CAISO Steel Drum Band

Distracted pedestrians stumble into danger

via www.wtop.com

Distracted walking is a growing problem. With so many people using smart phones and tablets while walking, we need eyes in the side, back and top of our heads. Read the article in full Destracted pedestrians stumble into danger.

Forbes rates D.C., Bethesda top 20 coolest

WASHINGTON - D.C. is one of the coolest places to live in the United States, according to Forbes.com. The website came out with its annual list of the top 20 coolest places to live Friday.

via www.wtop.com

 

 

Read full article via wtop.com Top 20 Coolest Cities in the USA

London 2012 opening ceremony in pictures

BBC News - London 2012 opening ceremony in pictures

It was a spectacular ceremony to open the 2012 London Olympics.  Creative Director Danny Boyle gets two thumbs up from this critic.  See the pagentry for yourself.  There are many vivid images in the 2012 Olympic opening ceremonies in pictures

Paul McCartney, Olympics: Legend Closes London 2012's Opening Ceremony With 'Hey Jude'

via www.huffingtonpost.com

Sir Paul McCartney was one of the many famous faces to take the stage during the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. With him, the legendary Beatle brought a chorus of cheers and beaming smiles to Danny Boyle's "Isles of Wonder."

McCartney opened with "The End," one of the classics from the Beatles' decorated catalogue. Read entire article here

A Life Full of Music: Making Sure the Next Note Played is the Best One Yet

I have been surrounded by music since I was a young child.  I cannot remember my life without music fully filling every part of it.  Some people dream in color and with their words echoing a secondary language while I have often dreamed of nothing more than notes of music.  It has been both a privilege and a blessing to have had my life so touched and enriched by music.  I cannot imagine nor do I wish to consider how empty it would have been without it for my life truly has been filled from my first days to now with beautiful, sweet music.

My father was a musician and as I have admired him and hoped to offer the same life experience for my own children I grasped every opportunity to fill my life with music.  One of my greatest loves is the unique sound of a steeldrum and I will never complete my education of the instrument or advance my skill where I will know all there is to know and have played all the music that can be played upon it.  There is great satisfaction in knowing that even as an older man I will be learning and enjoying the steeldrum as much as I do now.  The steeldrum has offered me unique opportunities that I would not have had otherwise and I love playing it both alone in my home and with my band.

  I have also been granted a blessing in being a part of CAISO for I am a part of a band that has a long and important history and I have been able to be a part of some incredible moments.  We all take each opportunity to play together as the pinnacle moment in our careers.  It is that next performance, that next note played that will be our best ever, whether that is in front of a dignitary at a requested performance, a large community performance or the first dance for a newly married couple.  Yes, it is always the next song that we strive to be our best so far.

I am honored to be a musician, the son of a musician, a part of CAISO, a steeldrum player, and a lover of music.  I hope you will give me and my fellow band members the opportunity to share our passion for our music with you at your next event or celebration… for I guarantee it will be our best performance yet.

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Fill Your Summer with some Music

Summer and music go together like chocolate and peanut butter.  Both are great by themselves but put them together and you really have something special.  The summer brings people outdoors enjoying the weather and listening to their music players.  Cars drive by and music floats out of the rolled down windows.  Symphonies play in the parks and tickets to summer concerts are highly coveted.  Everyone loves music with their summer. 

We think you should take every opportunity to bring music into your summer so here are some links to help you do that:

Classical Music Festivals around the Nation: Here is a list of classical music festivals that are notable around the Nation.  Fix a picnic, bring a relaxing chair or blanket and let the music begin.  It will become a summer tradition.

Music Festival Finder: Classical isn’t the only music being played at summer festivals.  This link will help you find a festival that is playing the music you most want to hear.  It is a great way to enjoy the summer as well as discover new artists you should be listening to!

Free CAISO music downloads: Follow the link to free music downloads and ringtones from CAISO.  Nothing says summer as well as a steeldrum and none sound better than ours!

