{"id":16866,"date":"2024-04-30T10:29:52","date_gmt":"2024-04-30T17:29:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=16866"},"modified":"2024-04-30T10:29:59","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T17:29:59","slug":"cruise-ship-musician","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/cruise-ship-musician\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview With a Cruise Ship Musician (Piano Jobs You Can Get)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I recently had the pleasure of cruising South America and Antarctica on the Oosterdam, a Holland America ship. There were many long days at sea, and the folks who kept us entertained between ports were the cruise ship musicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of these folks, Adam Stout, performs solo at the ship\u2019s Billboard Onboard venue. Most days of the week, you\u2019ll find him taking requests, singing pop hits, and accompanying himself on the piano. Peek behind the scenes of a ship musician\u2019s life in this (condensed and edited) interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\"><center><h2 style=\"font-size:22px\"><b>\ud83c\udfb9 Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano<\/b><\/h2><p>Get exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p><iframe class=\"email-form-include\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/center><small><i>By signing up you\u2019ll also receive our ongoing free lessons and special offers. Don\u2019t worry, we value your privacy and you can unsubscribe at any time.<\/i><\/small><\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"about-adam-stout\" style=\"font-size:28px\"><strong>About Adam Stout<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Adam played his first ship in 2006. Other than an eight-year period when he was \u201ccompletely land-based,\u201d he\u2019s been playing at sea ever since. As a freelancer, Adam has played weddings and funerals, private parties and corporate events. He\u2019s also accompanied top high school choirs in Texas and describes himself as a pianist, conductor, arranger, and programmer of keyboards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Adam\u2019s main area of expertise is musical theater. He knows a lot about opera and has coached vocalists on Italian and German diction. A skilled sight-reader, he also fills in last-minute as a pianist and\/or conductor for musical theater productions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of piano at sea, Adam has worked for Disney Cruise Lines, Holland America, and smaller companies like G Adventures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"465\" height=\"668\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02120625\/adam-stout-1.jpg\" alt=\"Man with glasses playing piano and singing into microphone.\" class=\"wp-image-16867\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02120625\/adam-stout-1.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02120625\/adam-stout-1-209x300.jpg 209w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 465px) 100vw, 465px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo provided by Adam Stout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"so-how-did-you-get-this-job\"><strong>So how did you get this job?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I was supposed to be contracting for a theater for the next four months. But we had a disagreement, they let me go, and I was looking for work. So I sent a resume to Holland America. They called me six hours later and asked if I could fly out the next Tuesday.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I joined the HAL Cats, the ship band. We played the Crow\u2019s Nest for the party sets, backed guest entertainers, and played sets by the pool.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"how-do-you-practice\"><strong>How do you practice?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t! There\u2019s a keyboard available here with very limited access. There are a couple of pianos I can get to in the middle of the night when no one\u2019s around, but they\u2019re really not accessible. And you know, part of why I\u2019m out here is to not overwork! When I was freelancing, I\u2019d often be behind a piano for 10-12 hours a day. It takes a physical toll, so that\u2019s what I\u2019m avoiding in this gig.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"you-must-know-hundreds-of-songs\"><strong>You must know hundreds of songs!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I know thousands of songs, absolutely. And I sight-read anything that is available on one of my subscription sites like Sheet Music Direct. So if a guest requests something, and I can find sheet music to it\u2014even if I\u2019ve never heard the song\u2014I\u2019ll sight-read it. People will tell me, \u201cYou sound just like the original! How have you never heard that song?\u201d But that\u2019s my sight-reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"so-how-do-you-learn-a-new-song-do-you-use-a-full-score-or-do-you-go-the-chording-route-and-use-something-like-ultimate-guitar-com\"><strong>So how do you learn a new song? Do you use a full score or do you go the chording route and use something like Ultimate-Guitar.com?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimate Guitar is fine if I\u2019m already familiar with the song because I\u2019ll play off chord charts and improvise. But if I don\u2019t already know the song, I won\u2019t get the vocal melody right. And I\u2019m a reader first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I\u2019m sight-reading a pop song, I look at the notes on the page, but I improvise around them because a lot of those arrangements are so simplified; they don&#8217;t account for what the rest of the band does. So I improvise around those notes, I read both the lyrics and the actual written notes in the chord charts all at once, and my mind just processes all of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/15154646\/oosterdam-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Up close view of a cruise ship with &quot;Oosterdam&quot; on the bow.\" class=\"wp-image-17050\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/15154646\/oosterdam-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/15154646\/oosterdam-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/15154646\/oosterdam-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/15154646\/oosterdam-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/15154646\/oosterdam.jpg 2016w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"what-songs-and-or-artists-would-you-say-youd-have-to-know-to-do-this-job\"><strong>What songs and\/or artists would you say you\u2019d have to know to do this job?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You should know a fair amount of Billy Joel, Elton John, and the Beatles. Now, the Billboard Onboard actually has a whole list of songs that you need to know, and I\u2019m able to stray off those lists because of my experience (I\u2019ve been given a little leeway there).