The History of NYSMC

Keisuke Hoashi, NYSMC.com, NYSMC Press, and Dr. Bob present
The only complete online text of the official history of NYSMC

Music from the Mountains:
New York State Music Camp
1947 - 1996

by Robert F. Swift

Limited copies are still available for purchase!

And click here to email Dr. Bob and see if you can still get yourself your very own printed copy!

Published by NYSMC Press
PO Box 125
Plymouth, NH, 03264
Copyright ©1996 by Robert F. Swift

ISBN 0-9653933-0-5

Thanks to the generous permission of Dr. Bob Swift, I have had the honor of having reproduced his entire historical masterwork on this website for your reading pleasure.

Click on any link below to begin reading the wonderful history of NYSMC, all the way from the beginning, by a man who was there every moment of the way.

Sometime in the not too far off future, please come on back here for my personal description of the ten plus years since the end of Dr. Bob's love story. It'll be good reading, once I get it done!

Got any history or stories you can share about your years at NYSMC? Send me an email and I'll put it up!

--Keisuke.

NYSMC Major Historical Milestones

Shamelessly editorialized version 1.0

1947	NYSMC is founded in Otter Lake by Dr. F.F. Swift. Dr. Bob begins his incredible run of 59 years at NYSMC as a wee bairn.
1956	Camp moved to Hartwick College after massive sewer problems at the old Otter Lake Hotel.
1970s	NYSMC Alum Tom Brown establishes spinoff camp, Eastern US Music Camp, at Colgate University. Students are required to brush their teeth after every rehearsal, but flossing remains optional.
1982	A frightened, timid, meek 14-year-old trumpter from Queens, NY attends NYSMC for the first time.
1984	Hartwick College purchases NYSMC. The now-bold, confident trumpet player enjoys the finest musical year of his life - and says farewell to NYSMC. Growing up can really suck.
1985	Deb Swift, daughter of Dr. F.F. Swift, establishes spinoff camp, Encore Music Camp of Pennsylvania, at Wilkes College, PA.
1987	"& Institute" added to NYSMC name. Acronym expands and wreaks havoc with tee shirt designs.
1989	Dr. Frederick Fay Swift passes away. Farewell to a great, great man.
1994	Camp name officially changed to Hartwick College Summer Music Festival & Institute. Makers of Alpha-bit cereal and Campbell's Alphabet Soup rejoice.
2003	I purchase domain name NYSMC.com - and my life begins an utterly unpredicted, intricate intertwining back into the world of music camp.
2005	- July 2005: I join the faculty of the renamed NYSMC and immediately feel like I've never left. - August 2005: The final concert marks the final year of Dr. Bob's incredible unbroken 59-year run at NYSMC. Baseball's Cal Ripkin Jr. and the ghost of Lou Gehrig, both of whom played in over 2,000 consecutive games as baseball players, salute Dr. Bob as a worthy peer, saying "If we're Iron Men for our longevity, Bob Swift is Mithril Man for making us look like sissies. We salute you!" - September 2005: College virtually fires entire camp faculty and replaces them with Hartwick college faculty. Webster's Dictionary updates the definition of the world "Nepotism" to include this act.
2006	Former camp director Jungeun Kim establishes spinoff camp NYSMF (New York Summer Music Festival) up the street at SUNY Oneonta. I officially declare NYSMF to be the successor to the NYSMC name.

Got any history or stories you can share about your years at NYSMC? Send me an email and I'll put it up!