CAISO performs live at Clyde’s: Once you’ve download the songs and ringtone then mark your calendars to come out any Thursday evening from 5-9 at Clyde’s of Chevy Chase and hear us play live.  It is a great atmosphere with the music providing the background for some great food.  Come out and support us and make sure you say “Hi”!

Summer Concerts in NYC: Take in a music concert in Central Park or plan a trip around a major concert stop in NYC.  Now that is really building a summer music memory.

Katy Perry at the Movies: You don’t have to travel far to take in a big summer concert.  Head out to your local movie theater and take in “Katy Perry’s A Part of Me”.  You can even watch it in 3D.  Grab some popcorn, enjoy the music and the air conditioning.  It will be one concert you can see and don’t have to fight traffic to get home from.

Smithsonian Folkways: Stay even closer to home and experience music this summer in a whole new way.  If you haven’t discovered this site then you are going to feel you have found a treasure for sure the moment it opens.  Discover classics you didn’t know existed, expose yourself to types of music you didn’t know you would fall in love with, and it is all available to you with just one click.

Make this a music filled summer and it is sure to the best one yet.  Now get out there and enjoy the music and when there is none to be heard then sing aloud and make your own!

CAISO Events - Where We've Been and Where We're Going - Join Us!

CAISO was honored to be a part of the  Gum Springs Community Day a few weeks ago.  The celebration was held at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Park.  Those that attended were entertained with our music and enjoyed the pool, food, children’s activities, a vendor fair, and educational and entertainment demonstrations.  Fun was had by all and there was a great turn out of people keen to take advantage of the event and to socialize and build bonds in their community.  We want to thank Ms. Queenie Cox for being an awesome host and we look forward to celebrating with the Gum Springs Community again and thank everyone for their hospitality and warm welcome to CAISO. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We would like to extend an invitation to everyone to come down to Clyde’s of Chevy Chase on Thursday evening.  Every Thursday (weather permitting) CAISO adds to the ambiance at Clyde’s with some sweet tunes from 5PM to 9PM.  Please make sure to say “Hi”.  Mark your calendars – if not for this Thursday, then we hope to see you there the next week!  It truly is a great time.  You should make it a weekly summer habit – why wait till Friday to begin joining the weekend?  Come and join us at Clyde’s!

On Friday we have a private event we are looking forward to – we are honored to be a part of a young man’s bar mitzvah at the Congressional Country Club.  On Monday we have another private booking to play at the Greater Washington Aviation Open (GWAO) Golf Tournament at Lansdowne Resort.  We are truly proud to be a part of an event that does so much good for others.  The event last year raised over $100,000 for the GWAO Charities.    

While Friday and Monday are private events, on Saturday we will be playing at a public venue.  We’ll be at the Kentmorr Restaurant in Stevensville.  Hope you will make plans to be with us there – it’s sure to be the best place to be on Saturday night – after all what could better than sitting back and enjoying award winning crab cakes and listening to us LIVE?  We’ll help you shed the stress from the week and feel relaxed and renewed as we transport your soul to the beaches of the Caribbean.  Ahhhh, nice.  Hope to see you there!

Tips for Staying Cool in the Summer Heat

It may not be summer officially yet but the weather outside says differently.  The last few weeks have felt like we are in a deep set heat wave right in the middle of summer 2012.  Records for high temperatures have been broken all over the United States and unfortunately the heat has also been responsible for many deaths.

Here in DC and in outlying areas there are many that have been without electricity due to bad storms that rolled through a week ago.  The same can be said for other areas and the heat for those people is more unbearable because there is no access to air conditioning or even fans to blow the air around and offer relief.

