The Concord Fife & Drum Corps

by Kenton Poole

Naples Town Historian

February 2026

Concord Fife & Drum Corps bass drum painted by Ira Randall

The Concord Fife & Drum Corps didn't spring out of thin air. The very beginnings go back to Union Endicott High School where a young Paul Vander Miller in the early 1930s took drum lessons. That love of drumming extended to the Continental Fife & Drum Corp in Vestal, NY, where he played Bass drum until going on to Houghton College.

After completing law school at Cornell, he came by circuitous route to Naples, NY. His enthusiasm for Fife & Drum music never wavered and in his home on East Avenue he would play Fife & Drum records to anyone who would listen. One of those listeners was a young John Harrington, who lived nearby. Upon witnessing the Continentals when they came to play at the Naples Grape Festival Parade in 1964, he was transfixed by the conflagration of Fifers and Drummers playing at the Millers' after the parade and his course as a percussionist was set.

Paul Miller playing in the Concord Fife & Drum Corps., date unknown. (Source: Naples Historical Society Facebook page)

While rehearsing in the Naples High School band room, John recognized that they had a great collection of drummers and flute players in the band and thought that this was the time. He approached Terri Bodine and Beth Long who played first flute and sprung on them his dream of forming a Fife & Drum Corps. They agreed and got the flute section involved. He approached nearby neighbor Paul Miller for help. They needed a bass drum, Naples resident Roger Meeker happened to have a roped, tightened drum of the Revolutionary War period in his barn. They approached Ira Randall and he volunteered to paint the drum head with Concord Grapes and the Concord Fife & Drum name.

Never once did they consider that the Bicentennial was knocking on their door,. But knock it did and they were suddenly in demand. It was a perfect musical storm. Norm Harrington, John Almekinder and Paul Miller all agreed to lend their support. The Maxfield Hose Co., on the request of Bob Vierhile, sponsored them. John's mother, Vannie Harrington, was the home economics teacher in Naples. She reached out to her seamstress friends and they designed, patterned, and sewed outfits for every member according to the fashion of the period. That meant no zippers or clasps, everything was fastened with buttons. Linda Almekinder sold copius amounts of her Burgoo Stew at every opportunity, raising money for the band. Music and fifes were ordered and after trying wood (too soft), and metal (too shrill), they settled on black plastic which held up to the rigors of travel, looked perfect, and had the right timbre of sound. More importantly, the could be heard over the drums.

John Almekinder was convinced to be the drum major and a Mace was fashioned from a sapling whose root ball was carved into a flying eagle. Rehearsals were held with Paul Miller helping them with the rudiments of how a Fife & Drum Corps played.

They practiced in the basement of the former library. They marched all over Naples, learning and entertaining the neighborhoods.

The charter corps members were John Harrington, Terri Bodine, Beth Long, Valarie McMath, Val Lyon, Liza Koon, Laurie Rock, Judy Singleton, Kim Johnson, Dee Stafford, Paul Miller, Scott McMath, Mark Steinmetz and Bob McMath. Bruce and Mary Ann Hawkins, Jay Slover, Tom and Bill Rock, and Laurie Schneider all joined later.

Over the next two bicentennial-celebrated years, they were invited to play all over western New York state, representing Naples in frieman's parades, community celebrations and special occassions - winning recognition wherever they performed.