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New Book About A Songwriter's Life!
"Free As The Breeze"
A Songwriter's Joys and Sorrows
(PineTree Press, 2025)
Celebrating the 60th anniversary of his first recorded pop songs in 1965
and the 40th anniversary of his joining ASCAP in 1985
This is a memoir written by songwriter, Roger Lee Hall, about fifty years of joys and sorrows in his life and songs he wrote between 1960 and 1990.
This is the new expanded and illustrated edition of the earlier book no longer available.
Among the memories he writes about in his new edition are:
* His early childhood years in the 1940s listening to and singing along with songs on radio.
* A painful family separation in the early 1950s and his slow recovery after going to school at
Eastern Military Academy and singing in the glee club in the former Oheka Castle built in 1919 by
wealthy New York investment banker and arts patron, Otto H. Kahn.
Roger has presented several webinars for the New York Adventure Club about Kahn and his
financial support for musicians like George Gershwin.
See -- Otto Kahn webinar
* Roger's favorite cowboy movie stars: Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and especially Hopalong Cassidy
(played by William Boyd), who he met in New York City at a magazine photo shoot in 1950.
* In the 1950s, he was living with his divorced Mother and was mostly a home alone kid and he watched lots of TV, especially old movies, and was a regular moviegoer at the local movie theater where he became a lover of movie music and much later started the long-running web e-zine,
Film Music Review.
* His first song lyrics were written in his senior year at Bloomfield High School in NJ in 1960.
These are a few titles: "Bright Eyes," "Tears," and a dance song, "The Swag."
* In 1961, he played the bongos and was a backup singer for his first complete song,
"Dream World," as a member of a music trio of Army buddies while he was stationed in Germany.
*His first record was inspired by The Beatles, after he heard their songs,
"Love Me Do" and "Please Please Me" while in London on a vacation in 1963.
Two years later, he had his song recorded in Bloomfield, NJ titled,
"The Soho Serenade" (about the London district) which he hoped might be used in a film.
To listen to this song on YouTube -- click here
*Another song recorded in 1965 is the title of this book "Free As The Breeze" (a jazz waltz).
He began writing this song while walking in New York City late one evening.
* Between 1970 and 1977, he attended several colleges and did graduate work in Ethnomusicology and Musicology focusing on music of the American Shakers and other American vocal music.
He taught his first college class in 1975: "The History of Popular Music in America."
* In the 1980s, he began work preserving American music of all kinds, especially recordings
for the American Music Recordings Collection (AMRC).* He joined ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) in 1985.
His songs and other music compositions are now published exclusively by PineTree Music.
* Because of his extensive work in music, he has been named to several distinguished directories,
including Who's Who in the World.* Beginning in 1980, Roger did research and published booklets about the Old Stoughton Musical Society, organized in 1786 and now the oldest choral society in America -- Singing Stoughton.
* In 1990, he produced a special historical program, including a play he wrote,
"William Billings Teaches A Singing School" performed by a popular local actor.
In addition to his play, the program featured local musicians from elementary school and high school and an adult chorus which sang early American choral music.A newly revised song originally written in 1981 by Roger Hall was premiered in a new version for vocal quartet, flute and piano titled, "Peace," set to an anti-war poem by a local 10 year old girl way back in 1814. That poem and the music for the song are included in the "Free As The Breeze" book.
Here is that program from May 10, 1990:
"A Stoughton Musicfest" was videotaped and shown on local cable TV.
To inquire how to order a video copy of this 1990 music program and audio album -- click here
* In 1992, he was a guest on a local radio program to celebrate his 50th birthday. He played
songs that were popular in 1942, including "As Time Goes By" featured in the movie, CASABLANCA.
This new book is available at a special 20% discount
but only until July 16, 2025!
"Free As The Breeze" - A Songwriter's Joys and Sorrows
This book is payable to PineTree Productions, owner of PineTree Press, and the cost is $13.95
for this PDF book, payable through Safe and Secure PayPal and
you will also receive a Bonus Audio File (MP3) of the title song of the book --
Important!
After you have ordered the PDF book,
send your email address so the book and audio of the title song
will be sent directly to you by email attachment.
To send your email for fast Online delivery -- click here
Contact for questions -- click here
Memories And Music book series
"Making American Music Come Alive Again!"
You can listen to this program about the music career of Roger Hall from high school
days in Bloomfield, NJ and how he later became an American Music Preservationist helping to preserve music from the past.
Roger Hall speaks with James Gardner on the popular audio podcast,
"Your History - Your Story," which is now available at any of these formats:
Apple
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-history-your-story/id1535889414?i=1000611257078Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4mS6z5JjFwUapMnp3jk5XJ?si=lYjF4XNiT7iHmZmD7qCF9wYou Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPlzapgMVkM&t=526s
© 2025 PineTree Productions. All Rights Reserved for original material on this website. Contact: --pinetreepro@gmail.com: