#209 Here Comes the Band: Shadra Strickland on HBCU Marching Bands, Black Joy, and Picture Book Magic

The football game may be tied, but everyone knows what they have really been waiting for --the drum majors, dancers, booming percussion, shining instruments, and unforgettable joy of the band taking the field.

About This Episode

In Episode 209 of the Adventures in Learning podcast, Dr. Diane welcomes author and illustrator Shadra Strickland to celebrate her new picture book, Here Comes the Band, illustrated by John Holyfield.

This joyful conversation explores the rhythm, movement, color, sound, and community of the HBCU marching-band experience. Shadra shares how a halftime show sparked the “lightning bolt” idea for the book, how her own time as a high school band dancer shaped the story, and why John Holyfield was the perfect illustrator to bring its energy to the page.

We talk about growing up in Atlanta, the importance of telling stories rooted in culture and lived experience, and how picture books can offer children joyful windows into a world they may not have seen before. We also explore ways Here Comes the Bandcan inspire classroom music, movement, sound, art, and STEAM learning.

Most of all, this is an episode about community: the community found in a marching band, in classrooms, in friendships, in creative work, and in the stories that help young readers experience joy.

Chapters

• 00:53 The halftime-show moment that sparked the book
• 02:13 Shadra reads from Here Comes the Band
• 02:49 Sound, music, rhythm, and STEAM connections
• 04:03 Growing up in Atlanta and writing toward culture and joy
• 05:30 From high-school band dancer to picture-book creator
• 06:13 Family, school, and community roots in Atlanta
• 07:39 Discovering picture books through teaching
• 09:04 Why John Holyfield was the right illustrator for this story
• 10:39 The band as the true halftime show
• 12:44 New books and creative projects on the horizon
• 13:31 Teaching illustration and supporting emerging creators
• 14:31 The storytelling question: What are you sharing with a young person?
• 15:57 Visual details, musical instruments, and reading illustrations closely
• 17:23 What is bringing Shadra hope?

Links & Resources

Featured Book: Here Comes the Bandby Shadra Strickland, illustrated by John Holyfield

Other Books Mentioned in This Conversation:

• Nani and the Lion by Alicia D. Williams, illustrated by Anna Cunha
• Gifts from Crows, by Gideon Sterer, illustrated by Shadra Strickland
• The Doctor Bird by Matthew Olshan, illustrated by Shadra Strickland
• Be Big! by Shadra Strickland
• Jump In! by Shadra Strickland

Classroom Connections

Use Here Comes the Bandas an invitation to learn through play using the entire body. Here are a couple of ideas to try:

• Make sounds: Explore the “beep,” “tap,” “boom,” and “clang” sounds in the text using classroom instruments or found objects.
• Investigate rhythm: Clap, tap, stomp, or create repeating sound patterns inspired by the book.
• Study illustrations: Look closely at the band members, instruments, dancers, field formations, and audience. What details do the illustrations add that the text does not say?
• Move to learn: Create a classroom parade, design safe marching patterns, or invite children to explore how different instruments might move.
• Build instruments: Create simple instruments and investigate how their materials, size, and movement change the sounds they make.
• Celebrate community: Talk about the people who bring joy and energy to community events, even when they may not be the people everyone initially came to see.

Take Action

Here Comes the Bandis a celebration of movement, music, culture, creativity, community, and Black joy. Add it to your classroom, library, family bookshelf, or gift list—and then make some joyful noise together.

