MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — ’Tis the season for Middle Tennessee State University’s 24-hour marathon of the 2024 “Joys of the Season” arts showcase on True Blue TV.

The program will air repeatedly beginning at noon Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, until noon Christmas Day, Dec. 25. This year will feature the 2024 show airing the first half of each hour, with the second half alternating between the 2023 and 2022 versions.

This will mark the fourth year the university’s public affairs and live events TV channel has preempted its regular programming for the marathon. 

“We’re thrilled to be able to continue this broadcast tradition,” said Ty Whitaker, senior manager of True Blue TV. “My family, along with many others, love having these fine performances by our students as the backdrop for our holiday activities.”

Put on by the College of Liberal Arts, the show highlights the work of multiple departments within the college and also serves as a special edition of the university’s TV magazine show “Out of the Blue,” hosted by Andrew Oppmann, vice president for marketing and communications, who is joined by Liberal Arts Dean Leah Lyons for the special “Joys” edition.

The 2024 “Joys of the Season” broadcast features: 

• MTSU’s Department of Theatre and Dance will perform “Twelve Days to Christmas,” from the musical “She Loves Me,” directed by associate professor and department chair Kristi Shamburger and assistant director Crystal Carrasco, a theatre student.
• An MTSU Cello Ensemble, representing the School of Music’s Instrumental Performance Program, will perform “Halls Upon the Merry Housetop,” arranged by assistant professor Bryan Hayslett.
• MTSU Department of Art and Design professor and coordinator of art education Debrah Sickler-Voigt shows how to make a one of a kind, stamped flour clay ornament with a haiku. This is the first time the annual “Joys of the Season” program has had a holiday craft segment.
• MTSU Dance Program students perform “Waltz of the Flowers,” choreographed by dance lecturer Kim Holt. Originally from “The Nutcracker,” the piece is the final dance of the ballet and is where all the Sugar Plum Fairy’s sweets celebrate Clara and the prince.
• The MTSU Symphony Orchestra will end the program with a performance of “Sleigh Ride” under the direction of Carol Nies, associate music professor.

“Joys of the Season” first started in 2015 as an evening of live performances and art displays in Tucker Theatre as a thank-you to the campus community, its friends and supporters. 

The program took a hiatus 2020 due to the pandemic and returned in an online format in 2021. The broadcast now boasts two Telly Award wins.  

True Blue TV airs on Comcast Xfinity channels 9 and 1096; and channel 9.1 on the MTSU campus cable. It also airs as channel 195 on DTC in Alexandria; digital channel 206 on United Communications in Chapel Hill; and among the PEG offerings found on channel 99 on AT&T U-verse in Middle Tennessee. True Blue TV is also available on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. The “Joys” show is also available to view anytime on MTSU’s Facebook page and YouTube Channel. 

Watch previous episodes of “Out of the Blue” at https://mtsunews.com/out-of-the-blue.  

“Joys of the Season” will re-air on True Blue TV throughout the month of December, on NewsChannel 5+ in the Nashville market on Sundays at 6:30 p.m. through Jan. 5, and a special broadcast this year on Nashville PBS on Friday, Dec. 20, at 9 p.m., which will also include the airing of the 2023 “Joys of the Season” concert. For more information on how to watch Nashville PBS programming, and see additional dates and times for “Joys of the Season,” visit https://www.wnpt.org/watch/. 

— DeAnn Hays (deann.hays@mtsu.edu)