Placer Athletic Hall of Fame: Golden Hillmen Marching Band is the soundtrack of Placer sports

What's a Placer football game at LeFebvre Stadium without the Golden Hillmen Marching Band strutting their stuff at halftime and pumping up spirit in the stands? What's a basketball game in the Earl Crabbe Gym without the spirited and boisterous Placer Pep Band? Because these two groups have promoted passion and pride at athletic contests for more than 85 years, the Placer Band will be inducted into the PHS Athletic Hall of Fame on April 26 in a ceremony at the school. Strong leadership since the 1940s from legendary music directors Otto Fox, Don Whitehead, Clyde Quick and current director Dave Lawrenson has created a thread of quality music continuity and performances at the school. Just as the athletes put in hours of practice, so, too, do the music students. Much goes into the bands' performances, beginning in the spring of each school year. That's when Lawrenson holds auditions for drum majors for the following year. This is no small matter, as the position involves serious responsibilities. Lawrenson uses a panel of judges, most of whom are former drum majors, to help him make the selection. The drum major is "expected to work miracles," according to Lawrenson. Besides conducting the music for the marching band, the drum major also selects the music for the pep band, creates the order of music and has to learn to start and stop appropriately as the game goes on. Not only that, but the drum major is expected to keep the band orderly and disciplined. Once the drum major is selected, students receive a packet of music to learn over the summer. Lawrenson holds a strenuous band camp during the summer that lasts eight hours a day for five days. Each year, the band learns three to four shows for the football halftime entertainment, each one completely different. Lawrenson comes up with the theme, music and movement for the shows. He coordinates the cheerleaders and dance team into the performance as well. Known for being an organized individual, he also provides the stadium public-address announcer with a script to read. For the homecoming halftime show, Lawrenson likes to do something special with music from the Beach Boys, The Beatles or Michael Jackson. Even though the music is from a time period before the students were born, Lawrenson says, "The music is good, so the students like it. They like being able to dance and get down with the music." The students have to learn fast, and only get together with the cheerleaders to rehearse on the day of a football game. They have to squeeze in time on the field between the end of the school day and before the junior varsity team takes the field — a matter of one to 1 1/2 hours before the game. Once the rehearsal is over, the band returns to the school site for a dinner of pizza, spaghetti, lasagna or tacos put on by the Music Boosters. Lawrenson likes the vibe at Placer football games, saying, "The game here is student-centered where the kids get priority. I rarely see what we have here — the band, cheerleaders, student section and football players all on the 50-yard line. You don't see this at a lot of other schools." He likes the the pep band performances at basketball games, especially the Kendall Arnett Tournament, where former band members come back, some from the 1950s and 1960s, and sometimes play with the current students. "It's cool for me, and provides a sense community and continuity," Lawrenson says. And anyone who's ever attended a football or basketball game cannot forget the postgame playing of the alma mater. Win or lose, players face the home stands, arm in arm, singing and swaying to the music of the marching band or pep band. The athletes' voices may be somber after a loss or loud and boisterous after a win, but the music from the bands is always stirring and motivating. Most schools don't have both a fight song and an alma mater. "We have both," Lawrenson said, "And we are fortunate that alma mater was written by a student, Ola Murchison, back in the 1950s." The fight song is from the same period and has been rearranged into a modern version by Lawrenson. His teaching philosophy focuses on preparing well-rounded students. "I feel strongly that I'm educating the whole student and that they are an important part of Placer High School," he says. "I also urge them to support all student activities and anything else at Placer." A reception will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony at 7 on April 26. Tickets for the reception cost $25 until April 15 and $35 after, and are available online at placerathletichalloffame.org. The ceremony is free of charge to the public.