Here’s a big surprise: we’re having the time of our lives out here!  Let’s run through my favorite moments from the first few days on the cruise:

• Listening to Edie Carey and then Katie Herzig while working the Info Desk on the first day. When you hear live songs from these musicians over your shoulder as you’re explaining where the nearest bathroom is, life just seems a little bit better
• Finding my parents up on the Pool Deck as they were rocking out to Scythian as we sailed away from Miami. One of the most entertaining shows I’ve seen in quite some time – dueling fiddles and an awesomely-energetic stage presence.  These relatively unknown artists (to the Cayamo crowd) quickly became favorites.  Can’t wait for their next set tonight!
• Running in to catch a few songs from Ben Taylor. Good lord what a voice.
• I missed Lyle’s first set, but my folks said he was amazing (as always). He joked when first coming out that all the headliners drew straws and he got stuck with the first set of the ship, commenting “Yup, I guess we’re ship outta luck.”  Coming from anybody else it would have been corny, but Lyle is so genuine and has such great delivery that it came across as freaking hilarious.
• Getting instantly teary-eyed thanks to Brandi Carlile. I managed to walk by the main venue as Brandi was coordinating the three-part harmony for her song “Turpentine.”  Thanks to the organization of the venue, this was done to absolute perfection.  Hearing 700 people singing backup in perfect unison was just awesome.  Brandi and the twins (Phil and Tim) never disappoint, but I’m just continually blown away how they continue to improve upon perfection year after year.
• Catching the last 30 minutes of the Lovell Sister’s performance (they’re now called Larkin Poe). Just beautiful.  Rebecca Lovell sang one song written by her sister and co-performer Megan that absolutely blew me away.  I can’t wait to listen to their new EP and I look forward to catching a full set of theirs later on this week.
• I was unfortunately scheduled elsewhere, but I heard John Hiatt and Lyle’s acoustic yesterday morning set the bar even higher for “wow, that just happened” moments on a Cayamo cruise. I’m sorry I missed it, but I’m guessing there are guests who could do this show far more justice with their writing when back on land.

And that’s just the first day and a half.  Until we talk again…

-Steve

Riding on an elevator with a musical icon is not your average Monday evening… Unless you are on Cayamo, in which case it is perfectly normal.

To turn musical fantasy into an everyday reality is the epitome of Cayamo. Weather you are a music neophyte like me, or the most seasoned aficionado, every second of this cruise holds the promise of some magical moment where you will rub elbows with your hero’s, witness a collaboration that defies your wildest imagination or get turned on to someone who will transform your universe with a single song.

You would think that after three years of Sixthmaning this event some of the sparkle would wear off and the extraordinary would become mundane, but for me this could not be less true. Each year there is an experience that tops the one before and leaves a lasting impression. While it is only day two, I could happily walk away and say that I have been touched with the Magic of Cayamo.

For the first time on any event I was lucky enough to make a suggestion for an artist that I thought would be a perfect fit for this cruise.  Last year, still reeling and fresh from the boat, I went to a show in Atlanta to see a musician that was dear to a very good friend of mine. We got there just in time to see the opening artist, which can often mean little more than buying you enough time to sidle up to the bar for your next beer. In this case however the artist that took to the stage had me hooked from the first note. All I could think about was “how can I get her on Cayamo next year? The artist that took me by such force was an adorable little thing named Samantha Crain. Looking hardly old enough to be in the bar, it was mesmerizing to watch her sing with such a seasoned and awe inspiring voice.

After the show I went into the office on a mission. She would be on Cayamo, and I was just not taking no for an answer. As it turns out, my job was easy and her music spoke for itself. Within the month, she was booked and I could not have been more excited.

Now I am here, sailing on Cayamo with more amazing artists than can even be real and for the first time, I feel like I have contributed just a little piece of something magical myself.

Cayamo will always be a place of discovery but the beauty is, it doesn’t end when we pull back into port. Once you are infected with the spirit, it’s with you forever. I am excited for these next few days and all of the things I will encounter, but I am also looking forward to all of the moments after when I discover something new- about myself, about the music.

I can’t wait to get Cayamo’d again!

-May

Yesterday I had the privilege of sitting in on some artist interviews on Cayamo: even though they had rehearsals and soundchecks to get to, these musicians were incredibly kind to speak with some journalists we have on board. As I listened, the conversations turned to WHY the artists sail on Cayamo and why they keep coming back. One word kept popping up: community.

