It's been a few years since Byron had it Heritage Festival, so we were happy to be invited to participate again this year. Unfortunately, there were many factors working against us. Many people were away; traditionally, the last week in July and the first week in August are popular vacation weekends. The parade fell in the middle of the day at 1:00 pm, making it difficult for people who are trying to schedule other things. Being in the middle of the day also made it very hot, and many of our older members have a hard time marching and playing their instruments in the heat.

Nevertheless, we did it and we had a great time! We had a very small group, but we chose music that suited our instrumentation and played it well. We even stayed afterward and played several tunes in the park pavilion.

Tom J. and his daughter, Kayla, deserve extra credit for determination. First, they drove all the way from Fairport. When they arrived in Byron, the roads were already closed for the parade and they couldn't get through. The parade staff person gave Tom directions for driving around to the other side of town so they could get closer to the start of the parade on Caswell Road. Just as we were stepping off, we saw two red shirts standing at the corner. They jumped in line and off we went.

Andy also deserves extra credit for creativity. Before the parade, we talked about what would maximize our resources: snare drum or bass drum. Andy made the case for bass drum, and he made the the most of playing a steady modified street beat for the duration of the parade.

So, we had a brass quartet consisting of Tom J. and Kayla on trumpet, Scott M. on trombone. and Maria on sousaphone accompanied by Andy on bass drum.

Our next event is the Clifton FD Parade on Friday. See you there!