drum sound to make sure I’m in time with the drums. The purpose of my mix is almost entirely to ensure that I can hear my vocals clear enough to make tuning and intonation adjustments as we are performing. I don’t care if the mix is what I’d hear on an album, I just want to sing in tune, so I cut out anything that doesn’t directly help me do that.

I’m not sure whether or not you’ll get your trio on ships. What I do know is that most of the positions are set. They have specific needs in HR and with setting up rooms. In order to do so, they always hire the same numbers for groups. On our current ship, they will always only hire the following: one guitar soloist, one Latin duo, one contemporary duo, a 4-piece party band, an 8-piece Syd Norman’s cast, a 5 piece show orchestra (drums, keys 1, keys 2, guitar, bass), and the 18-person cast of the show. No more, no less. Most ships will have soloists, duos, 4 piece bands, and casts. If you’re looking to bring your existing group onto the ship, and it doesn’t fit their programming, they will not make an exception for you. Instead, they will pick the group with the right number of people. In order to help you get into ships, I’d suggest doing some homework about what groups are on ships and possibly adding a member to your trio or becoming a duo. An agency will be best equipped to point you in the right direction. I’d recommend using google to get the contact information for as many agencies as you can to request information on placing your group. You’ll need to tell them about your style and provide a performance reel and a song list and a resume Wish you the best of luck! Feel free to message me on instagram

@@DavidPaigeMusic wow that’s incredibly helpful! Thanks a lot 🙏 I will actually follow you on instagram! Keep on rocking 🎸