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But you should really know the biggest hits of the 60s, 70s, 80s\u2014especially 60s for this crowd <em>(sidenote: Holland America typically caters to a 65+ clientele)<\/em>. You\u2019ve got to know some John Lennon. And you should know some Herman\u2019s Hermits and all those great old 60s groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Adam also recommends looking up lists people have made of the top requested songs at different piano bars. But most importantly\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I encourage people\u2014as they\u2019re learning songs, even if it\u2019s just a simple Wikipedia read\u2014to read about the background of the song. I probably share more information about songs than a lot of people who do these jobs. And that\u2019s a big part of why guests enjoy my set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Lewis Capaldi song makes me think of that. <em>Last night, Adam had played <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/someone-you-loved\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cSomeone You Loved\u201d<\/a> by Lewis Capaldi. <\/em>Because so many people think it\u2019s a break-up song\u2026but it wasn\u2019t a song about that.<strong><em> <\/em><\/strong>It was about him feeling a little lost after his grandmother died. It had nothing to do with romance! And it changes the context of the song. That\u2019s why I put it in \u201clove songs\u201d: it was a love song to his grandmother.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can still interpret the song in your own way. That&#8217;s one of the great things about music, but knowing the original intent is something that can really make you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\">You meet so many people from all over the world, from different cultures. And if you take the time to go out and make sure you&#8217;re meeting people, especially among the crew, and getting to know people, it&#8217;s extremely rewarding. And you never know what kind of lifelong friendships you&#8217;ll develop.<\/p>\n<cite>Adam Stout<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02121916\/adam-stout-2-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Portrait of a man with glasses in blue collared shirt.\" class=\"wp-image-16871\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02121916\/adam-stout-2-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02121916\/adam-stout-2-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02121916\/adam-stout-2-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02121916\/adam-stout-2-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02121916\/adam-stout-2-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02121916\/adam-stout-2.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo provided by Adam Stout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"what-are-the-three-most-requested-songs-you-get-again-and-again\"><strong>What are the three most requested songs you get again and again?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPiano Man\u201d and \u201cSweet Caroline&#8221; are the top two, hands down. With \u201cSweet Caroline\u201d and \u201cPiano Man,\u201d the age group doesn\u2019t really matter. Like, that\u2019s young crowds, older crowds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, when I was in Alaska and the crowds were slightly younger, I was with a duo and we had probably 25 Bob Seger songs requested a night. That kind of took me by surprise, honestly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If I do parties and stuff on land, Taylor Swift is often requested. She\u2019s not requested a lot here, but I put a couple of her songs into sets to help balance things out. And because she\u2019s so relevant to Billboard (the actual Billboard).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLiving on a Prayer\u201d is requested a lot too. \u201cBohemian Rhapsody\u201d is requested a lot\u2014the ones everyone thinks are really fun for us to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"do-you-have-songs-you-hate-playing-and-how-do-you-deal-with-having-to-play-them\"><strong>Do you have songs you hate playing, and how do you deal with having to play them?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t <em>hate<\/em> playing \u201cSweet Caroline\u201d or \u201cPiano Man;\u201d I get tired of playing them. The one song I absolutely hate\u2014and I honestly usually just skip it\u2014is \u201cSweet Home Alabama.\u201d I can\u2019t stand that song!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tom Jones\u2019 \u201cDelilah\u201d is another one that I really don\u2019t like to play. Well, I have one guest I\u2019ll probably give in and play it for later because she keeps asking for it\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"what-kind-of-person-would-be-good-at-this-job-in-terms-of-personality\"><strong>What kind of person would be good at this job in terms of personality?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Personality-wise, the people who will succeed in this job are the ones who maintain high energy when they\u2019re around people. One of the big challenges is that on some nights, even the same crowd that\u2019s been high-energy on another night is very tired. And the instinct is to play down to the energy of the crowd, but you really want someone who can maintain that high energy, even when the crowd is not giving it back. Because that\u2019s what keeps people coming back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But also, I think you have to understand within yourself when you need your own time to be antisocial, which we all do. If you\u2019re out and about on the ship, you need to pick a place where there\u2019s not a lot of people around. You need to be prepared to talk to people if you\u2019re out in areas where people are. Personality-wise, you have to be okay with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02122946\/krisjanis-mezulis-zSRqJsMcrAc-unsplash-1024x681.jpg\" alt=\"Lush green Norwegian fjord.\" class=\"wp-image-16873\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02122946\/krisjanis-mezulis-zSRqJsMcrAc-unsplash-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02122946\/krisjanis-mezulis-zSRqJsMcrAc-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02122946\/krisjanis-mezulis-zSRqJsMcrAc-unsplash-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02122946\/krisjanis-mezulis-zSRqJsMcrAc-unsplash-1536x1021.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02122946\/krisjanis-mezulis-zSRqJsMcrAc-unsplash-2048x1362.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Geirangerfjord, Norway. Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@krisijanis?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash\">Krisjanis Mezulis<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/body-of-water-between-mountains-zSRqJsMcrAc?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash\">Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"do-you-get-homesick-at-all\"><strong>Do you get homesick at all?