The HBCU Band Experience with Christy Walker

Stephanie Sanders never thought that she would participate in a marching band, much less become a HBCU band celebrity (she really is!). Stephanie is a multi-hyphenate: an associate director/music professor/jazz band director/classical musician/jazz artist. Find out her story, and how she does it all!

Guest – Stephanie Sanders

This week's episode is focused on auxillary in the band, and it's long overdue. Christy talks with Candis Alston-Davis, who not only danced in Virginia State's "Essence of Troy", she also served as the instructor for South Carolina State's "Champagne" dancers. Candis shares the full circle moment of joining a HBCU dance squad and dancing at the Honda Battle of the Bands, to teaching a squad that danced at the Honda. She also talks about how she gives back to the HBCU dance world. 

Guest: Candis Alston-Davis 

Marching. Arranging. Logistics. Directing. You naaaame it, Kerry Gilliard has done it at Bowie State University (shoutout to Shirley Caesar). As a member and alum of Bowie State's "Symphony of Soul", Kerry learned how to run a HBCU band program from the ground up. Find out how he has channeled this experience into a thriving career as a band and chorus director. 

Guest: Kerry Gilliard

Christy reunites with Gerard Howard, creator of BlackCollegeBands.com, MarchingNetwork.TV, and more recently, MarchingSport.com. Gerard talks about his time marching for Jackson State, and how he balances being a web designer, photographer, videographer, musician, and radio show host. Oh, and he talks about how the Boombox Classic and the Zero Quarter got their names. 

Guest: Gerard Howard 

Christy interviews Jamie Brunson, one of her favorite "rivals" (he's really like a brother, but don't tell him that). Jamie is a PROUD alumnus of the Marching 101 of South Carolina State University, and has a thriving career as a middle school principal.  Listen to Jamie and Christy discuss rivalries between the Sargeant Brothers, 100 vs 101, Thunder vs Thundar, and 101 vs the BGMM - with a little trash talk. It's only necessary.  

Guest: Jamie Brunson

Virginia State. Norfolk State. Livingstone. Elizabeth City State. Mississippi Valley State. Clark Atlanta. All of these are band programs that Dr. Tomisha Price-Brock has been associated with. She has even served as Head Band Director at two of these institutions. Listen as she shares the story of her unorthodox and unconventional career path. 

Guest: Dr. Tomisha Price-Brock

Christy talks to Dr. John Hodge, former announcer for NCA&T's "Blue and Gold Marching Machine", and the son of A&T's former band director, the late Dr. Johnny B. Hodge. John recalls the challenges and triumphs of growing up as the son and "right-hand man" of a HBCU band director, and enlightens Christy on some real HBCU band history.  

Guest: Dr. John W. Hodge

Christy's excited to interview someone who plays her instrument! She talks with LaToya Brooks, clarinetist and former drum major for Clark Atlanta University's Mighty Marching Panthers. LaToya talks about how marching at CAU prepared her to navigate the classroom,and a career pivot to the entertainment industry. 

Guest: LaToya Brooks 

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Christy and Mike Lee talk about how they met and created their website and online community for HBCU band members, The 5th Quarter. 

SEASON 2 PREMIERE! 

Mike Lee is a former percussionist and head drum major for Alabama A&M's "Marching Maroon and White". Notably, he and Christy created The 5th Quarter website in 1999, so their friendship and partnership spans several decades. Mike talks about his VERY UNIQUE path to marching in a HBCU band, including things that Christy didn't even know!