We have talked a lot about the fans being part of a community, and coming on board to enjoy the music, meet fellow music lovers, etc, but not as much about how the artists feel. And in case you haven’t heard it already, I’m here to tell you that they love this cruise.

The artists love that the fans on Cayamo know the songs and the stories behind them, love that the fans “get it” as we say, and they love being able to come on board, be a part of the community, and enjoy an incredible vacation at the same time. For many of these talented songwriters, this is a break from bus fumes, cluttered driving schedules, and a chance to have their families along while they’re playing shows.

At Sixthman we’re proud to be able to provide not only guests but also the artists with an unforgettable experience. And for all of those artists who are joining us for the first time on Cayamo, welcome to the community!

Sorry for the delayed blogs for this cruise guys!  Please know that we’re stockpiling stories as we speak, I promise they’re coming   Sixthman team member Sonia took a shot at blogging for the very first time, and I think she passed the test with flying colors.  Take it away Sonia!

I love language.

I love to savor words and swirl them around just to hear the sounds of revelation they make when together they create something unexpected.  Or sometimes just a word in and of itself can make me happy. Like foibles, for instance. What a great word, foibles. It’s fun to say, a little odd to look at and almost always makes me pause and think about my own. But most of the time it’s the meaning behind a word that inspires my affection. Especially if it’s a made-up word that wouldn’t really have any meaning unless you’d been there.  Kind of like Whodat.  Or Cayamo.

Cayamo wouldn’t be found in any dictionary (yet), but it is a name and a place, a thing, an idea and a community. It’s a floating festival of music celebrating singer-songwriters that turns into an on board celebration of music lovers, be they old or young, musicians or fans. You can feel the enthusiasm, the deep down appreciation and palpable passion for song.

Yesterday we embarked on the third Cayamo, which is my second one.  I’ve been on quite a few Sixthman cruises at this point, but Cayamo is definitely my favorite. Anywhere you walk on the ship, you can tell that not only does everyone on board love a good song, but that those songs have played an integral role in their lives, including right now. I can relate, and it feels pretty special to help put something together that weaves its way into the fabric of memory and the sinews of connection that become community. And it does. Cayamo is five days of incredible music that, once experienced, becomes the people you meet, the stories you tell, the passion you share; the meaning behind a little made-up word that you will remember forever.

-Sonia

So, I just got off the phone with one of my closest friends in the world, who a little over a year ago, found a small, growing company (Company X) to work for part-time.

In the past year, Company X has grown – fast – and she joined them full time and was recently offered a promotion.  She is super excited that she could be on a career path with Company X, but is struggling a little bit with the way the owners run things. And for good reason.

The challenge from my eyes is this: they had an idea that started getting some attention a little more than a year ago, and has since absolutely “blown up” in marketplace recognition & consumer demand.

In the process of growing and being a constantly changing & adapting company, the creators forgot they needed to learn how to lead a team.  They had built their business off of young, temporary, hourly help to keep them going, and had never really invested in the people who supported them.  Now with all of those same people becoming full time, working overtime, and exhausted, they have failed to stop and focus on the internal makings of their success.

Company X certainly isn’t the first to see substantial growth in such a short time… Tom’s Shoes, Spanx, Livestrong Bracelets to name just a few that came to mind. So, how did they do it – and thrive?

The leaders of those companies & products not only had the great idea, but they weathered the growth without losing momentum. I am fearful that my friend’s company isn’t keeping up, and worse off, doesn’t even really know the extent to which something is wrong.

I tried giving her advice of how she could help alert them, or how she can herself take this time to really become a leader within the company, but I feel like that’s not going to cut it. They are in a critical time right now where they can start reaching out to their team and learning how to be better leaders, or they will find themselves teamless.

Does anyone out there have advice of how I can help my friend, help her company?

-Ape

As many of you know, Sixthman is going to be doing several new cruises in 2010.  Many of us have stepped in to new roles, and I can safely say that all of us have taken on more responsibility in one way, shape, or form.  Am I complaining?  Definitely NOT.  Sixthman is full of great leadership and was born to take on new opportunity.

