In 1986 a young and upcoming I.U. Jacobs School of Music senior recording engineering student named John Plenge recorded a compilation of local Bloomington music artists for his senior project. At this same time, Indiana University’s student programming and events organization Union Board was approached by hungry organization Oxfam (The Hoosier Hills Food) to help them raise awareness regarding the local hunger epidemic within the Bloomington community. The outcome was a professionally recorded compilation album of local Bloomington and Indiana University musicians entitled Live From Bloomington, which showcased the talent of the various local Bloomington music artists and helped promote hunger awareness within Bloomington. The album’s initial record release party culminated in a live performance at I.U.’s Assembly Hall, and all proceeds from the record sales and event went to the Hoosier Hills Food Bank. Throughout the past 25 years, Live From Bloomington has continued to serve as both a voice for local musicians, as well as a constant reminder of hunger awareness within the Bloomington community. To help commemorate Live From Bloomington’s 25th Anniversary and continue to Help The Hungry, the I.U. Union Board plans to release the latest Live From Bloomington album; The “Songs of Indiana” on January 21, 2011. In addition, digital music downloads of the Live From Bloomington project(s) will also be available for the first time on iTunes to further support the Hoosier Hills food bank and the project’s continued mission to promote hunger awareness across the I.U. campus and community. Although the recorded product may have changed throughout the years (physical record albums to CDs to now digital downloads), current and former project student coordinators and community leaders have always kept the project’s primary vision of helping the hungry vibrant and unchanged –certainly something to celebrate and recognize. As a vehicle to invigorate the founding spirit of Live From Bloomington and to launch a second twenty-five year period, students this year constructed the Brio Pop Society. To connect the supportive Bloomington community with the renowned students at the Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, student songwriters, singers, and composers were selected to form the Brio Pop Society and charged with the task of crafting a concept album, “Songs of Indiana.” On January 21, 2011, a presentation of their collaborative efforts will be on display at the Buskirk Chumley Theater in a concert to promote musical unity and hunger awareness. To bring back the fervor and excitement from its inception, original pioneers of the Live from Bloomington project have extended their time and support to help the current coordinators continue the Bloomington legacy. With their support and the generous support from local and national coporations Live From Bloomington hopes to raise 25,000 pounds of food for Hoosier Hills in 2010 to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Since 1986, Live From Bloomington has contributed more than $75,000 and a quarter of a million pounds of food to the Hoosier Hills Food Bank. The steadfast support from the Bloomington community and the youthful passion passed down from Indiana University students is what has allowed Live From Bloomington to continue for so many years. “We are so grateful for the unwavering support from this committed student organization. Their events reach to the student body and the community, bringing awareness to our cause year after year,” said Dan Taylor from Hoosier Hills Food Bank. In conjunction with the annual food drive, the Live From Bloomington coordinators will be debuting the first Brio Pop Society event to the local community and I.U. campus on January 21st. As music is a key component in the preservation of the Live From Bloomington legacy; I.U. school of music students looks forward to sharing their impressive musical talent and unique collaborative works that they have created this fall to benefit hunger awareness. The “Songs of Indiana” digital download will be sold at the concert on January 21, 2011 and will also be available for purchase on iTunes. “At the January concert, audience members are asked to bring canned goods, and all ticket revenue will be donated to Hoosier Hills. I know this performance will shine a new light on this historic organization and invigorate the community to help us help the hungry,” said Caroline Shurig, 2010 Live From Bloomington Director. This unique performance will not only mark a distinctive moment in the history of Indiana University, the City of Bloomington, and most importantly the many helped by the Hoosier Hills Food Bank, but will also launch another quarter-century of music and philanthropy. We hope you will join us and Help Us Help The Hungry!