- New Hartford drums player Megan Sutton holding the band's mascot, a stick with a snake head named Rinaldo. Submitted photoSubmitted photo

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Talent and hard work are at the top of the list of necessary prerequisites for marching band success, but good luck and homage to superstitions can be valuable intangibles for performers so inclined to believe in such things.

Central New York’s marching bands definitely lean on such forms of bonding, such as mascots and/or routines. Syracuse.com asked a cross-section of performers for their school’s unique traditions, and here are the responses we got.

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