During the winter of 1991/92 two “S” & “L” friends, were discussing the possibility of getting a group of people together and joining in the camaraderie of the Saint Patrick's Day celebrations, by marching in the parade. The question was "What can we all do?" “S” suggested, lets start a Kazoo Band. Being quite a Kazoo aficionado in his own right knew he could train the rest of the group. If they could get a group of at least twenty people together they would march. So the phone calls began! What did you say? You want me to do what? What are you guy's nuts? Sure sign me up!!! And practice began!!
Practice makes perfect
A common mistake in attempting to play a kazoo is to pick it up and blow through the kazoo. A trained kazooist always seems to get a kick out of the new recruit and his understandable confusion. Most people say to hum into the kazoo is correct, but others like the "do" method, saying "do" into the kazoo. Practice began once a week at local pubs, with bartenders passing out earplugs to the other patrons. But we knew we were wonderful!! We had practice once a week starting in January, our local parade is always the first Saturday in March. We all needed to learn the tunes/words to some Irish songs, so with tape player in hand “S” & “L” began.
The First Parade Day
We had 26 people show up. “L” gave each a green satin sash with BC Kazoo hand stenciled on the sash. We each received a green plastic hat, and a plastic kazoo. We were ready!! The anticipation mounted, and then step off time was upon us. We rounded the first corner not knowing what to expect of the crowd when they laid eyes upon us. We lifted our kazoos to our mouths and began to play. They loved us! People actually came up out of the crowd and asked if they could join us and march with us the following year. We were a hit, we did it!!!
Not all the group is here ... but you get some idea!
Where We Are Now
Now our group numbers in the neighborhood of one hundred and twenty kazoo players, each one a kazooist in their own right. We also have a 7 piece percussion section, consisting of base drum, snare drums, tri-toms, cymbals, and borhran. We have designed and made our own shirts, and hats and even floats! We are a self contained band!! The camaraderie of our group is infectious, each year more people request to join us and share in our celebration!!! So if you are in Bingo town near the time of the "Holy Season" St. Patrick's Day, say hello to us as we march by OR join us in the celebrations of the day!!
Our Achievements
• 1992 - Proof of Concept
• 1993 - Will it work again!
• 1994 - Added a lone drummer
• 1995 - Designed and painted our own matching sweatshirts
• 1996 - Full Percussion section added, also multi county and state participation of members. Designed a Banner and had it professionally done.
• 1997 - Designed, painted and sewed our own matching hats
• 1998 - Added a Float (which won first place for "Most Original"). Added a LOGO, designed and drawn by Johnny Hart and Jack Caprio, nationally known cartoonist for the comic strip BC and Wizard of Id. This logo now is used on our sweatshirts, and banner.
• 1999 - First Place Plaque for Group Originality
• 2000 - First Place Plaque for Best in Music
• 2001 - We had 130+ folks marching with us. We celebrated our 10 Year Anniversary Marching, we like to refer to it as a "Decade of Decadence". We were invited and marched in the Deposit Lumberjack Parade (our first paying job!)
• 2002 - First Place Plaque for Most Enthusiastic! We also marched in Deposit Lumberjack Parade
• 2003 - First Place Plaque for Best in Music Enthusiasm, also the addition of our 6 foot kazoo built by BOCES. We also marched in Deposit Lumberjack Parade
• 2004 - First Place Plaque for Best in Crowd Participation!! We also marched in Deposit Lumberjack Parade
• 2005 - First Place Plaque for Best in Enthusiam!! (yes, they spelt it wrong) This year we were also invited to march in the Syracuse St. Patrick's Day Parade March 12, 2005, we had 60 + members join us in this parade.
• 2006 - First Place for Best in Crowd Enthusiasm!! We were also invited to march in both the Utica and Syracuse St. Patrick's Day Parades, along with the Broome Bicentennial Parade. We also added a new updated banner.
• 2007 - This year we were invited to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Also The Mayor of Binghamton came down from the reviewing stand to meet us and marched up the street with us!! Gotta love Mayor Ryan!!
• 2008 - First Place Plaque for Music Spirit in the Binghamton Parade.
• 2008 - Second Place for Best Non-High School Band in the Syracuse Parade.
Here is our Mr. and Mrs. Leprechaun
AND our Queen!! She has been our Queen for many years and we treat her with royalty!!
Here is a zoomed in shoot of our Queen, we all adore Her Royal Heiness!
Next Post is on WHAT IS A BODHRAN!!
5 comments:
This BEGS for a Video, my dear. I SOOOO want to hear thos Happy Group Of Kazooers...! Especially, since you all have perfected the ART of Kazzoing to a High High place I personally never imagined it could be. I was so wrong...I mean, I could NOT have been more wrong! In fact,I wish I could JOIN you all....!
Oh, Please, Please, PLease, PLEASE, post a Video of your group, doing their thing.....! This has to be the Happiest most Irresistable Group Performance, Ever!
(I hope you all DO have some Video/Audio of your performances....?)
Seriously, this sounds fabtastically wonderful and I want to hear it!
So much fun! And an excellent write up.
I agree with Oldoldlady of The Hills. this really needs video.. It looks like so much fun. I cant carry a tune but it looks like fun.
I love it! Kazoos are so very much fun! A Bodhran is an irish drum no?
Marilyn, the photo of the group, I think you could do a where's waldo, type thing with the photo, it's a good one. Not sure if Karen knows what you look like or if she could pick you out of the crowd. But I really like the picture. Old Lady is right you should post a video on line, if memory serves me WBNG, had live footage of the BAND last year or was that something friends posted. Every one it is a really cool thing Mauve is into. and from what I've heard a great time is had by all. P from NY.
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