• Find a copy of Here Comes the Band through your favorite bookstore or library.
• Share this episode with a teacher, librarian, music educator, band director, artist, or picture book loving friend.
• Watch videos of HBCU bands performing their halftime shows. Create a simple class band or parade after reading and viewing.
• Subscribe, download, leave a review, and tell a friend about the Adventures in Learning podcast.
• Visit drdianadventures.com for full show notes, photos, and more learning adventures.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to the Adventures in Learning Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Diane Jackson Schnorr, and today I am so excited to debut a brand new picture book. Here comes the band. It's by Chadra Strickland, who has done so many incredible picture books. She's an author and illustrator, and this time she is the author, and the illustrations are done by and another incredible talent. And we're going to be talking about that book. We're going to be talking about the joy of sound and music and celebrating African American culture in all of its brilliance on today's version of the Adventures and Learning podcast. Wonder, Curiosity, Connection. Where will your adventures take you? I'm Dr. Diane, and thank you for joining me on today's episode of Adventures in Learning. Shadra, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_00 0:53

Hi, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 0:55

So I'm so thrilled to have you. Here Comes the Band is such a beautiful book. It's a celebration of joy and of, you know, Friday nights and Saturday afternoons at football and the incredible bands who bring us satisfaction on those days. Can you talk a little bit about what inspired you to write this book?

SPEAKER_00 1:15

You know, this one came to me similarly to jump in. None of the books that I've that I've that published so far that I've written have been super planned out. They've just been these sort of like strokes of magic and a lightning bolt hits, and then I go home and bury myself in my office for a week and write a story. And similarly with Here Comes the Band, I was at ALA and hanging out with my agent, who I'm very good friends with, and there was a football game on, and it was the halftime show, and there were dancers. And I looked and I said, you know, I used to be one of those little girls swinging their hair around on the field back in high school. She said, Really, I can see you doing that. And I said, I don't think I've ever seen a picture book about the marching band, HBCU marching band experience. And then we just stopped and looked at each other, and I said, I'm gonna go home and write that book.

SPEAKER_01 1:59

Well, and it's such a fun book. I'm wondering, would you do us a favor and maybe read a couple of pages for us? Because I loved the rhythm of it, and I could just envision each of the instruments and the dancers as even without the brilliant illustrations.

SPEAKER_00 2:13

Oh, sure. Okay, I'll start from the beginning. The game is tied at seven. A hush falls over the stands. Get up and stand up, everybody. Here comes the band. There go the drum majors with pointed toes and high knee struts. They raise their maces and blow their whistles to make the band step up. Watch them lean into back bends and touch their caps to the ground. When they pop off the grass and fall into splits, the field bursts into sound. And then we get the whistle of beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, tap, tap, tap, tap, boom, boom, boom, boom, clang, and the show begins.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

I love it. And often when I'm doing my podcast, I'll talk to people about sort of STEM steam options. And I had Alicia D. Williams on the show a while back for Nani and the Lion, which is all about sort of the drum beat and the sound of drumming. And I totally can see using these two books in tandem, you know, both when you're talking about sound and color and joy with young children. So that's sort of my my magical and my brain pairing as I was thinking about this. Because there's so much you can do with sound with it, but I also loved it because you know, it gives us a slice of life that we don't see, as you said, in in picture books. You know, windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors go beyond single story. And I loved this because you gave us something that we haven't seen before. Can you talk a little bit? Because I've seen sort of a thread through your work of you know being able to focus on culture, being able to focus on experience and joy. Can you talk about what inspires you? I know you said sometimes it's that magical out of the ether moment. Um, but you've got a a great diversity in the work that you've done.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

Thank you. You know, I grew up in Atlanta and was really steeped in black culture because my elementary school was primarily predominantly black, high school, middle school. I went to a mixed middle schools. I wanted a different experience. And I told my mom, I was like, I want to ride the bus to school with my friends. We lived kind of out of out of zone. And I had a year away, which was great. And so it's just in me, you know, all the stories that I that I wrote when I was in graduate school and the beginning of my career trying to get published didn't connect to my experiences as a child growing up, really. You know, I was trying to write past myself. And even the jump in, which is about double touch, and I don't, I don't know how to double ditch. I'm an only child, I didn't grow up double touching. It's hard to do on your own. Exactly. But I learned before the book came out. But that idea of community and play, even as an only child, I was outside all the time. And, you know, if I was by myself, I'd go find friends to come and play with me. And so, you know, for here comes the band. I was in the marching band in high school, and it was just such fun and it was joyful. And, you know, we had issues in high school football games, fights would break out, little silly things that happened with teenagers from time to time. But even within that, there was so much love and support and, you know, just community that I was really, like I said, steeped in as a child.

