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Together Merrily: The University of Tampa Holiday Special, featuring students and faculty performing holiday classics, will make its debut on the air on WEDU/PBS on Friday, Dec. 22, at 11 p.m. The program will run again on Christmas Eve (Sunday, Dec. 24) at 3 p.m. and on WEDQ at 3:30 p.m. and on Christmas Day (Monday, Dec. 25) at 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on WEDQ.

The special was filmed primarily during the 2022-2023 academic year and went into post-production over the Fall 2023 semester. The hour-long special has 15 separate segments, which vary from strings, brass, choral and dance and take place in several performance venues on campus. In between segments, students and faculty discuss their work and give a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the production.

The production was completed exclusively at UT by 150 students and dozens of faculty. The audio was recorded live and mixed in the Ferman Center for the Arts recording studio by Troy Cusson, music technology coordinator; the digital assets and title cards were created by the art and design department, led by Assistant Teaching Professor Luciana Gassett; and a promotional campaign was developed by students studying advertising and public relations. Aaron Walker, chair and associate professor in the Department of Film, Animation and New Media (FMX), and Destiny Greer, FMX staff assistant, served as the producers, with David Gudelunas, dean of the College of Arts and Letters, as executive producer.

“It is highly unique that a special of this scope and quality is being completed entirely in-house with students, faculty, equipment and facilities all part of the University,” said Gudelunas.

Funding to produce Together Merrily: The University of Tampa Holiday Special was provided by Charlene and Mardy Gordon, Geneva Damron, Lee and Benson Riseman, and the College of Arts of Letters. For more information about the special, contact the College of Arts and Letters at cal@ut.edu.