'Thacker Mountain Jr.' Returns This Week

The show includes authors from the Children's Book Festival of the Oxford Conference for the Book, live music and a book signing. It is free and open to the public.

The show began in 2018 as a collaboration between the University of Mississippi's Living Music Resource and "Thacker Mountain Radio Hour." Ava Street Broome, a music education major from Purvis, served as executive director of "Thacker Mountain Jr." in 2019 and 2020 before COVID-19 brought the project to a halt. She also created an operations manual for the production as part of her capstone project for the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.

Lucy Gaines, Thacker Mountain's executive director, contacted Nancy Maria Balach, chair of the UM Department of Music, last year about relaunching the children's radio hour.

"It was important to us to bring this project back not only because it bridges the university and Oxford communities, but also because it allows students and kids to leap towards lively careers in the arts right here in Mississippi," Gaines said.

This week's show will feature Lindsey Currie, best-selling author of mysteries for young readers, including "The Mystery of Locked Rooms," this year's fifth-grade book for the Children's Book Festival; Sarah Frances Hardy, Oxford-based illustrator of "One Mississippi," this year's first-grade selection; and Madalyn Sullivan, an Oxford High School student and author of "Meet Millie," a book about her sister that aims to teach others about autism.

The authors will participate in a book signing before the show at 4:30 p.m.

Faith Pannell, a sophomore music education student from Pontotoc, is executive director of this year's production. She said she is excited about working with Balach and Gaines to bring back "Thacker Mountain Jr."

"One of the reasons I came to Ole Miss was for the opportunities available to develop myself professionally," Pannell said. "When professor Balach asked me about directing 'Thacker Jr.,' I was enthusiastic but hesitant, since I had never done something like this before.

"During this journey, I have learned many behind-the-scenes aspects of running a show."

Pannell and LMR students hosted open-call auditions in late February, attracting some 20 students vying for roles as hosts and musicians. The producers selected four hosts and four musical guests from the pool for the program.

The production also will be available to stream on the Living Music Resource YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@livingmusicresource.

Top: 'Thacker Mountain Jr.' features local talent and entertainment for children in a format that mirrors 'Thacker Mountain Radio Hour.' The production returns Friday (March 27) after an extended break that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Submitted photo