SPEAKER_01 5:30

Well, and I can totally feel that sense of community come out. What instrument did you play, or what did you do in the marching band?

SPEAKER_00 5:37

I was a dancer. I did not, I played an instrument. I tried to learn how to play the flute. I played the violin and the piano when I was very young, but I never learned how to read music. I just didn't have the patience for the aptitude. And so I became a dancer. It was amazing. It sounds my personality.

SPEAKER_01 5:54

I love it. I never I I played the clarinet in middle school. I never made it to the marching band, but I had two daughters. One was a flute player and she was the drum major, and then the other was the trumpeter. And so she was the brassy, brassy one who liked to have the center of attention.

SPEAKER_00 6:11

Yeah, it's showtime.

SPEAKER_01 6:13

Exactly. You know, I was just in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago, and I was struck again and again by the sense of community and the different neighborhoods. And I'm wondering if you can tell us a little bit more about what growing up in Atlanta did to sort of influence who you are as an author and an illustrator.

SPEAKER_00 6:34

Oh, that's a it's an interesting question. I don't really think about it that much. I would say that, you know, my mother was an educator. She was a high school English teacher and then became the counselor. And as the teacher, she was also a sponsor for like the cheerleaders and this and that. So it really was, you know, through her, because like I said, we lived kind of out of out of zone. But she was the one that kept me really close in the classroom with her. I would grade her students English papers, which they hated. Um, and I was always around, always in the hallways. And her students were so loving. I'm still, my mother's no longer with me, but there's so many, there are a couple of her students that still hold on to me as their little sister, you know. And so that, and my mother went to the same high school that I went to. So there was a bit of lineage there. All of my aunts and uncles went to the same schools and grew up around these same people. So, you know, it's just everybody knew everybody in Atlanta.

SPEAKER_01 7:30

I love that. And talk a little bit about your adventures in learning in terms of what road took you to becoming an author and illustrator.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

Sure. I, after college, so I went to school at Syracuse for graphic design, then illustration. And when I graduated, I had no idea what I was gonna do. I didn't know what an illustrator really did. And so I went home to Atlanta and I started working as a substitute teacher. And I was teaching, you know, K through five and reading picture books to students. And that was when it clicked. I was like, oh, this is this is how I'm supposed to apply my art. I'm a storyteller. I'm supposed to do this. So after that, after about three years teaching art in Atlanta, I went to grad school to SVA and then really like went after it and things opened up from there. But they opened up for me as an illustrator. There was still a lot of rejection as an author. And then I just put writing to the side and focused on the illustration because I did win some awards for my illustration work and things became really busy. And I find now that I have some distance from that time in my life that I work best when I'm writing for fun. You know, Heidi, Heidi Snemple fusses at me when I'm in public and around other authors. I'm like, I'm not a real author and this and that. She's like, I need you to stop it. Like, you are a real author and you are published. I get it now. But there is a lot of joy that comes through writing. It is fun for me. I'm able to, um, like I said, be playful when I'm writing, where illustration feels like work. It just always feels like work.

SPEAKER_01 9:04

I was gonna say, and you didn't do the illustrations for Here Comes the Band. I do. How was that in terms of your process? Did that feel strange to let somebody else make your vision come to reality?

SPEAKER_00 9:16

I was so excited to not have to illustrate this book. And mainly, you know, I wrote it and my art style didn't come to mind, you know. And I don't necessarily think I have one particular style anyway, which is sometimes an issue. But I thought of like elongated forms and just really beautiful color. And I'd been following John Holyfield's work since I was started out, you know, um in my own career and realized that he hadn't put a book out in many, many years. And so when when Danine, my editor, asked, you know, who do you have in mind? I said, What about John Holyfield? Is he still making his foot? And fortunately, he said yes. And extra fortunately, he went to Howard University. So he even nicer. Exactly. It was perfect. And I give a lot of things to the universe, you know. I only plan so to so to a certain level, and then I just let it go.

