Perched on a platform above the field commander, Chesapeake band director Chris Wyscarver looked over his students, making sure they performed their marching drills correctly.

The band members had to be somewhat careful where they stepped as the ground was still soaked from the morning's rain.

Wyscarver said his students were progressing, "surprisingly a lot better than what I had expected. The music is pretty tough, at least the first song is pretty tough."

Chesapeake's band will be performing a "Swingin' 60s" show this year, featuring songs "Birdland," "Never My Love" and "Devil with a Blue Dress."

Hundreds of high school students at all the area schools have sacrificed a little of their summer to hone their routines.

Sarah Graham, a senior saxophone player at Chesapeake, said she is excited about showing her school and everyone else just how talented the band is.

"We just want to kind of bust it out," she said.

Fairland's band is looking forward to showcasing its talents this upcoming football season as well. Rather then devoting its time to one show for the marching season, Fairland's band presents a different show at every home football game.

Sitting on the music stands in the band room was a wide variety of music, including "Tiger of San Pedro," a Latin number; and "Back to the Future," from the 1980s movie of the same title.

"Sometimes the show will have a theme. Other times it will be a hodgepodge," said Fairland director Keith Carper. He has a Gershwin show planned, however, in addition to a 1960s rock medley.

The school usually has three solid weeks of morning practices to prepare for marching season, but the weather has dampened the band's ability to practice outside.

"Our marching is a little behind, mainly because we've had so much rain," Carper said. The band usually practices on the baseball field but have to practice on the parking lot when the field is too wet.

Other bands have had more of a problem with the string of extremely warm days last week.

South Point band director Lisa Skeens Ashworth said that the heat, combined with practicing on the high school's black asphalt parking lot, means students need more breaks.

"We ended up taking a water break every 30 minutes just because we had to, because on the asphalt the temperature is that much hotter," she said.

Band members have been dressing for the weather, wearing visors, hats and a lot of sunscreen.

The South Point band has been meeting since June to prepare for marching season.

Cassie Kelley, a junior mellophone player, is glad that the band is having band camp, even though it takes up a lot of her day.

"It helps us. If we didn't have band camp then we'd be trying to do our show in like a week and a half, she said.

South Point's show this year is called "Latin Heat" and will feature the songs "Aztec Fire," "Speak Up Mambo" and "Latin Closer."

Ironton's band will also be having a heat-related show, but the theme is regarding a famous singer who likes to live in warm, tropical weather, Jimmy Buffet. Buffet's songs "Fins," "Come Monday," "Margaritaville," and "Cheeseburger in Paradise" will be the staples of the show.

Dressed with a few pirate accessories, a hook and eye patch, one of the two field commanders at Ironton, Brandi Norris, was already in the spirit of the year's chosen show.

Norris is confident about the band's ability to do well this season.

"I think we'll make it to state," she said. Norris said that she has seen a lot of pride in the band, and she thinks that the guard in particular will fare well.

Mindy Imes, a freshman member of the flag corp, has confidence in her Ironton Million Dollar Marching Band.

"It's an awesome band. They travel all around the state of Ohio, and they're better than any other band in Ohio, just my opinion," she said.

Even though band takes up a lot of her summer, Imes said she doesn't mind.

"Twirling flags and batons really makes the time go by."