Marching bands have been struggling with extreme heat. Here's how they're adjusting

Marching bands are getting creative to beat the heat of climate change. Some changes include covering brass instruments under direct sunlight, scheduling frequent water breaks and time to put on extra sunscreen, no longer wearing traditional marching band uniforms at games and practicing before sunrise or after sunset. (Bridget Dowd/KJZZ)

It's a Thursday evening in late September. The marching band at Mountain Ridge High School in the Phoenix metro area is an hour into rehearsal, and the students are all warmed up — musically, and physically.

The 170 high schoolers aren't in usual marching band gear like constructed jackets, bibs and shakos with plumes. Instead, they're dressed in matching white T-shirts and athletic shorts — what they've been practicing in all season due to the warmer, 100-degree weather.