SPEAKER_01 10:08

I love well, the universe clearly had you because you get that whole HBCU experience. Um and it's just really, really cool in the book. And I hope that teachers and families will grab this book and add it to sort of their fall reading because there are plenty of books out there about sports and you know, sports heroes and things like that. But I think that we often don't look at the kids who are on the field week after week, bringing us entertainment and joy.

SPEAKER_00 10:39

Exactly. Exactly. And as a kid, I never went to the football games to watch the game. I was the least interested in football, but I waited for the band. I wanted to be there and see that halftime show.

SPEAKER_01 10:52

I used to call the football game the pre-game show for the band.

SPEAKER_00 10:57

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 10:58

Yeah, no, I'm with you on that. I loved it. It was just, it was such a fun book. So imagine a space where curiosity drives innovation, where empathy fuels collaboration, and where learning feels less like a task and more like an adventure. My message isn't about adding more to your plate, it's about changing how you see the plate entirely. I'm Dr. Diane Jackson Schnorr, and through the power of purposeful play, I equip leaders, educators, and organizations with the tools you need to unlock creative problem solving, deepen human connection, and build resistant ecosystems of empathy and innovation. Attendees will walk away not just inspired but empowered, with immediately usable strategies to spark curiosity in teams, to lead with empathy, and to infuse learning into their everyday cultures. You'll learn how play isn't child's work, it's the secret weapon of the world's most effective leaders and change makers. This is not a feel-good talk that fades by Monday morning, it's a movement. A shift in how we engage people, solve problems, and lead meaningful change. My talks and workshops are shaped by decades of experience in education and a transformative message that connects across sectors. Whether your audience is corporate, educational, or nonprofit, they'll leave ready to rethink what's possible, both personally and professionally. Because when we learn and lead through play, we don't just change organizations, we change the world. Check it out at drdianeadventures.com. Oh, what else are you working on right now?

SPEAKER_00 12:44

Oh man, you know, the last few years have been really busy. I had a release that I illustrated that came out last month called Gifts from Crows, written by Gideon Stirrer. And I have another book coming out in April titled The Doctor Bird about Philip Goss, the English naturalist and his sojourn in Jamaica. My author, next author project is what am I doing? An author illustrated project uh titled Be Big with Bloomsbury, who didn't they're the publisher of Jump In. So two more author illustrated projects with them and another author project with Didneen, and I'm still, you know, just writing for fun to see what comes up.

SPEAKER_01 13:21

Oh, I love that. And I know you also you teach. Can you talk a little bit about sort of paying it forward and teaching other people how to illustrate and do design?

SPEAKER_00 13:31

Sure. We joked earlier, you know, teaching is my Bruce Wayne and picture books is my Batman. But I've taught illustration at Maryland Institute College of Art for 16 years. I'm the chair of illustration now, and I've really invested in our book illustration courses. So we have Book Illustration Advanced Book. I'm I take my students to New York to meet with publishers and agents at the end of the semester. And a few of them have gotten published. I also have a little bit of a side gig as an agent. I represent about eight people now, and some are former students. So it's it's just great. You know, it's really wonderful and fulfilling to help someone launch their career, to be able to coach another author illustrator and help them kind of unravel the storytelling process and have someone on your team and someone who knows what the pain and misery feels like. Um, so yeah, it's it's great. It gets a little hectic when I'm trying to juggle deadlines and things, but I'm used to it now and you just have to make it work on all fronts.

SPEAKER_01 14:31

So, what are some of the most important things you want your students to know about storytelling? What what what do we need to know to storytell for children effectively?

SPEAKER_00 14:42

Um I think that I really make them dig into themselves and really like pull out their own experiences and the things that matter deeply to them and bring them into their stories. You know, when when we write a story, when you're new to it, you're just trying to write the story that has a beginning, a middle, and an end. But it really is what are you trying to share? What are you sharing with this young person? They can feel that energy. And so we do a lot of like therapy and book illustration where I'm asking deep probing questions about people's childhoods and this and that. And I think that that's the biggest, that's the biggest key. That was it for me, I think, that helped me kind of unlock a lot of things in my own work.

