Foster Music Camp

1951 Bandanna
(Above) Inside of Noel Studio.

Every summer, students from across Kentucky and beyond spend time studying music on Eastern's campus as part of the Foster Music Camp. Now in its 83rd year, those students will be part of a long tradition that started in 1936.  The Foster Music Camp was an experiment in music education. When the chair of Eastern's music department, James Van Peursem, started the camp, he saw it as an opportunity to attract quality musicians to campus, build young music talent, and, provide quality music education to young people from across the region who might not have those opportunities in their own school districts.  Van Peursem also understood that fostering musical talent in young school-age musicians could help bolster a stronger college level program. Today, the Foster Music Camp is the oldest music camp of its type in the state of Kentucky and is the second oldest in the entire country. For many years, the camp had its own publication, The Bandanna.  This issue is from 1951.

You can find many more Foster Music Camp photographs in our Foster Music Camp Collection!