The Mayor is the CEO of the kazoo factory. Really.
There ’s just something about Beaufort , South Carolina . sometime oak trees festooned with Spanish moss shadow the quaint historical quarter . The word of renowned southerly writer Pat Conroy seem to come animated in this place he have a go at it so much . And the tides seem to whisper of ships seeking harbor in days gone past . But , if you listen closer , that might not be history whispering to you . It might be the distinct humming melodic line of a kazoo instead .
Located in an industrial park a poor effort from the historic dominion isKazoobie Kazoos , one of only two kazoo factories in the United States . Kazoobie makes customs duty kazoo to the melodic phrase of one million a year , then invites visitors to establish their own during afactory and museum spell . And Beaufort ’s mayor , Stephen Murray , is its chief operating officer .
Kazoobie Kazoos spread as an atomic number 99 - commerce site in 1997 , begin construct in 2001 , and moved home to Beaufort in 2009 . By that time , the song of kazoo had already helped Murray , a Beaufort aborigine , to see the country outside of the tidal creeks and islands of his menage , thanks to the pied pipage of instrumentalist and entertainer Rick Hubbard .
Photo courtesy of John Powell
While performing regularly in neighbor Hilton Head , Hubbard hire Murray on as tour coach and assistant for his popularThe Kazoobie Kazoo Show with Rick Hubbard(which pay for the whole family to get in on the kazoo action ) , and the two fructify off on what they opine would be a simple instrumentalist ’s tour of the United States but instead would tune their biography always to the joyfulness of the base kazoo .
They never really set out to make kazoo , but as Hubbard ’s show develop and acquire , he shortly became one of the biggest customers of a US kazoo factory , and when that factory resolve to stop manufacturing , Hubbard buy all of its equipment and decided to build up the upright kazoo he could , with Murray at his side . After all this time , they knew what made a in high spirits quality kazoo .
“ We apply a aesculapian gradation of polypropylene — you could drive a Hummer on it and it wo n’t crack up — and our cast also creates a thicker , stronger charge card , which give better rapport , ” says Hubbard . Then there are 14 different colors , mix and matching for the capital and cat’s-paw consistence , and a custom , “ go undercut , polymer tissue layer for the resonator — that makes our kazoo come across vibrantly . ”
Kazoobie Kazoos
You ’ll learn this much and more during a factory tour , as well as see the history of kazoo in a belittled museum redesign during the height of the pandemic by Kazoobie friends and creative person Boaz Frankel , Melanie Von Trapp , Charlie Wagers , and Ed Kulisek . There , you could see diachronic kazoos ( the musical instrument was invented in the 1840 ’s ) , a timeline of the kazoo in soda water civilization ( Jimi Hendrix , in fact , has a kazoo connection ) , and other interesting tidbits about the mini organ .
Sarah Barnwell , marketing director at Kazoobie , runs most of the tours and is proficient not only at serve the great unwashed regain their inner kazoo headmaster , but also running theInstagram account statement like a puppeteerand building artwork out of kazoos , including the massive American sword lily featured on a wall of the museum .
“ One of the questions we get a lot is " Does the noise get on your cheek ? ’ , ” she say . “ We have a luck of playfulness but also work very hard getting these kazoos shipped worldwide . Even when a bad day happens , because sometimes they do , there is something magical observance folks encounter the kazoo ; it dampen away the remnants of a bad twenty-four hours . ”
Photo courtesy of John Powell
And when that does n’t quite cut it , there ’s always “ Lovin’ You ” by Minnie Riperton , one of their favourite songs to play around the factory , with kazoo accompaniment of form .
“ The kazoo is a wacky musical instrument , and work with Rick and seeing the joy and fun that kazoos can create , it span generation , ” say Murray . “ I think that today we are n’t as knowing with joy as we should be . Kazoos are counter culture , for sure , but they ’re woven into dada civilisation , from Jimi Hendrix to Jimmy Fallon . ”
And the tune plays on in Beaufort , sure , a little off key fruit , and a lot breathy , but with a hefty dose of punch-drunk fun — playfulness you’re able to add your tune to , too .
Photo courtesy of John Powell