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh, yeah. Absolutely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"how-long-are-you-away-at-a-time\"><strong>How long are you away at a time?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These Billboard contracts are typically four months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s interesting, because I\u2019ve done five-month contracts and eight-month contracts, and it\u2019s always that last month, when you\u2019re almost home, that you start to feel it most. You look at the food and you\u2019re like, \u201cI can\u2019t eat this anymore.\u201d And you have to fight to find the energy to do the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I\u2019m not going to check out. Once I get up on Billboard\u2014even if I walk up to that piano and I\u2019m thinking to myself, \u201cI really don\u2019t want to be here\u201d\u2014I start playing, and I start interacting with my crowd\u2026there\u2019s nowhere else I want to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Adam gets a minimum of one day off every seven. His schedule can vary: on this voyage in particular, he had three days on and one off, four days on and one off, and then five days on and one off.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>As for going ashore, Adam has \u201cguest status,\u201d which means he\u2019s not a part of the in-port manning rotation (IPM). Most crew members are part of a rotation where they\u2019re sometimes required to remain onboard on non-working days, in case of emergencies. \u201cBut I don\u2019t have to worry about any of that,\u201d Adam says. \u201cThe announcements still wake me up in the morning, but I don\u2019t have a function or duty in those moments.\u201d Which leads me to my next question\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"do-you-have-a-favorite-place-youve-been-to\"><strong>Do you have a favorite place you\u2019ve been to?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I have several favorite places that are favorites for different reasons. I think the absolute most beautiful place I\u2019ve ever seen in the world, just from a single view, is the Geirangerfjord in Norway. It\u2019s magnificent.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, Antarctica is unreal. My favorite architecture\u2014cobblestone streets and everything\u2014was in Ponta Delgada, Portugal. It was so different from anywhere else I\u2019ve been.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Barcelona was a pretty great party city. I was younger than when I went there, more apt to go party than I am now! I&#8217;m old now\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah, so many really wonderful places. But I&#8217;ve got a long list of places I still haven\u2019t been to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-center is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>I think the absolute most beautiful place I\u2019ve ever seen in the world, just from a single view, is the Geirangerfjord in Norway.<\/p>\n<cite>Adam Stout<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"whats-something-about-this-gig-that-might-surprise-someone\"><strong>What\u2019s something about this gig that might surprise someone?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Hmm. Some people might be surprised that the downtime can be boring. I will say that if you&#8217;re not happy in your life in general, all of the downtime can magnify loneliness.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But on the flip side, you meet so many people from all over the world, from different cultures. And if you take the time to go out and make sure you&#8217;re meeting people, especially among the crew, and getting to know people, it&#8217;s extremely rewarding. And you never know what kind of lifelong friendships you&#8217;ll develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02132029\/ponta-delgado-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"Large outdoor doorway in front of patterned cobblestone, high contrast architecture. \" class=\"wp-image-16877\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02132029\/ponta-delgado-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02132029\/ponta-delgado-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02132029\/ponta-delgado-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02132029\/ponta-delgado-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/02132029\/ponta-delgado.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Portas da Cidade, Ponta Delgada.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"whats-your-least-and-most-favorite-part-of-the-job\"><strong>What\u2019s your least and most favorite part of the job?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Least favorite is just being away from my wife and my dogs. And not having Taco Bell available\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But my favorite part\u2026there are a few for me. Obviously, seeing these incredible places is pretty wonderful. And I already mentioned all the wonderful people you meet from around the world. But aside from the obvious (because that&#8217;s obvious), it\u2019s not having to deal with the grind of scheduling as a freelancer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not even the grind of the work itself, just the grind of figuring out the calendar, coordinating my rehearsal schedules, sending out contracts to my musicians, having to deal with organizations when they fail to pay my musicians or myself. Having to constantly negotiate for higher pay because everyone\u2014especially in the theater world\u2014almost always comes out with initial offers that are often insulting, frankly. And having to decide when to negotiate and when not to.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And when I&#8217;m home, I spend 20 hours a week easily figuring out my calendar and then driving so much in Houston traffic. So not having to do not having to do any of that while I&#8217;m here\u2026it&#8217;s very freeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Thanks for chatting with us, Adam! Safe travels.<\/strong> <br><em>P.S. You can find Adam&#8217;s socials and website <a href=\"https:\/\/linktr.ee\/adamkstout\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Liked this article? 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Plus: get coached by world-class pianists and learn whenever you  want, wherever you want, and whatever you want.<\/p><a class=\"join\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS<\/a><\/center><br><\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Want to make money sailing around the world? Check out our interview with pianist Adam Stout, a cruise ship musician with Holland America.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":17119,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1132],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16866"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17122,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16866\/revisions\/17122"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}