Hoosier Country Jam crams in musicians, American Idol's Meggie Iyer on stage

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct former name of Hoosier Country Jam.

Hoosier Country Jam is coming to its new home, the Buskirk-Chumley Theater in Bloomington, on April 15. Previously called the Stars & Guitars in Illinois, the show will have multiple musical artists. Some are nationally known and others are regional musicians who will share the stage with “American Idol” star and Indiana University Kelley School of Business finance and accounting major Meggie Iyer.

And there's more. The organization sponsors a summer program, Camp Broadcast, where high school and college students improve their interviewing skills, asking questions of celebrities. Many former participants now work at ESPN, Sports Illustrated, CMT and other broadcast outlets.

Who's performing at Hoosier Country Jam on April 15?

The concert on April 15 showcases IU freshman and “American Idol” hit Iyer; viral sensation Mason Ramsey, the Walmart yodeling boy; Michael Ray, who has four No. 1 radio songs; Jake Hoot, a winner on “The Voice"; and Terre Haute native Dylan Schneider, who has toured with Morgan Wallen and Kane Brown. Local stars Hank Ruff and Jake Dodds will perform as well.

Hoosier Country Jam is meant to evoke the Grand Ole Opry, but it is also meant to have an intimate feel like Nashville, Tennessee's Bluebird Cafe because of the show's close-up-ness, said Sam Alex, host of the Jam and founder and director of Camp Broadcast.

The Jam's previous three benefit concerts took place in Illinois, but now organizers are calling the event Hoosier Country Jam, and it's going to be an annual concert in Bloomington.

Why the Buskirk-Chumley? "The perfect venue"

"I made so many friends and have countless fond memories of my time in Bloomington when I hosted the Alex Starr Morning Show from 2007-2010," Alex said. The show was broadcast on Bloomington's B97 radio station.

He now hosts the CMA- and ACM-nominated nationally syndicated radio program “The Sam Alex Show” and has been a guest announcer at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. He also has appeared as himself in an episode of ABC-TV’s “Nashville.”

"The iconic Buskirk-Chumley Theater is the perfect venue to host," he stated. "Normally we’d be worried that it might rain, but since we’ll be indoors, then no worries at all!"

Helping broadcast and journalism students

The annual Hoosier Country Jam concerts help fund scholarships for high school and college students so they can attend Camp Broadcast. The idea for the camp came to founder and director Sam Alex during the pandemic. Once at the camp, the students pick up real-world experiences by interviewing celebrities such as Cassaddee Pope of "The Voice" and other newsmakers, to add to their student reels.

"Many of our former campers are now working full time in the media industry," he said. "Every day at Camp Broadcast we have industry veteran guest instructors and celebrities for the students to interview."

Sessions last one week and include master classes. Campers learn a variety of skills, from writing radio scripts to tips on how to frame interview queries. Alex pulls from his own experiences not only as a camp counselor but from his failures, which have girded him. Having many media contacts, he also is able to invite celebrities he has met to pay it forward.

Several media outlets including "The Today Show" and "Good Morning America" have featured Camp Broadcast, a summer program run by Hoosier Country Jam.

If you go

WHAT: Hoosier Country Jam

WHERE: Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave.

WHEN: 8 p.m. April 15; doors open at 7:30 p.m.

TICKETS: Starting at $45; VIP early entry advance tickets start at $60. Prices increase day of event. VIP Ticket holders gain entry five minutes earlier than general admission ticket holders. Artist lineup is subject to change.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Hoosier County Jam offers night with 7 artists on stage in Bloomington