His personality is quiet and reserved, but don’t be fooled. Twenty-one-year-old Cody Bumgardner likes to jam. If you listen carefully, you can hear him rocking out on the weekends in his Stoddard Hall dorm room.
As a guitarist and singer, Bumgardner is part of a three-man band called “Subtle Issues.” The rock band, which started in November 2016, also consists of junior Rob Wingerter and senior Caleb Long. The three chose this name—on the way to schedule their first gig, mind you—by playing roulette with a philosophy book Bumgardner happened to have in his car. “It’s a corny name and it’s a corny story,” chuckled Bumgardner. “We decided to pick a name, right there and then in my car.”
Although Bumgardner has been a part of several music groups, he has also written and performed as a soloist. He has performed at a variety of venues, including bars, festivals and once at a Relay for Life event. He and his band have played at Blackburn’s Open Mic Night as well as the Refuge Coffee House in Carlinville. He describes his musical taste as “some of everything,” including alternative rock, classic rock and even some hard rock.
Originally from Ramsey, Illinois, Bumgardner credits his love of playing guitar to his grandfather, who enjoys country, gospel and bluegrass and can play a variety of instruments, including lead guitar and accordion. From the age of 12, Bumgardner and his grandfather played together at nursing homes in the area, and the two still play together.
Bumgardner gets his musical inspiration from the Goo Goo Dolls and Rush, his two favorite bands. His favorite songs to play are “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World and “Slide” by the Goo Goo Dolls.
Aside from music, he enjoys cruising around with friends and being outdoors. He loves a good television show, such as “Impractical Jokers” or “The Middle.” He also likes to play with his two dogs, one a coon hound mix and the other a Jack Russell terrier. Bumgardner works as a Writer’s Block assistant and is the advertising manager for The ‘Burnian.
Bumgardner began working at the County Market in Vandalia his senior year of high school, and continued working there for two more years while also attending Lakeland College in Mattoon, Illinois. Although he originally pursued English education, he switched to a marketing major when he transferred to Blackburn in the fall of 2016 because he was more interested in a business-related field.
Although nothing is set in stone, Bumgardner said he can picture himself pursuing a business position for a radio station or agriculture company. He has some experience helping his grandfather and uncle with their farms, and also lives on a small cattle farm himself. He plans to stay in the area after graduation.
He credits Blackburn’s smaller size as well as cross country coach Mark Hopping for persuading him to enroll at the school. Although he wasn’t involved in sports in high school, he is now active on the cross country team. “Cody’s a solid Blackburn student, [and] a great fit for this institution, partially because of his work ethic, his personality, [and] his willingness to get involved,” said Hopping. “He was the kind of individual I wanted on our team and at this school.”
Polite and conversational, Bumgardner keeps to himself. “I’m a pretty secretive guy,” he joked. When asked how he describes his personality, he simply said, “I don’t.” His easy-going, low-profile lifestyle is what makes him so approachable. “Cody is probably one of my best friends and bandmates,” said computer science major and drummer Caleb Long. “He’s a pretty reserved guy. But he’s really personable and he could talk to anybody… [He’s] super quiet, really well-mannered, always really cheerful, very polite. He’s kinda like a good ole country boy without so much of being the country boy, you know what I mean?”
The musician’s easygoing personality is also evidenced in his style. You can normally find him wearing cowboy boots, jeans, a band T-shirt and a flannel jacket. His classic fashion sense is complemented with his love for records. A collector of music of all formats, Bumgardner admitted that he has a large collection of CDs, records and yes, even cassette tapes.
Bumgardner also collects guitars. Although he has around a dozen, most of which were purchased at garage sales and auctions, he has a dream guitar in mind: a starburst Rickenbacker 360. Not only does he like the way this guitar sounds, but he also credits his inspiration to Tom Petty and John Fogerty, who both play the instrument.
Bumgardner also wrote and produced a self-titled album. The album took nearly two years to produce and has eight tracks, all of which were recorded by him. He played the guitar, bass and drums while also performing vocals, layering each recording to produce the final product.
If you wish to request a copy of Bumgardner’s album, email him at cody.bumgardner@blackburn.edu.