Shayne and Wallie Happily married, viola and cello duo featuring classical, pop, and contemporary

We are Shayne & Wallie, a married string duo with U.S. citizenship. We were the string duo (cello & viola) on the Viking Sun, with Vicki van Tassel as our cruise director. We filled in as a duo ensemble for a month with guest status. We had excellent reviews and were offered another contract on the spot, but unfortunately Covid shut things down just after we completed our STCW certifications at SUNY Maritime College in NY.

As a married string duo, we usually appeal to those wishing to easily fill a time slot with relaxing acoustic music from a reliable and self-contained duo ensemble. In our first crew meeting we were praised for being dependable and not requiring oversight or micromanagement, as we typically arrange our sets and playlists according to the performance needs independently. We have written and arranged most of our music ourselves, specifically for our unique acoustic combination of Cello/Viola, picking from a variety of western classical and contemporary composers. We have also transcribed works crossing several genres which allows us to craft a varied playlist depending on the space and the audience expectations.

We also collaborated with other musicians on the ship, including the jazz band during our time with Viking, including customizing a hybrid classical/modernized performance (famous scores, Bach & Beatles crossover, etc).