The leader of the band is marching to the sidelines, leaving behind a stack of trophies and a fan club of both students and parents at San Pedro High School.
Darnella Davidson led the school’s marching band for the last time during its graduation ceremony last week. The Manhattan Beach resident came to San Pedro High in 2015 but before that, was the band teacher at Los Angeles High School, which she led to 25 consecutive city championships. Her teaching career has spanned 38 years in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Her bands have performed in film and television, at NFL games and in the opening ceremonies for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Along the way, some celebrities performed with her bands, including creative artist Debbie Allen, comedian George Lopez, singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams and singer Rosemary Clooney.
She received the Honorary Life Member Award from the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, representing more than 1,000 schools in the region. She was the first African American and female of color to receive the honor.
Her own career path was inspired by her mother, who also was a school teacher. Davidson began her musical instruction on the piano.
“Then my mom took me to a football game,” she said.
The award-winning and high-powered Grambling State University Marching Band performed. She was hooked.
The next day — she was in the sixth grade — she announced she wanted to play in a band.
The clarinet came next and her life’s calling was launched.
Band, she said, “is a culture, it’s a lifestyle.”
When she arrived at San Pedro High — replacing 21-year band program leader Paul Purdy after his retirement — she had one job:
“I was hired to create a championship band,” Davidson said, “and that’s what I did.
“San Pedro had all the elements to make it work,” she added. “It was up to the kids whether they want to do it or not.”
The band, at one point, went on to win consecutive Southern California and citywide championships.
But band is more than drum lines and fight songs, she said.
“What students get out of it is a priceless experience in learning how to deal with life,” Davidson said. “You’re learning about problem solving, teamwork, cooperation, working with your fellow band members you may or may not get along with. In the end, you’ve got to work together.”
In 2018, Davidson received a national honor from the Country Music Association in Nashville.
She was one of 34 educators from across the country honored with the Music Teachers of Excellence Award. Only four of the teachers were not from Tennessee.
Davidson, the mother of a recent college arts major graduate, has held on to a motto of, “No excuses, just results.”
Along with teaching band, she taught piano, beginning instruments, concert band, jazz band, color guard, and wind and percussion ensembles.
“She is one of the finest educators I’ve encountered,” Tony White, who directs the LAUSD All-City Marching Honor Band, said in a written statement. “And she continues to inspire a lot of us.”
Known as the Golden Pirate Regiment, Pedro’s marching band has won five city championships in LAUSD and five more from the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association. They also played on television, at music festivals and at Disneyland (every year).
“Her passion and dedication is unparalleled,” said Lou Mardesich, administrator of the San Pedro Community of Schools, in a written statement.
Sadly, the band’s selection to represent the state of California in the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., could not be fulfilled. Their appearances were canceled twice — in 2020 and 2021 — because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Davidson’s students, including seniors who joined her in a final band performance at San Pedro High during the Thursday, June 10, graduation ceremony, reflected on their time under her wing.
“I transferred (to San Pedro) my sophomore year,” said graduate Denise Hicks. “And she welcomed me with open arms.”
Other students called her strict, but personal — and a role model.
“I don’t think I would have joined my freshman year,” said bass drummer Edith Moreno, “if it wasn’t for her.”
Her goal, Davidson said, was always to “inspire students to believe they possessed unlimited potential.”
Retirement won’t be boring, she said.
Davidson was appointed as a Los Angeles County Arts commissioner by Supervisor Janice Hahn and she’ll continue to work with the All-City and district bands.
She’ll also be working with a national band directors institute, for which she will run a clinic in Georgia early in that assignment.
Her replacement for San Pedro’s marching band in the fall will be Marc Manriquez from Santee High School, also part of LAUSD. Davidson described him as having “good energy.”
As for San Pedro, well, she’s grateful to the community — particularly the parents.
“This has been a community that has really embraced my work,” Davidson said. “And it’s been an absolute pleasure.”