A Timeless Family Story

Ever had a family get together where everyone reminisces about the "good ol' days" and share recounts of great times? My family does that all of the time.(In addition to playing UNO and Pictionary) Since we are a large group ( My grandmother had 16 children-8 boys and 8 girls) there are numerous stories. Some are very colorful, very joyful and there are a few sad ones too. While the stories are important, the strength lies in the bonds that are formed from storytelling and with the story teller.
Stories endure the test of time just by being told. A year ago, my cousin Hayden, was the victim of a senseless shooting. He had a story to tell and he told it. He remains in our hearts and we give him life by sharing his story amongst ourselves and with others.

The video below shows a family gathering in Antigua in 2008. My uncle Leary and Hayden told the story from a first person point of view. Although their speech is in a heavy Trinidadian dialect, one can see the joy and loved that is shared amongst our family as a whole-hence the power of the story and the story teller.

Here is a gist of what happened.

My uncle (Leary) and cousin (Hayden-bald headed guy) were given the responsibility of caring for my grandfather's prized hunting dogs. He instructed them to tend to the animals while he was away. The two men accepted their assignments, but decided to play, wrestle and have an all out good time for 3 days straight without even an inkling thought of checking on the dogs.

When my grandfather returned, he asked them for an account of how they had tended to the dogs. Knowing that they were in trouble and had never checked on the dogs, they concocted a story of how they bathed the dogs,fed them, kept them in the shade, and did an all around good job in caring for the pets. Both boys agreed that that was their story and that they were sticking to it. The funny part- the kicker of the whole story was that unbeknownst to the boys, my grandfather took the hunting dogs with him for the past three days!

Luckily, the intervention of one our family friends had allowed both boys a chance to live to tell that story and not experience the swift decisive discipline of a West Indian Parent.

Hayden, we love you and you will forever be in our hearts. Will tell this story to everyone because it gives us life. It gives you life.



Love,
Minsky

Kitty Hawk Steel Drum Player

Hello Music Friends,
Did you know that Kitty Hawk North Carolina is the home of aviation pioneers The Wright Brothers? Its also a very popular destination wedding city. I've captured some footage of a recent steel drum performance out on the Kitty Hawk Pier.

Keep Well,
Minsky

"Man Cannot Live on Steel Drums Alone"

Its summer! and the barometer has made sure that we know it! The country has been gripped by a heatwave and I hope that you are doing whatever you can to stay hydrated and comfortable.

Thus far, I've been writing from my point of view. I wanted to change things up a bit and introduce you to some of the people who have helped make my musical journey a success-the people who I've played for and who have allowed me to be a part of their extended families.

In this months issue I've invited some of my past brides/new friends to share their favorite drink/food recipes.

While its important to be musically proficient and to provide top notch customer service, I must say that the connections and friendships formed have left an indelible mark on my heart.
Furthermore," Man cannot live on steel drums alone."



Jalepeno Poppers
Submitted by Melissa Bard- Sylvester, GA.

2 LBS fresh jalepeno peppers 4 pkgs softened cream cheese
2 LBS thin slided bacon 1 sm jar/bag real bacon bits
1 pkt of onion soup mix ( dry ) garlic salt to taste
1 pair of plastic/rubber gloves ( jalepenos burn ! )
Preheat oven to 350°
Put gloves on, wash and dry peppers. Cut them in half lengthwise. Use a tablespoon to carefully remove seeds. You need to soft fry the bacon to wrap around the poppers later. Do not overcook the bacon. Blanch the peppers for about 3 minutes after it boils. Drain. Mix the softened cream cheese, bacon bits, and dry onion soup mix and garlic. Spoon in the mixture into each half pepper and wrap a pice of bacon around. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE OR BURN!
Yields about 20-30 servings. Of course, just half the recipe for smaller portions.

Mini Lump Crab and Avocado Bruschetta
Submitted by Anna-Christina Dais-Edgewater, NJ.

10oz-1lb lump crab meat (depends on how much crab you want to pile on)
small bunch of mint, minced
lime, enough to drizzle over crab
1 avocado for every 8-10 pieces of bruschetta (depends on size of bread)
cayenne pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
Any type of bread you prefer for bruschetta, cut into bite sized pieces and bake in oven with a little oil or butter until warm/golden in color. Bagel bites work well too!
parsley (optional for decorative purposes)

In one bowl mix the lump crab meat, mint and lime juice.
In another bowl, mix the avocado, cayenne pepper, S&P (all to taste. I like my guacamole spicy so I add more cayenne pepper and even garlic since I LOVE GARLIC.)
Assemble the avocado/guacamole mixture over the bread, then pile the crab meat on top.
Decorate with a piece of parsley on top and you're done!
Easy, simple yet fancy looking apps for when you have loved ones over. Enjoy!

Key Lime Martini
Submitted by Natasha Adams Denny-Charlotte, NC.

Mix 1 1/2 oz Malibu Rum, 1/2oz Midori, 1oz pineapple jucice, 1/2 oz simple syrup (hot water and sugar), 1/2 oz lime juice, and a splash of cream. It is delicious!!


Carolina Sangria
Submitted by Tricia Mondok Congers-Wilmington, NC.

With Peaches in Season right now I love this recipe!

