Can I Use Sheet Music in the Lounges?

I., a pianist, asks:

Are you allowed to use sheet music when you’re playing in a lounge? I use a MusicPad Pro (digital sheet music viewer thing) which I have packed full with an obscene amount of real books. Would this be allowed?

I’ve seen those MusicPad Pro things, they look pretty cool.  I’d like to check one out someday.  I was saw Harry Connick Jr.’s orchestra using something similar back in the 90′s, which I thought was pretty advanced.

Yes, you can use sheet music when you play in lounges.  I have always used sheet music.  I even see piano bar guys frequently using sheet music even though the piano bar gig is one that is frequently performed without it.

On my last ship one of the piano bar guys had his MacBook right up on the piano with lead sheets in PDF – probably much like your MusicPad Pro.  He also had his iPod plugged into the sound system with mp3 backing tracks.  The guy was a walking advertisement for Steve Jobs.

Recently I heard from one pianist, though, that agents are starting to ask for instrumentalist to have their sets memorized.  The reason, as I understand it, is that they prefer to not have the lounges littered with piles of books that the performers shuffle through as they perform.  If that’s really the reason, though, I would imagine the MusicPad would solve the problem, or at least be a good compromise.

You’ll have to ask your agent or cruise line contact about that to get a more definite answer, but again, I’ve always performed with books during cocktail sets on ships.