July 31, 2010 - Rome Honor America Parade

It was perfect weather for a parade - sunny, mild with low humidity

It was also a perfect place to "Honor America" - Historical Rome NY" - birthplace of the Erie Canal and home to the Revolutionary War's Fort Stanwix.

We didn't forget the former Air Force Base when we played the Air Force March along with all the other service marches.

The parade route was packed with spectators from when we stepped off on Pine St. all the way to the end with many of them decked out in red, white, and blue.

As we turned onto Embargo St. to pass by the reviewing stand, the Parade Master of Ceremonies, Carl Eilenberg gave a special shout-out to our Band Director, Arlene Iagnocco. He loudly called her name over the loudspeaker and cheered "VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA".

We then proceeded down North George and ended the parade just past the Capitol Theater on West Dominick St.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

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Rome Honor America Parade

July 18, 2010 - Mt. Carmel Church Festival - Utica, NY

Our 3-day weekend of Red Band gigs concluded at The Mt. Carmel Church Festival with a morning procession and an afternoon concert.

The Procession now reflects the cultural diversity of Utica. We led the Parishioners through the streets of East Utica and as in recent years The Rosary is recited at stops along the way.

Each decade is prayed in 5 different languages. This year they were: Italian, Burmese (most recent refugees are from the Myanmar Republic, formerly Burma), Spanish, Vietnamese, and English.

The Procession ended at the Shrine with Benediction and the singing of "Tantem Ergo" - a reminder that before Vatican II- all of the Western Roman Catholic Church was united by one universal language - Latin.

After a short break to enjoy the food and drink, we gave a 2 hour concert under the tent and out of the sun.

Our interlocutor, Pat Santacroce, was on hand to introduce each song, which included "Ave Maria", and new this year "Reminiscences of Verdi" and "Neopolitan Rhapsody - all of which received tumultuous applause.

VIVA LABANDA ROSSA!

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Mt. Carmel Procession and Concert

July 17, 2010 - Children's Museum Family Folk Arts Festival

The 2010 Family Folk Festival was held at the Children's Museum at Baggs Square.

The Festival featured four cultural groups found in the Mohawk Valley...Native American, Italian, Bosnian, and African.
La Banda Rossa represented Utica's Italian Heritage.

We demonstrated our procession formation as we entered the room then sat down for a concert of our Italian music.





Our audience consisted of Bosnian musicians, Iroquois craftsmen along with a tankful of Goldfish and Hank the Snake in the nature room
(the exhibits at the Children's Museum are wonderful).

WKTV sent a camera and we were on the Sunday morning newscast.

Drummer Dan William's wife and daughter joined in the fun and made Haudenosaunee headresses, and clarinetist Patricia Iagnocco created a "No-Face" Cornhusk Doll with Oneida Nation member Birdy Burdick.

And rumor has it that shortly after this photo was taken and the photographer had left the room - our Professoressa Arlene Iagnocco learned and performed a traditional Bosnian Folk Dance accompanied by the MAH Bosnian Band - only in Utica!

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!

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Family Folk Arts Festival

July 16, 2010 - Ilion Doo Dah Parade

The march route for the Ilion Doo-Dah Parade was changed this year. Instead of starting and ending near Remington Arms - we stepped off a little further north on Philip St.

This made the parade a tad shorter and it was all downhill. It was just as crowded as ever along the whole route.

We followed an 1844 Fire Pumper and the kids on the float were all armed with super-soaker squirt guns which they used to spray the spectators. Half-way down West St. - they were surprise-attacked by other kids also armed with super-soakers - and that is VERY DOO-DAH! Participation and Fun!

The biggest crowd was as usual in front of the Elks Club - now closer to the end of the route than the beginning and a welcome sight as always - a wild night in Ilion. We were even treated to a ride back to our cars on shuttle buses.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!

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Ilion Doo-Dah Parade

July 11, 2010 - Boilermaker Road Race Utica, NY

This year to date we have played twice as many parades as concerts. What a switch it was to sit and play while our "audience" (13000 runners) literally is racing past us!

We also played Marcia Reale 17 times (John Piazza kept count) as the wheelchair contestants sped by.

Because we were stationed only 2 miles from the start - it didn't take long for the runners to appear - but once they came it was continuous for about 45 minutes.

Previous years we always had runners using both sides of the median and running right up to Arlene to have a little dance, cheer, and applaud us.

This year the intersection just before us was barricaded with yellow tape and had a police car there forcing the runners to stay in the lane furthest from us.

Since we part of the International Mile, we we playing many festive Italian songs...but the minute we started "The Washington Post March" - the runners charged across the median so they could run as close as possible to our Band.
What a fun concert- the dress code was a little more relaxed to fit the event...white shirt, shorts, no ties and red, white and green Italian beads.

The weather was perfect and trombonist, Geno Brown, showed up sporting a handsome handlebar moustache.
A Wonderful Summer Event!




VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!

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Boilermaker Road Race

July 10, 2010 - NY Mills Bell Parade

We stepped off on Elm St. at 5pm for the New York Mills Bell Festival Parade down Main St.

We followed a whole contingent of fire trucks all sounding their sirens at once.

Although the crowd was sparce at the beginning, it made up for it as we passed by the Festival grounds. Lots of smiling faces greeted us as Capo Richard picked the best possible march to play "Bravura!" as we paraded by ending on the banks of Twin Ponds.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

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Bell Parade

July 4th, 2010 - Utica Parade

At 6:00pm on July 4th it was sunny and hot as The Red Band stepped off at Our Lady of Lourdes Church to lead the Parade down Genesee St.

We stopped at the reviewing stand and Arlene jumped out of our "Official Car" to conduct us in the playing of the National Anthem.

We continued the parade and made the turn onto the Parkway. Usually this nice, shaded area is packed with spectators - not so this year. Maybe because the 4th was on Sunday in the middle of the long weekend - many people were still out of town and the rest were over at the other side of town at Proctor Park waiting for the fireworks to begin.

This year was a noticeably low turnout - although those in attendance graciously clapped in cadence to our beat...cheering and waving us on.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

Please click on the following link for more photos of the parade.

July 4th parade