MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s College of Liberal Arts is wrapping up 2025 with its annual “Joys of the Season” arts showcase as a way to thank the local community for its support.

The 30-minute broadcast premieres at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8, on MTSU’s True Blue TV and YouTube channel. The holiday show is a special edition of the university’s monthly TV magazine show, “Out of the Blue,” hosted by Andrew Oppmann, vice president for marketing and communications.

The program highlights the work and creativity of MTSU’s School of Music, Department of Art and Design and Department of Theatre and Dance. The holiday special was recorded at several locations across campus, including Hinton Hall inside the Wright Music Building, Tucker Theatre and the XR Stage inside the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment.

“I am always impressed by the breadth of talent in our arts areas and the variety of performances and activities. This year’s ‘Joys of the Season’ is no exception. The program will have something for everyone; I am proud to share it with the community,” said College of Liberal Arts Dean Leah Tolbert Lyons, showcase co-host.

The 2025 “Joys of the Season” broadcast features:

• MTSU’s Department of Theatre and Dance will perform the energetic Broadway classic, “Turkey Lurkey Time,” from the musical “Promises, Promises,” directed by associate professor and department chair Kristi Shamburger.
• Directed by dance lecturer Kim Holt, MTSU Dance Program students will perform two selections from the holiday classic “The Nutcracker,” including “Candy Cane” and “Hot Chocolate.”
• MTSU Department of Art and Design professor and coordinator of art education Debrah Sickler-Voigt shows how to make unique holiday artwork with items you already have around the house.
• MTSU’s Schola Cantorum performs “O, Come All Ye Faithful,” directed by Will Chandler, and the MTSU Bassoon Ensemble, directed by Staci Spring, performs “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”  

True Blue TV airs on Comcast Xfinity channels 9 and 1096; and channel 9.1 on the MTSU campus cable. It also airs on 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.

Re-broadcasts set

“Joys of the Season” will re-air on True Blue TV throughout December, and on NewsChannel 5+ in the Nashville market on Sundays at 6:30 p.m. beginning Dec. 14 through Jan. 4.

And in a special broadcast this year, Nashville PBS will air the showcase at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, which will also include the airing of the 2024 “Joys of the Season” concert. It will also re-air on PBS at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, and at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 25. For more information on how to watch Nashville PBS programming, visit https://www.wnpt.org/watch/. 

True Blue TV will also air its fourth annual “Joys of the Season” marathon from noon Christmas Eve until noon Christmas Day.

About ‘Joys of the Season’

“Joys of the Season” first began in 2015 as an evening of live performances and art displays in MTSU’s Tucker Theatre, showcasing the College of Liberal Arts’ performance and fine arts departments as a gesture of appreciation for the community’s decades of support. 

After the program took a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic and returned in an online format for two years, “Joys” returned once again in 2023 in a made-for-television format.

The holiday special has won Telly Awards in recent years.

Learn more about MTSU’s Arts programs at https://mtsu.edu/mtsuarts. Learn more about the opportunities at MTSU’s College of Liberal Arts at https://mtsu.edu/liberalarts. 

‘Out of the Blue’: Watch, listen

“Out of the Blue” is available anytime on the university’s YouTube channel, the True Blue TV channel, Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.

It also airs daily on Murfreesboro cable Channel 9 at 6 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1:30 p.m.; on NewsChannel5+ at 6:30 p.m. on Sundays; and on other cable outlets in Middle Tennessee, so check local listings. 

It is also available as a podcast on iTunes and Google Play, as well as individual interview segments on Spotify, at https://spoti.fi/453hxg3. 

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

— DeAnn Hays (deann.hays@mtsu.edu)