More than 1,800 high school students across the state are feverishly preparing for this weekend's battle of the bands — marching bands, that is.

Students from 15 high schools will participate in the 31st annual Tournament of Bands hosted by Kamehameha Schools. The Saturday competition is part of a season of marching band competitions and festivals, which includes the annual Rainbow Invitational Marching Festival hosted by the University of Hawai'i, scheduled for Nov. 12.

Sydney Keliipuleole, event coordinator and parent in the Kamehameha (Kapalama) band program's booster club, said students from the high school work hard year-round to prepare for the season.

"It starts with a big bang with band camp before school starts. The students stay on campus for a week and do their thing," said Keliipuleole, whose son Nicholas, a trombone player, is a junior at Kamehameha.

For returnees, band camp is a time to perfect their skills. For freshmen, it's literally about learning how to play an instrument and walk at the same time, Keliipuleole said.

"This really is recognition for all the students who work so hard," he said.

Participating high schools are 'Aiea, Farrington, Campbell, Castle, Kailua, Kalani, Kapolei, Leilehua, Maui, Mililani, Moanalua, Pearl City, Punahou, Roosevelt, and Kamehameha.

Each participating marching band was invited to compete in this year's tournament. Most also have represented Hawai'i at events outside of the state.

For instance, Punahou School's 242-member marching band participated in this year's 118th Tournament of Roses parade, which traditionally precedes the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

For the first time, marching band students from all three Kamehameha Schools campuses — Kapalama, Maui and the Big Island — are scheduled to perform in the 2008 New Year's Day Rose Parade.

And in June, hundreds of members from the Pearl City High School Marching Band and their families visited China to participate in the Beijing Olympic International Youth Festival, a prelude to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in China.

In addition to the performances from the various marching band programs, spectators also will be treated to a performance by the group Precision Percussion.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.