Mississippi Creates: Music is a collaborative project between the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, Department of Theatre and Film at the University of Mississippi, and Yoknapatawpha Arts Council. This series was launched in 2021 by Professor John Rash as part of his curriculum for MFA students, who were each asked to produce a short documentary film highlighting local musicians who have been influenced or inspired by the life, culture, and sounds of Mississippi. In the spring of 2024, the project expanded to pair groups of students with local visual artists to document the craft and inspiration of their creative process.
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Hipster Mayberry / Tim and Susan Lee
Greta Koshenina, Peter Muvunyi, Athula Samarakoon, Tim Lee, and Susan Bauer Lee
Directed and Edited by Greta Koshenina
Produced by Greta Koshenina, Peter Muvunyi, Athula Samarakoon
Hipster Mayberry showcases Mississippi natives Tim and Susan Lee, known as Bark! This dynamic duo, married for more than forty years, has recently relocated to the small, emerging artist community in Water Valley, MS, where they generously share their varied talents with all those they encounter.
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Twurt Chamberlain / Country Punk Black
NEEN, Christopher C. Fisher, and Twurt Chamberlain
Produced by NEEN. and Dr. Christopher C. Fisher
Directed and Edited by NEEN.
Country Punk Black chronicles the musical journey of Twurt Chamberlain, a genre-bending singer-songwriter from Lexington, Mississippi, to uncover how his lived experiences have influenced his evolving sound. Backed by a soundtrack of Twurt’s unique blend of hip-hop, blues, and rock and roll, the film also delves into his aspirations and inspirations.
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Kell Kellum / Layers
Garrett Fuller, NEEN, and Sochima Okafor
Produced and Directed by Garrett Fuller, NEEN., Sochima Okafor
Layers is a reflective doc that ventures into the sights, sounds, and creative ethos of Mississippi-based musician and photographer, Kell Kellum.
Kell Kellum is a multimedia artist from between Itta Bena, Mississippi. He specializes in instrumental music and photography. His creative journey takes root from his surroundings’ rich, complex tapestry. Kell’s art profoundly reflects his life experiences and the enduring impact of his environment. Collaboration is at the heart of Kell’s artistic process, a vital channel through which he navigates the depths of his creative exploration. As his friend Spencer Thomas aptly describes, Kell possesses a unique ability to “feel his way around the Song,” infusing his music with a meditative and reflective quality that resonates with profound introspection.
Seamlessly weaving between sound and imagery, Kell’s artistic vision is a testament to his unwavering dedication to his craft. Whether meticulously scanning and editing his photographs or orchestrating intricate musical compositions, he approaches each endeavor with a profound sense of purpose and control, seeking to distill the essence of his vision into tangible form. For Kell, photography and music are not mere artistic expressions but profound meditations on life; each frame and note reflects his innermost thoughts and emotions. Through his collaborative spirit and a keen eye for detail, Kell invites viewers and listeners alike to join him on a journey of exploration and discovery, where every image and melody is a testament to the beauty and complexity of the human experience.
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A. J. Haynes / Evidence
Lucy Gaines and A. J. Haynes
Produced and Directed by Lucy Gaines
Black and Filipino queer-femme musical artist A.J. Haynes finds freedom of expression and bodily agency in ancestral ties to Mississippi land. Through genre-expansive music and community activism, A.J. invites us through a portal where the roots of black and queer futures grow infinitely through time and space.
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Big T. Williams / Delta Blues, Delta Blood
Jai Williams and Terry "Big T." Williams
Produced and Directed by Jai Williams
With ancestral Blues legends guiding his guitar strums, Terry “Big T” Williams is committed to more than the success of being a Delta Blues musician. Williams illustrates that the Blues is deeper than a constant state of heartbreak, pain, or struggle, and can be used as an effective method to uplift one’s community and its residents.
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Graham Hamaker
Lilian Slaughter and Graham Hamaker
Produced and Directed by Lilian Slaughter
Gulf coast native, Graham Hamaker, makes music with influences from the southern environment and his personal life.
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Kill Command
Bethany Fitts and Kill Command
Produced and Directed by Bethany Fitts
High school metal heads find each other and form a band as a means to make it out of their small town in Mississippi.
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Jerry Jenkins
Elise-Joelle Denoulet and Jerry Jenkins
Produced and Directed by Elise-Joelle Denoulet
This short documentary highlights the community-building and storytelling of musician Jerry Jenkins. Working in Jackson, Mississippi, he evokes cultural memory through drumming and educates children about West African culture and the lineage of regional music traditions.
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5th Child
Sandip Rai, Katherine Aberle, and Stephen Brown
Produced and Directed by Sandip Rai & Katherine Aberle
Stephen Brown envisions a better community in his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. Under the stage name 5th Child, he inspires others with politically charged hip-hop. As the purveyor of Briarwood Arts Center, he has built a community hub that offers resources for others to create and inspire through their own initiatives.
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Andrew Bryant
Sandip Rai and Andrew Bryant
Produced & Directed by Sandip Rai
An intimate portrait of singer / songwriter Andrew Bryant and how his life and music have been informed by the rural areas of Mississippi. Andrew has traveled and performed across the country in bands and as a solo artist, but like his music, he is always rooted in the small town he calls home.
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Big Clown
Christina Huff and Big Clown
Produced & Directed by Christina Huff
Big Clown, a punk band that calls both Jackson, MS and Memphis, TN home, are interested in creating short, fast, disruptive bursts of creativity in a region of the country usually associated with negative stereotypes and a lack of underground culture.
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Schaefer Llana
Annemarie Anderson and Schaefer Llana
Produced & Directed by Annemarie Anderson
Schaefer Llana is a musician and audio engineer based in Water Valley, Mississippi. Originally from Batesville, Mississippi, Schaefer takes inspiration from Mississippi’s environment and its deserved musical reputation of the Delta and Hill Country.
The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council support of this project was made possible by funds from Cathead Vodka, Mississippi Humanities Council and the Mississippi Arts Commission and if part of our mission to provide programs that highlight the talent within our community and provide community members deeper understanding of the creative process.
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Tyler Keith
Kelly Spivey and Tyler Keith
Produced & Directed by Kelly Spivey
Tyler Keith plays punk-inspired rock and roll influenced by his love for Mississippi and Memphis musicians, authors, and filmmakers. Tyler’s story is told through oral history and two of his songs performed in their entirety at the Lyric theatre in Oxford, Mississippi.
The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council support of this project was made possible by funds from Cathead Vodka, Mississippi Humanities Council and the Mississippi Arts Commission and if part of our mission to provide programs that highlight the talent within our community and provide community members deeper understanding of the creative process.