WASHINGTON -- The Punahou Marching Band practiced outdoors in Washington for the first time to get ready for the Presidential Inaugural Parade and a cold reality hit them hard.

The students said they are excited about being in the parade, but it is serious business. The extreme weather makes it more challenging to stay in tune, march to the beat and even think.

For its first practice at a park in downtown Washington, D.C., members of the Punahou Marching Band bundled up for the cold and some of them were unrecognizable. "I can't feel my face anymore," said Calla Chang, Punahou drum major.

They got moving to keep from freezing.

But with three days to go before inauguration day, they said they ran into a major problem worse than falling flat -- no sound.

Band member Brent Nagamine struggled with his trombone.

"It's too cold and the valves are getting stuck. We could be the silent marching band," said Nagamine.

"Frozen feet and really I'm really worried about the instruments," said Darin Au, Punahou music director.

Temperatures are expected to be 30 degrees on inauguration day, but Saturday it was about 19 degrees.

Frostbite and hypothermia are real dangers in the cold, especially since the students will be waiting for hours outside before the parade even starts.

"Parade officials are monitoring that and we have to leave it to them. You want to blow warm air throw horn to keep it from freezing," said Punahou.

A little solution helped melt the ice and students marched forward determined to make some noise.

They said they're proud to be selected to march in the parade for a 1979 Punahou grad turned president.

Band directors told student leaders to keep their cues simple because it is difficult to think in the cold.