If you find yourself trying to stay cool this summer there are some things you can do to make life a bit more bearable in the heat.  Below are some tips for staying cool:

• Turn on only the lights that are needed in the house.  Light bulbs and other appliances actually put off heat and it is important to limit the heat that is being generated in the house.
• Put small fans in strategic places to keep air flowing from room to room.  Open windows if you can and feel safe enough to do so at night when the air is cooler.  Set the fans to move the air throughout the house.
• Pull drapes and curtains shut as much as possible during the day to block out the sun’s rays.
• Dress in loose clothing.
• If you are outside dress in loose clothing that is light colored
• Keep your hair up and off of your neck so your body can let heat escape easier from your skin.
• Drink cool drinks frequently.
• Keep lotions in the fridge for applying on to your skin, especially aloe vera lotions and gels which will offer an extended relief to the skin if it has been kept in the refrigerator.
• Make small zip lock baggies with ice or use gel icepacks to hold on your wrists.  The blood in your wrist is close to the skin and the ice will cool down your blood and move it throughout your body lowering your temperature.
• Put your slippers or summer sandals in gallon zip lock baggies and put them in the freezer while you sleep.  In the heat of the day when you need to cool off take them out and put them on for relief that will last for quite a while.
• Getting dressed into work clothes in a warm house can make the day difficult as you battle the heat and try to keep cool.  Keeping your underclothes in the refrigerator and putting them on right before you get dressed will offer you just enough time to get dressed comfortably and leave the house without getting drenched from your own sweat.  You can do the same for your night clothes to make going to sleep more comfortable but restrict it to the refrigerator because putting them in the freezer makes clothes stiff and un-wearable.
• A bandana put into the refrigerator and tied around the neck while getting dressed or doing a task in the house can help keep the body temperature down.  If you have several then you can keep rotating them from the body to the wash to the fridge and keep a supply on hand for every day.
• Only run the dryer during the evening when the outdoor temperature is cooler.  Refrain as much as possible from cooking on the stove or in the oven during the day.
• Putting a bowl of ice in front of a fan can lower the room temperature by several degrees.
• Wipe off your skin frequently with cool cloths to help evaporate heat off of the body.
• Avoid covering your head while inside so heat can escape your head.
• Use a squirt bottle set on the mist setting to mist ice cold water on your body, face, and hair.

For those with pets it is important to remember that dogs and cats do not have sweat glands on their skin like humans and must cool off by panting.  They also stay cool by releasing heat from their ears and paws.  You can help them by putting a fan somewhere on the floor to move air where they rest and sleep, keeping their water changed several times in the day and adding ice to it, and by wiping off their stomachs, ear flaps, noses, and paws with a cool cloth occasionally.  Pets outdoors can quickly be overcome by the heat as their body temperatures are hotter than humans and they are wearing fur coats.  Keeping them off of hot surfaces is very important.  Shade, LOTS of fresh cool water, and moving air to help them cool off is vital.  Pet food will go rancid quickly in the heat so food should be changed out every 5-6 hours if it is left out in the heat.  Feed them in the coolest parts of the day and there will be less waste.  Nothing could be more helpful however than a kiddie pool filled with fresh water and floating ice set in the shade for them to take a dip in when they want to do so.

The elderly are very prone to illness and death related to extreme heat.  They often are afraid to leave their windows open and will suffer the heat rather than expose their home to a possible intruder.  If you have an elderly person living near you, please check on them or report to the authorities that they may need to be looked in on and perhaps you can help them get a donation for an air conditioner through a charity organization.  Many churches and charities donate air conditioners and help secure windows to keep the units installed and the home safe from intruders at the same time.  There are also charities to help them pay the extra costs to their electric bill and many times the electric company itself will help. 

Consider donating time to help others when the heat is high and your assistance will be well received and worthwhile as you will quickly see your efforts making a major difference for someone in need.  Just offering to give someone a ride to a shelter that is offering those that need relief from the heat can be the help another person needs.

Stay cool, think of others that may not be as fortunate as you to have a cool place to live and sleep and consider what you could do to help them, care for the animals that are dependent on humans for their comfort, and even offer the wild birds and small animals fresh water in feeders to help them along.  Don’t miss the opportunity to look in on your neighbors and those you know that are elderly to make sure they are all doing fine in the heat. 

Remember it isn’t summer yet – we have many more warm days ahead of us!  If you have some tips on how to keep cool please share them with us and others in the comments section.  Stay cool!