I’m guessing Andy was noticing the hard work around the office, so with the help of one of our newest members of the family, Calli, they organized a little company outing.  That’s right – I’m talking about a little game with some friendly competition.  A game where you drink some beer, eat some wings, and get your game face on.  No helmets, no pads.  Just you, you’re “Whirlybug,” and your “Scoop.”  Sounds intense, right?

At first we didn’t pick teams, we just ran out on the court and jumped in whatever Whirlybug wasn’t occupied at the moment.  Yellow or red, yellow or red?  The color of the cart is what determines which team you will be on for the 8:00 min. match.  Then, the announcer would turn on the electricity and off we went.  Yelling and bumping trying to get the little, white wiffle ball into 1 foot in diameter, round hole that is cut out of a basketball backboard.  Trust me, it’s not that easy (unless you have perfected your scoop throwing technique).

Then, Andy decided to turn it up a notch.  He threw in a little wager, had captains pick teams, and all of the sudden you would have thought Sixthman was in a league or something.  Bumps and bruises have all healed, but I’m pretty sure we’ve discovered an annual outing.  Next year there will be brackets

-Mike

Tuesday was Paczki Day in Hamtramck, Michigan. When I lived there, it was a no-holds-barred Fat Tuesday celebration with paczkis, pierogies, alcohol, and lots of Polish dancing. Everyone took off work that day, and the Polish bakeries would have lines hundreds of people long to buy a dozen paczkis. A paczki, by the way, is kind of like a really heavy and rich jelly donut with a variety of fillings, custard being my personal favorite. They’re pronounced “POONCH-key” (don’t ask me why!) and they’re delicious!

Paczki Day in Hamtramck

Here in Atlanta, we have Mardis Gras celebrations but it’s nothing like what I saw on the streets of Hamtramck. Despite the fact that it’s probably twenty degrees colder up there, sometimes I miss those crazy local traditions and the friends with whom I celebrated… What is your favorite regional party?

I was speaking with an artist manager last week and he was sharing his band’s recent journey to make a new album.  I had not only heard this same story before, I had lived it.  It goes something like this…Band writes songs they are excited about and believe in, they tour and play the songs for the fans to get their reaction, they release the album and the fans rave about the album, radio becomes aware and plays the songs and the band experiences success.

Then, when it’s time to make the next album, the are pressured by the record label to write songs that will make “Radio” happy.  They abandon the previous process which gave them their initial success, the over thinking begins, the confidence and swagger is lost and an average record that sounds like what is being played on the radio is released.  The fans listen and turn their heads like confused puppies, album sales are disappointing and the fan base is now fractured.

Listen to the lyrics of “Hook” by Blues Traveler or “Love Song” by Sara Bareilles or “These Words” by Natasha Bedingfield or a hundred other songs by frustrated artists trying to respond cleverly to the pressure of writing a song for radio.

Looks good on paper, right?  If radio likes it then they will play it and you can continue to be famous, tour and make tons of cash.  Here is the problem.

Radio dj’s don’t pay for music, pay for concert tickets or stand in the pit with the fans to watch the show.  They sit backstage, get the photo, autograph with their girlfriend and really DONT care if you make it or not.  They are also most likely a little jaded by the industry because they have seen the underbelly and how the art has been overrun by commerce.

Your fans know who you and love you for the band you almost are (had to bring a Jerry Maguire line into this one).  The fans pay for the concert tickets, the music, they wait in line in the cold while you finish your sound check, tell anyone who will listen about your music and believe in you radio or not.

So here’s to all the artists out there writing from their most honest and creative place and letting their fans be the judge.

Andy

By the time you’re reading this, I’ll be on my way to the Apple store, not to oggle the new iPad (what a terrible name, by the way), but to get my 3-month old MacBook fixed.

Last night the damn thing just stopped working.  Considering I spend probably 80% of my non-sleeping hours on this thing, I suddenly felt naked and alone.  Who would answer my emails?  How would I watch TV shows on Hulu.com?  I even have another computer upstairs (which I’m using to type this post), but this outdated hunk of junk is more than a year old (gasp), and it isn’t even an Apple!  Then it hit me: I need to get a grip.

