New Music Director (…finally…)

Dave was right.

It’s the second day of this cruise, and we are already seeing improvements. The old MD is back, and H. is a lowly sax player again, and nothing more. The one thing we aren’t happy about now, is that H. got away with all of it. The returning MD likes H., and no matter what we tell him, he keeps telling us that it wasn’t his fault. No matter how nasty the stories get, and I have been witness to three other musicians relaying their experiences. But, even though H. got away with it, Y. promised to make it right.

And he already has. Right off the bat, he talked to one of the waiters at the bar that’s in the walkway on deck 6 midship about letting us eat the finger foods after the “jazz” sets. H. told us we can’t do that. The party band was made to play during tenders the very first cruise H. became MD. The problem with playing during a tender, is there is an announcement over the loudspeaker every 5-10 minutes telling the guests when it’s their turn to get on the tenders. Musicians are required to stop when the loudspeakers are on. Why would you make musicians play during known ship announcements? Y. told them he can’t fix that this cruise, but as soon as they hear the first tender announcement, to pack up and leave. H. doesn’t realize apparently that when you’re playing, it’s rude to be regularly interrupted in such a way. Also, Y. promised the party band he will fix the fact that they play under the hot Med sun at port between noon and 5. The musicians and their instruments have been baking. The keyboard is barely usable any more, thanks to fried circuits.

The solo guitar player is promised to have less than six sets a day now. And, best of all, he’s going to try to get the show band to have one day off a cruise! He’s already been arguing with the CD about this stuff, and how the company can’t treat the musicians like this, even if superiors are threatening to bring ratings up or else. He said a job like this isn’t worth getting overly serious about.

I didn’t end up rooming with H. after all. I was put with the new keyboard player, even though he and the sax player were promised their own room from the Miami office. He’s really cool, but I know he wanted to be with his girlfriend. During their first cruise, I overheard H. talking to a guest performer about their situation, and he pretty much said he doesn’t know why they think they’re getting their own room on their first contract; it just won’t happen. I told the piano player what I heard, and he emailed Miami about it as soon as he heard. The supervisor sent H. an email telling him he better make the promise they were given a reality. That night, H. said he would work on it, but not before a lecture on how wrong the couple was to go over his head about this. I went to the CD and asked him to not stick me with H. because I can’t stand him. I didn’t know this, but H. was in charge of the rooming situation, including his own rooming situation. He tried to move around about six people just so he could have my cabin to himself, because it was a decent sized cabin in a very good spot on the ship, but once the singer in the party band was about to be moved from her cabin because of it, she told HR, who went straight after him. I’m now in a smaller cabin with the guitar player in the party band, and the couple got my old cabin. I don’t mind, especially when I think about how I could have had it.

Now, about Y.: He’s a complete NUT! If H. is a right winged individual, Y. is as far left as he can be (by the way, when trying to picture H., picture the 40 Year-Old Virgin). During the “Welcome Aboard” tech run yesterday, we were sitting at the bandstand while the aerialist was doing a run through. Y. started stripping to the music that was playing. He told me that on a ship, you can get away with just about anything, as long as there isn’t an officer looking. But he did advise me not to get drunk and run across the ship naked and jump in the jacuzzi like he did two years ago. He talks to passersby while doing the jazz sets, dedicating the next tune to someone so they feel obligated to stay. If I make a mistake, he doesn’t tell me to get it right or else. He tells me what I did wrong, and to fix it, and pats me on the back. You feel like a real person when interacting with this guy. He’s not trying to make himself look good, he’s trying to make his musicians happy. And that’s where the difference lies. I’d tell funnier stories I’ve witnessed since last night, but they get pretty bad. Two months of misery, and I have laughed more in the last two days than I have since I’ve been on the ship.

Also, the CD leaves in a few more cruises. I like him as a person, but as a boss, he’s way too demanding. He sees the road to improved ratings is by doubling the entertainment department’s efforts. The problem is, when everyone’s exhausted to the point of lower morale, it has an opposite effect. Y. has argued with him
about this, too.

The light at the end of the tunnel just turned on. We’ll see if it stays there. I’m optimistic myself.