SPEAKER_01 15:25

And I know as an educator, when I'm picking up a picture book and sharing it with kids, I'm hoping that they're gonna be able to find things in the illustrations that go well beyond the text because a good illustration in my mind extends the story and adds nuance and maybe things that you as the author hadn't planned but come out and it allows the kids to feel something, to be able to build those connections, whether it's seeing themselves reflected or building their empathy muscles as they see somebody else's experience on a page. Exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 15:59

You know, when John illustrated this book, I was so grateful that in the way that he took it on, where he actually like singled out the people playing so you can see the instruments, you know, really get a sense of what they look like, how they're played. And then you have spread as where we're on the field and you see the whole performance. And so I really, as a kid, I think I would have spent hours just like looking at all those instruments and maybe dragging my mom to the store to be like, can we go look at a clarinet in person? So hopefully that that that is a part of the experience for young readers as well.

SPEAKER_01 16:30

And it's got just this beautiful, I'm gonna actually grab it for a minute and share it. There was a page that really struck me. I mean, I love the fact that it's a family at the game. But then I loved the the other thing I loved is that you do have that page you were talking about where you open it up and you see it from their perspective and you see the entire band on the field.

SPEAKER_00 16:50

It's so good. That's the game.

SPEAKER_01 16:53

It's beautiful. And then just to see that joy on the child's face and to be able to imagine, you know, what would I want to be in the band? Exactly. And I could absolutely see I could see a a preschool or an elementary school literally making instruments, experimenting with sound, experimenting with movement and having their own parade, letting kids practice. I mean, what more joyful way is there to embody a book? Exactly. Exactly. So I usually finish up a podcast by asking a very specific question to everybody because I think it's an important one. What's currently bringing you hope, Shadra? I know it's a hard one these days, but it's why I ask the question because we need it more than ever.

SPEAKER_00 17:40

I know. Oh, what is bringing me hope? Honestly, I it's been really difficult to find. It's been really difficult. And I think for me, I have a very strong, close-knit group of friends that I see regularly. So we have like Friday nights, and we'll just come over and unload and be in fellowship with one another. And hearing all the incredible things that they're doing in their community is important. Seeing my students and their joy and their dedication to their art in the face of AI and everything else that we're supposed to be afraid of. And for myself, I've taken a big step away from art this summer and just kind of relaxed after having a really stressful year. But I'm feeling that that energy rising back up, you know, and I'm looking forward to uh getting into the next couple of projects. But yeah, it I the people that I love are the things that that keep me hopeful in this really weird alternate timeline that we're on.

SPEAKER_01 18:45

Yeah, I keep wishing we'd get back to the main timeline. I'm not liking this one.

SPEAKER_00 18:50

Oh, it's so weird. It's so weird. Like it's just uh, yeah, you can you can cut this out if you need to, because I'm just talking now.

SPEAKER_01 18:58

No, but I'm with you on this. It's a weird timeline. And what I think gives me hope is conversations like these, realizing that there are so many people who really are trying to live in a way that is decent and kind and empathetic.

SPEAKER_02 19:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:17

And we don't necessarily hear about that. And so being able to elevate those stories, to be able to show books like Here Comes the Band, which demonstrates an aspect of joy and community and culture and love. That gives me some hope. Oh, thank you. Shadra Strickland, thank you so much for joining us on the Adventures in Learning podcast. I'm gonna drop links to your book and to your website in the show notes so people can follow you. When the book comes out this week, I encourage you to go grab a copy and gift it to your favorite classroom, your favorite library, your favorite family. You won't regret it.

SPEAKER_00 19:54

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 19:56

You've been listening to the Adventures in Learning podcast with your host, Dr. Diane. If you like what you're hearing, please subscribe, download, and let us know what you think, and please tell a friend. If you want the full show notes and the pictures, please go to drdianeadventures.com. We look forward to you joining us on our next adventure.