I never thought it would come to this, but I’ve become such a spoiled technology brat that I can’t function properly without that glowing apple in front of me.  This needs to be fixed!  I started to think through all the things in life that technology has made easier but far more impersonal.  Let’s see, when was the last time you…

• Called your friend on his/her birthday rather than leaving a wall-post on their Facebook profile? I’m definitely guilty of this for a majority of my acquaintances, but I make sure I call my best friends on the phone.  Everybody gets one day a year that’s all about them – pick up the phone and call them.  They’ll appreciate it.
• Wrote an ACTUAL thank-note and stuck it in the mail rather than a thank-you email? I mailed my first thank-you note this past week for the first time in a long time…and it felt great.  Sure, this takes way more effort, finding an address, buying a stamp, getting some thank-you notes, but I guarantee the recipient will be far likely to actually feel your appreciation with this method.
• Mailed invitations for a party instead of using e-vite? Sure if it’s a weekend kegger to watch the Super Bowl I can see e-vites making sense.  However, if this is a legitimate party with a theme and all of that good stuff, why not send a kick-ass invitation?  And for you party-goers, when was the last time you actually picked up the phone to RSVP?  I’m the worst RSVP’er in history and I get yelled at for it.  I’ll try to be better.
• Asked somebody out on a date in person or over the phone instead of through Facebook/text/Twitter? Facebook has revolutionized the social scene for us young people, and not necessarily for the better.  These days, when you meet somebody you’re interested in, this is how it plays out: become a friend on Facebook, check their music preferences, scan every photo in their album, determine if you’re still interested, send a non-comittal message or wall post, then tell them via text you’ll be at so and so’s party on Friday and that they should swing by.  If you’re interested, just ask for a phone number, and call them!  Be honest, sincere, and take action.  You’ll save yourself weeks of time too.

These are just four examples that immediately come to mind. I know at Sixthman do our best to to balance online interaction with personal interaction.  The personal interaction certainly costs more, and we can’t necessarily quantify its benefits, be we recognize its importance, especially for new cruises where our new guests have no idea what to expect.

If you have a question or a problem with your cruise, call us at 877-749-8462, and you’ll talk to a real life Sixthman team member.  Ask them whatever the hell you want, they’ll probably come up with a quick and witty answer.

What did I miss? What are some other technological advancements that have taken away some personal interaction between friends and businesses?

-Steve

PS – Speaking of technological advancements, some of you might have noticed that we installed a new comment system on the blog.  This is a GOOD change.  Now we can respond individually to your comments, and you’re able to leave a comment via Twitter or Facebook.  We have big plans to make this blog far more personable as well.  This is just step one, so get ready!

Many of you Sixthman veteran guests know all about our love of everything Ninja.  Because we are, ourselves, a type of ninja.  The most feared, the most agile, the most amazing: the Phone Ninja.  For the past couple of years, you have become familiar with May, Joy, Jana, myself, Jill, and a few others.  We’ve had our ups and our downs.  We’ve had our good days and our bad.  We’ve made mistakes and we’ve made stories.  We have become the karate kid to Sixthman’s customer service.

Some of you may have noticed however, a shift in the regular art of customer service conquer-ship.  You may have even noticed a return of some of the ancient ninjas like Barb or Lauren.  But what you have most likely heard is the voice of some new ninjas including Becki, Steve, Mike, Sonia, and Avi.  And of course, there’s the ever elusive T-bone.  So what does this mean for you?  Well, every once in a while you might get asked to hold while the newer ninjas ask the wiser ninjas a question.  You might not get to talk to Joy as often as you have in the past.  You might even get a new ninja tag line when calling in.

The real question is, what can you do about these new dark martial art practitioners?  Well, you can help our newest ninjas earn their belts.  The list currently stands as such:

5.  Purple – Is my face a little flushed because I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing yet?

4. Green – It’s just that.  I’m a little green around the gills.

3. Red – I know karate, is that enough?!

2. Gray – I can make a sneak attack, but I’m not Jill, May, Lisa, or Joy.

1. Black – Full on Ninjaship.

Trust me, this does not mean you will not get the regular amazing customer service that you are used to.  We, black belts will still be lurking in the shadows, making sure that our honor is not tarnished.  We will still be answering the phones from time to time in our masterful quick-like fashion.  But we will also be using our skills to create a unique experience for you on board one of our many fantastical voyages.

So make sure you ask the ninjas what color belt they are at, and ask them really hard questions so they can earn the next color.  And find your more familiar ninjas on board their very own Sixthman event.

Oh, and don’t forget Minnie.  She’s black belt at sleeping on the rug ninja.

-Lisa