Testimonials

During the many years the Stephen Collins Foster Music Camps have been in existence many young musicians have had the opportunity to participate in the camp and enjoy the benefits of this association. As a result, many of the former campers developed life-long friendships which endure even to this say. Along with these friendships many campers developed a true testament to the positive influence Foster Music Camps provides. There are many former campers who have the utmost respect and regard towards the awe of Foster Music Camps. Below are several testimonials from past campers over the past 60 years. 
 

Jim Walker

 
 

"It was wonderful for me to revisit EKU this past month with my group "Free Flight". What a homecoming of sorts. To make it even more fun, my Dad, Bob Walker (former band director at Central City, KY High School) came to the event and "sat in" with the band. We drove around the campus and he pointed out lots of buildings and house he had lived in when he attended "Eastern" in the late 30's. On Dad's advice, I became a camper at SFMC (Stephen Collins Foster Music Camp) for two summers while in HS in KY (1959 and 1962). I still have the great "annuals" that were produced in those days. Do they still do that? What a great memento for these years. My memories are quite striking and fond. It provided my first orchestral experience and I must say I had no idea that a few years later I would be plowing away in the Pittsburgh Symphony. A fellow male flutist (what an unusual thing then and now) Lennie Van Sant became a great buddy for the summer of 59 and I learned a lot from listening to him. Harold Rigby was a total kick, Nick Konningstein   inspired and frightened us, and I was welcomed to a new exciting world of lots of good musicians having a ball at summer camp. Never thought something like that existed.


The second summer 62 followed my senior year. Of course I was VERY MATURE then and WAY ABOVE all of those younger musicians (Cough.......).I met Mike Campbell (now in Cincy - formerly with Woody Herman) who played amazing clarinet. I was also trying to play a bit of rhythm piano (chords only) and we spent hours playing from a jazz fake book that I had recently discovered. We had a ball floating from band to orchestra to the practice rooms. SUMMARY: SFMC had a deep impact on me and was a very important part of my musical education and direction. Being around good kids who were serious about music was very inspiring and to this day brings back profoundly fond memories.

~ Jim Walker
(World-renowned flautist & member of "Free Flight,")


ROB PARTON is considered one of the finest trumpet players in Chicago. He has performed with the Chicago Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, played lead trumpet at the Democratic National Convention and has recorded hundreds of radio and television commercials both locally and nationally. The Rob Parton Jazz Tech Big Band was featured at the 1996 Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic.

Rob has played with Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Band, Tony Bennett, the Woody Herman Orchestra led by Frank Tiberi, Mel Torme and Natalie Cole to name a few. Rob has toured Europe, playing at many major Jazz Festivals including the Umbria Jazz Festival with Joe Williams

Rob is currently Assistant Professor and Chairman of Jazz Studies at Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University. Rob Partons JAZZTECH Big Band has recorded three Cd's internationally on the Sea Breeze Jazz label. The band performs regularly in Chicago and at many jazz festivals both here and abroad. His newest project includes the critically acclaimed Rob Parton Nonet.

Alternating between trumpet and fluegelhorn, and letting his robust tone eloquently speak for itself unamplified, Parton performed a host of old standards with an emphasis on elegance and subtlety, never sounding harsh or allowing himself to overpower his colleagues. Chicago Tribune 1996.

Rob is a Benge trumpet artist/clinician and educational specialist for United Musical Instruments. He plays a gold plated Benge 3x+ with a sterling silver bell exclusively.

About His Foster Music Camp Experience Rob Says:

I attended Foster Music Camp for three years from 1979-1981. I would have to say that Foster was THE beginning of my serious musical career. I was inspired every summer by great teachers and role models. I met some of my very best friends and still keep in touch. When I went to Foster, I always went for both two week sessions for a total of a month. We had great times running from the girls dorm in 8 minutes every night only to find Dr Hartwell standing by the lobby counting down the seconds to see who would be late.  It was always great to live at Eastern Kentucky University for the summer because it was so pretty.  I must truly say, that I would not be the same musician I am today without the formative years of Foster Camp!

I am eternally grateful to you Dr. Hartwell for helping me to become what I always dreamed of becoming, a professional musician able to do what I love for a living.  I only hope that someday I will have the same effect on my students as you did with me. I received my MM in Trumpet Pedagogy from Northern Illinois University, 1987-89.  At that point I moved closer to Chicago to begin working as a full time musician at various hotels and with a few society bands.  In 1991 I took a full time tenured track teaching job at Chicago State University for 2.5 years.  In January of 1994 I applied for and received the position of Chair of Jazz Studies at Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University. CMC currently has 432 undergraduate music majors of which 42 are Jazz majors. We are located in Downtown Chicago at 430 S Michigan Ave. Recently I proposed and designed a MM degree in Jazz performance which was voted in and will take effect in Fall 1997!

 

JAMES DICKEY, III is an oboist and solo English hornist with the United States Marine Band. A native of Centerville, OH, MSGT Dickey, has been a member of the Marine Band for twenty years since graduation from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore where he was a full scholarship recipient and holds the Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees. MSGT Dickey has performed with the Baltimore Symphony, Baltimore Opera Orchestra and is a founding member of the Society of Music Crafters, a resident ensemble of the Library of Congress. Jim was at Foster in 1970 and 1971

About his Foster Music Camp experience Jim says:

Foster Music Camp and Dr. Robert Hartwell were both defining experiences in my musical education. My summer camp years there set the standard of musical excellence that started me out on a successful path to a career as a professional musician. After serving twenty years as an oboist and solo English horn with the United States Marine Band, I still recall with great fondness my summers with Dr. Hartwell and the many fine faculty members at the Foster Music Camp.
 

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