I have made a notation on my list of "50 Things To Do Before I Die."

Before I check out, it would be nice to set a world record.

I am fairly open-minded, as long as it doesn't require massive feats of strength and endurance. Or subject me to anything beyond my usual low threshold of pain.

I have no desire to enter the record books for devouring the most fruitcakes or balancing a chain saw on my nose. I'm partial to outrageous but not a fan of stupid.

At last, I have found my opportunity to crack the pages of Guinness.

Here's the deal. I need at least 2,679 of you to help me. It will require a team effort.

Together, we are going to set the record for the world's largest kazoo band.

Mark this date on your calendar: Sept. 27 at the Georgia State Fair in Macon's Central City Park. We will start gathering at Luther Williams Field at 6:30 p.m., and strike up the "band" at 7:30.

Can't play the kazoo? Nonsense. If you can hum, you can play the kazoo. And we need to enlist your lips and vocal chords.

We're going to play "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." That's quite appropriate, since the Otis Redding statue and memorial bridge are less than a mile from the fairgrounds. This summer also marks the 40th anniversary of when Redding wrote "Dock of the Bay."

The current kazoo record is 2,679, set on Dec. 31, 2006, in Rochester, N.Y. A failed attempt to break the record earlier this month in Harlem, N.Y., received national news exposure.

Local organizers, who have taken to calling themselves the "Zoo Crew," are hoping to assemble an impromptu orchestra of 3,000 or more, just to be sure.

They're already looking for ways to hum up support for the event. There will be some heavy duty recruiting in local schools, churches, civic clubs, retirement communities and other groups. Of course, everyone is welcome to participate.

We can't let 'em down, folks. Our city has gotten its share of negative publicity here lately. It would be refreshing to have a more positive tune for a change.

Souvenir kazoos will be provided by Bibb Music. Of course, you can BYOK (Bring Your Own Kazoo), and I'm sure some folks will.

Why is it important to establish this record in Macon? Because we are the cradle of kazoovilization.

According to Barbara Stewart, author of "The Complete How To Kazoo" book, the kazoo was invented in Macon in the 1840s by Alabama Vest, an American black, and made to his specifications by Thaddeus Von Clegg, a German-American clockmaker. It was exhibited at the Georgia State Fair in 1852 before being sold to a toy manufacturer, who produced it under the name, "Down South Submarine."

Stewart is the leader and "kazoo keeper" of Kazoophony, once described by The Wall Street Journal as "America's premier kazoo group."

She is perhaps the planet's most famous kazooist, having performed at the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, as well as on "The Tonight Show" and "Prairie Home Companion." She has launched a campaign to make the kazoo the national instrument.

I spoke with Stewart this week, and she is interested in coming to Macon for the world record attempt. She has offered to give a short lesson in kazooing and be present to authenticate the event, as a requirement for Guinness.

More details will be announced later.

But, for now, start making plans to hop on the bandwagon.

Lend us your lips.

Reach Gris at 744-4275 or egrisamore@macon.com.