Ingredients:
1 bottle Pinot Grigio Chilled
3/4 cup Peach Vodka
6 tablespoons thawed frozen lemonade concentrate
2 tablespoons sugar
1 lb Ripe Carolina Sweet Peaches Sliced and peeled
1 Cup Grapes or Raspberries (optional)
2 cups club soda (can use flavored lemon, lime or peach)
Combine first 4 ingredients
Stir in fruit Cover and Chill 5-8 hours
Add soda just before serving.

Pura Vida Rita-The Best Margarita by way of Costa-Rica
Submitted Michelle Pou-Lowery-Wellington, FL.

Make sure you have a large cocktail mixer, oranges, limes,Tequila, Triple Sec and Agave Syrup (essential).

Juice 1 orange and 1 lime, add to your mixer.
Add 2 shots of tequila to the mixer and a splash of Triple Sec.
Add a tsp. of Agave.
Salt the rims of two glasses, shake the mixer and pour.
Pura Vida!


Thank You to the chefs and flair bartenders for their contributions. Please have another event soon, make those recipes that you described and have me over to play and taste test em!

A bride, a groom, and a steel drum

Hello Music Friends,

One of the coolest events that I enjoy playing at are weddings. They are such beautiful celebrations. Its so interesting to see how different couples use themes to express themselves and their love for each other. For the most part all attendess are happy and the vibe of the day is joyful. I take weddings very seriously because I believe in the institutuion of marriage and I also feel that playing for weddings is a part of ministry.

Keep me in mind for your wedding!

Best,
Minsky

Read all of our Ceremony Musicians Reviews at

The world of Facebook

Are you on the ever popular Facebook? So am I! Lets connect there too.
Click the "like" button to find me.

See you there.
Best,
Minsky

America's Got Talent Update

Hello,

If you got a chance to read my previous blog post, you knew that I auditioned for America's Got Talent this past January. I was quite happy with my performance and felt that the audition went very well. We were told that successful candidates would receive selection notifications around the end of March. It is now April and I have not received a call. I figured that I wasn't chosen and decided to move on to the next chapter of my performance career. However, when I visited the show's website, I read that the deadline to submit audition videos had been extended 10 days! What an amazing opportunity to get in front of the producers again! There are alot of rejections in showbiz and the most successful entertainers have perservered. This is my lesson in perseverance. Here is my audition video; Fueled by perseverance!

The King and I

Hello Music Friends,

First off I wanted to thank all of you for participating in last month's song selection survey. The results are posted below and you will see that songs by The King of Pop and The King of Rock were highly favored.

After you glance at the results, continue reading below to find out which King made the cut and what happens next.

Q- What song shall I play for the audition panel? It has to be a 90 second accapella rendition.

That's What Friends Are For-Dionne Warwick and Friends - 8.3%

Summertime-George Gershwin - 16.7%

Human Nature-Michael Jackson - 29.2%

I Can't Help Falling In Love With You-Elvis Presley 25.0%

Greatest Love of All- Whitney Houston 16.7%

Hero-Mariah Carey- 16.7%

Arrival...

My day started very early as I had a four hour drive from Charlotte, NC to Atlanta, GA to make an 8am casting call.
I must say the entire experience was great. I tried to be cool and calm as possible, because I had a feeling that I might make it, but I didn't want to be too disappointed if I didn't.

The atmosphere of the place was quite lively. There was a gamut of talent that ranged from Dance Crews, Musicians, Michael Jackson impersonators complete with white socks, sparkling glove and fedora hats, Little Richard look -a -likes and even a lady and puppy who wore matching outfits. Several acts had previously tried out and were giving it another shot. I especially enjoyed listening to the adventures of those who auditioned for American Idol. From their stories, I gathered that they are a small part of a large circuit of people that audition for numerous shows. Their determination was somewhat inspiring. No matter what their talent was, they were steadfast in their pursuits.

Audition...

I must say that I was pleased with my performance and how well the instrument sounded. It seems like I connected with the staff and the judges because one of the coordinators left his post to specifically listen to me play. That was a good sign. He mentioned that he had not seen any steel drum acts this season. As I introduced myself to the judges I had mentioned that I was born in Trinidad and Tobago. One of the judges' eyes lit up and he said that he was considering Trinidad as a vacation spot. He knew that Trinidad was full of beautiful women, and I assured him that his notion was correct.

I decided to play Elvis Presley's version of "Can't Help Falling in Love". I felt that the melody of that song was quite familiar and that it would be easily recognized. One of the challenges of playing instrumental music is that it must be performed in a way that it mimics a vocalist. The melody of "Cant Help Falling in Love" was very strong and could be successfully played acapella. In the event that I progress forward, I will more than likely play a Michael Jackson song. His music is recognized world wide, and I will have the luxury of having background music or perhaps a live band accompanying me; The full sound of the band combined with the steel drum will help the audience know exactly what song I'm playing.

The Next Step...

The next step if you are chosen, is that you will then audition in front of the celebrity judges - Usually Piers, Sharon and Howie. (That is when you will see the clips on TV of contestants being told that they are going to Hollywood.BTW I also saw Nick Canon on site) Exciting stuff for sure!

At the end of our auditions, the producers told us that successful acts will receive invitations via telephone. I've found myself checking my phone more often than usual for a "missed call" or voicemail message. I guess its true what they say in Hollywood...." Don't call us we will call you"

Best,
Minsky