MUSKEGON COUNTY, Mich. — When you think of a marching band rehearsal, jogging and ab crunches probably isn’t what you picture – but that’s what you’ll see at the start of a rehearsal for the Reeths-Puffer High School Marching Band in Muskegon.

Reeths-Puffer High School’s Associate Director of Bands Philip DeYoung says it’s all part of the hidden process that goes into building the best marching band show possible.

“We do core exercises, we do push ups, we do sit ups, we run,” DeYoung said. “We talk about different sections of the body [so] that you're using muscles in your diaphragm in order to not only support your instrument, but support your air.”

Reeths-Puffer has a legacy of excellence – the band won a national championship in 1999. But for the students, it’s not necessarily about

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