Practice Begins Tonight!!

So tonight we start our new “High Holy Season” in our town! This is our first meeting of the new year which kicks off the “season!” We celebrate the wearing of the green a little early in Bingo town. Actually we call March “St. Patrick’s Month” BUT…we must prepare!!! For the past 17 years (this year is my 18th) I have been marching in our local St. Patrick’s Day parade with my group. Our group begins practice in Jan. and practices once a week right up until parade day, which is always the first Sat. in March.

The reason we march so early in the month is we have to compete with some of the larger upstate towns to get the best pipe bands for our parade! Our parade brings in the NYPD (New York City Police Dept.), NYFD, Westchester Pipe and Drums, Scranton Black Watch, Philadelphia Drums and Pipes,just to name a few, plus our local two pipe bands.

This group are the Edward P. Memorial Pipe Band, from Binghamton, New York.

We generally have eight to ten pipe bands, plus the Philly Mummers. It is a highly celebrated event for our town, getting over “cabin fever” and hoping Spring is just around the corner.

So you ask …(I can hear you all asking …) what group do you march with?? OK are you ready! I march in the BC Celtic Kazoo Band! YES, don’t laugh, a Kazoo Band! We are a Gael Force Storm of kazooers and drummers (let us not forget our cymbal paler and Belle Babe). We have 140+ on our dues list but on parade day we usually have appox. 120 folks march. We are the biggest contingent in our parade and even on those cold parade days folks camp out to see us!!
SOOOOOOOOOO why the heck a Kazoo Band?? WHY NOT!


Our logo was created by nationally know comedy syndicated Johnny Hart who wrote the two comic strips BC and Wizard of Id. Sadly the comic world lost Johnny early last year.

Everyone can play a KAZOO!!!



We presently march with about 120 Kazooers, plus we have a full percussion section with a set of Tri-Toms, two snare drums, a base drum, a bodhran drum (that would be me), a cymbal player, and not to forget our bell babe. We march in multiple St. Patrick's day parades including Binghamton, NY, Scranton, PA, Utica, NY, Syracuse, NY and multiple small town parades.

See here is a picture ... you thought I was kidding!! (click on picture to enlarge ~ can you find me?? I am behind the car, next to the guy with the baret, in fact I am looking at him!) And yes that would be Mr. and Mrs. Lepruchun, and the babe (75 ish) riding on the back of the car is our Kazoo queen.


I did take Tin Whistle lessons, and have a chanter and took pipe lessons, and soon came to realize that I was much better suited for a Kazoo! (Actually I now play a Bodhran with our group.)

I will be posting more on our group, and my Bodhran (pronounced bow-ron) but right now I have to run to practice, we will have about 80 folks show up tonight, so I have to get there early and prepare! OH, forgot to mention, I have run this group for about eight years now, a labor of love, and it has contributed to long lasting friendships!!

Kazooers enjoying the day!!!!