Sitting in class, patiently waiting for the teacher to start teaching and someone’s phone starts playing “Toxic” by Britney Spears. The student’s face turns red as they pick through their bookbag to shut it off.

But there are new ringtones to disrupt classrooms and make people get up and dance. Local bands are getting their songs onto cell phone airwaves.

New York record executives Cari Gelber and Ben Hordell began the marketing concept for DecentXposure in 2003. They thought of the idea in order to promote their side projects, Oval Opus and The Low Life. But they have also compiled albums for O.A.R., Michael Tolcher, Ari Hest, Marc Broussard, Toby Lightman, The John Butler Trio and Ingram Hill.

After a year of thought, they eventually partnered up with a New York songwriting/production team, David Fritz and Pop Rox.

Because of their passion and hard work for promoting indie bands, they decided to spend most of their time promoting them through cell phones.

“Since we basically spend all our waking hours working with emerging artists, it just made sense to share the latest news with the very devoted fans of these great musicians,” Gelber said.

The popularity of cell phone ringtones has become a craze that has exploded across the country.

Connor O’Brien is one of the local artists involved in the new ringtones idea. O’Brien’s manager, Rick Smith, said fans made this possible.

Since so many people own cell phones, requests for their favorite bands were recognized.

“They are a great way to introduce Connor’s music to people who have never heard him,” Smith said. “Ringtones are the new T-shirts.”

On their Web site DecentXposure.com, there are full song mp3 downloads, artist information and breaking news on the artists. The ring tones cost $1.79 each and $1.39 each for 10 tones purchased at once. The ringtones are compatible with Cingular, T-Mobil, AT’T Wireless, Verizon and Sprint with polyphonic and real tone formats.