halsmusic

Most of the following instrumental arrangements were published (2010) in two volumes entitled Popular Jewish Folksongs Band Series Volume 1 and Volume 2 by Tara Publications (www.jewishmusic.org) for "convertible" instrumental ensemble consisting of 8 parts including keyboard/guitar and drums. These instrumental settings were dedicated to the memory of my good friend Jim Frisch a great philanthropist, a musician, a mentor and a mensch. His long life was too short.

1	Baruch Alchenu & Los Bibilocos	©2010	published
2	Zemer Atik	©2010	published
3	Shalom Alechem	©2010	published
4	Freylickh in D	©2010	published
5	Tumbalalaika	©2010	published
6	Od Lo Ahati Dai	©2010	published
7	Der Rebbe Eli Melich	©2010	published
8	Chosen Kal Mazel Tov & Hava Nagila	©2010	published
9	Mi Chomocha	©2010	not published
10	Ocho Kandelikas	©2010	published
11	Yis Ma Chu	©2010	published
12	Ose Shalom	©2010	published
13	Od Yishama & Ketsad M'drakin	©2010	published
14	Hene Matovu	©2010	published
15	Happy Birthday 1 & 2	©2010	not published
16	Al Hanisim	©2010	published
17	Mi Sheberach	©2011	not published

FRANSTED - ©2008

COMPOSITION for Orchestra

SINFONIETTA in 4 movements - ©2010

1st MMT

2nd MMT

3rd MMT

4th MMT

INTRADA "Open the Gate" for Orchestra - ©2010

Reverie For A Departed Friend - ©2012

VARIATIONS ON HAPPY BIRTHDAY for 2 flutes, clarinet & 3 trumpets - ©2013

It was 2004 - My good friend Mike Johnston taught me enough to be dangerous with Cool Edit Pro (now Adobe Audition).

So I took out some of my instruments, clicked on the record button, started playing and this is what I came up with.

The Way - didjeridu, American Indian flute

A tone - shofar(kudu-horn), American Indian flute

Morning Spirit - American Indian flute, keyboard

Scarlet, Yellow, Brown - Poetry, Voice & Mixing - Harvey Taylor, didjeridu, American Indian flute, shofar (kudu horn)

Canyon Flight - American Indian flute

Gazimba All Day Long - Double ranked gazimba

Clap Yo' Hands - Harmonica

Kokopelli's Canyon - American Indian flute

Dance for Flute & Fingers - American Indian flute

Y'all Come Back Now - Single ranked gazimba & trumpet

1989 was my 10th year as chair of the Carroll College music department (a small liberal arts college in Waukesha, WI). I earned a sabbatical and took 4 months to travel and study abroad. As a male academic, traveling the world, I was greeted and treated everywhere I went like a king. I travelled to Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Java, Bali, India and Greece. I returned to Java and Bali 8 times over the next 6 years. On three occasions I took students and interested adults on month long study trips. In 1993 my relationship with the college ceased but I continued guiding independent study and business trips to Java and Bali. In my opinion field trips are simply the best way to learn.

All that travel increased my exposure to new sites, new languages and new sounds. I thought more about the role pure sound plays in communicating ideas and feelings. I wondered why sounds such as a didjeridu, a sitar, a bronze gong or a tin whistle become important cultural symbols and what they say about the cultures they come to represent. Those thoughts guide my view of the sounds I create and my involvement as an educator.

This album is an outpouring of creative activity that I have held back for too long. Although all my formal training is as a classical musician, I have chosen to improvise all the music on this album. It is uniquely me, yet is many others too. It is the result of instruments I have made and influences I have absorbed. My good friend, musician and poet Harvey Taylor honors my music by including it with his poetry and I am grateful that he appears on this album. Let the sounds allow your spirit to take flight...and enjoy the field trip.

Compositions and Arrangements

by Hal Kacanek

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