Roger Lee Hall is an ASCAP composer and musicologist who has traveled his own road of tuneful discovery
for over 50 years in American classical, folk and popular music.
He is also a music preservationist and Director of the Center
for American Music Preservation (or CAMP),
whose motto is: "Helping to make American music come alive again!"
To read about the CAMP mission and activities -- go here
He is also an ASCAP songwriter and composer of classical works -- go here
His first published popular song, "The Soho Serenade," was copyrighted in 1964 and recorded one year later in Bloomfield, New Jersey.
Listen to this song on YouTube -- go here
He wrote about this pop song in his recent memoir titled after another of his early pop songs:
"Free As The Breeze" - A Songwriter's Joys and Sorrows
His most popular classical composition is a series of piano variations on an early American Shaker folk tune.
This piano composition is performed by Kathryn Southworth available on YouTube -- "Seven Variations on a Shaker Marching Tune" (Op. 1, No. 2)"
His other credits include:
Album Producer for the American Music Recordings Collection (AMRC) -- go here
Author, PineTree Music Editions which now has over 50 titles -- go here
Director of American Music Recordings Archive (AMRA) -- go here
Film Music Critic and Author of A GUIDE TO FILM MUSIC (9 editions, 1997-2024) -- go here
Managing Editor of FILM MUSIC REVIEW, one of the longest-running e-zines (begun in 1998) -- go here
Biographical Profile:
Roger Hall was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey but spent his youth in the nearby town of Bloomfield.
He attended Rutgers University where he graduated in1970 with a B.A. degree in
Music Theory and Composition.
He composed his first two classical works while and undergraduate at Rutgers:
a song cycle based on his own haiku poems and a percussion quartet.
Both works were performed by Rutgers student miusicians.
Two years later, in 1972, he was awarded his M.A. degree in Ethnomusicology
from the State University of New York at Binghamton
(now Binghamton University).
He wrote the first Master's Thesis ever written about music of the American Shakers.
His Ph.D studies was done at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland
where he did further research on Shaker music and taught his first classes in American music.
His Ph.D dissertation was on Shaker music in one of their communities during the 19th century.
It was published with this title:
"May We Ever Be United: Music of the North Union, Ohio Shakers" -- go here
Completion of a Twenty Year Writing Project
Ten volumes with over 1,000 total pages
in this limited edition book series
First title in the MAM series:
"Dream World" - Songs, Poems and Stories (PineTree Press, 2005)
with his early pop song lyrics, his early poems, and personal stories about his early years
Coming in 2026!
A lavishly illustrated ebook covering over 90 years of movie music.
HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD: Memorable Movie Music (PineTree Press)
Read about it - go here
Six Music Webinars (2020-2026)
Webinar No. 6: A Century of King Kong: Examining A Cinematic Legacy
2 March 2026
In this 90 minute webinar, Roger Lee Hall provided the cinematic evolution from
the early silent films of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack
beginning in 1925 to the groundbreaking debut of KING KONG in 1933
and then to the star-studded remakes of KING KONG in 1976 and 2005.
Mr. Hall has been a film music critic for many years
and Managing Editor of FILM MUSIC REVIEW, an e-zine on the web since 1998.
For a description of this special webinar on three KING KONG films (1933, 1976, 2005)
sponsored by the New York Adventure Club - go here
Webinar No. 5: Celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Elvis Presley National TV debut!
Bill Randle, Elvis Presley & the Night That Changed Rock Forever Webinar
28 January 2026
"Good Rockin' Tonight" - Elvis Presley, Bill Randle and The Rise Of A Music Legend
by Roger Lee Hall (PineTree Press, 2025)
Read about his new ebook -- go here
These four webinars were presented by Mr. Hall in 2020-2024:
Webinar No. 1:
The Music of Film Noir in New York City: Legacy of Hollywood Genre in Gotham - presented 1 November 2024
LAURA (1944) - music score by David Raksin
THE LOST WEEKEND (1945) - music score by Miklos Rozsa
THE NAKED CITY (Universal, 1948) – music score: Frank Skinner and Miklos Rozsa
THE WRONG MAN (Warner Bros., 1956) – music score: Bernard Herrmann
SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (United Artists, 1957) – music score: Elmer Bernstein
ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW (United Artists, 1959) - music score: John Lewis
Some of the comments from those who previously watched this film noir webinar sponsored by the New York Adventure Club:
"Interesting to learn what was shared about the defining elements of Noir (and the better translation of the term), highlights in its history, and the like." - Robert
"The presenter was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the subject matter. Thank you, NYAC, for yet another fascinating and informative webinar!" - Harold
"Well organized and interesting. Very knowledgeable presenter." - Ronald
"Including the music, and the composer, as part of the experience--first time I've seen that. Bravo." - Marsha
"Knowledgeable and passionate speaker." - Mary
Webinar No. 2:
"Tis the gift to be simple" - Aaron Copland Meets The Shakers in Shaker Heights, Ohio - 7 November 2024
Shaker leader Ann Lee and her followers arrived in the United States in 1774 and settled in Watervliet, New York near Albany.
Two centuries later, composer Aaron Copland, who incorporated the Shaker tune
"Simple Gifts" in his award-winning 1944 ballet score for Appalachian Spring,
visited Cleveland for a weeklong celebration of his music sponsored by the Cleveland Orchestra.
During this visit, Copland was
invited by Roger Lee Hall to meet Maine Shakers
who were presenting a workshop for Shaker Heights teachers.
This would be the only meeting between Copland and the Shakers.
See this program on YouTube -- go here
Webinar No. 3:
The Golden Age of New York Disc Jockeys - presented 26 September 2024
This webinar was sponsored by the New York Adventure Club. Here are some of the comments about it from past web programs:
"Roger imparted a lot of knowledge about the era." -Virginia
"I enjoy all of your webinars, but this was the best yet. Mr. Hall is knowledgeable, pleasant and his selections were superb." -Doris
"Clear, organized information presented in an interesting format." -Robert
"I liked that the host was an actual disc jockey and knew so much information." -April
"I most enjoyed the host’s insights and knowledge about radio personalities with whom I was not strongly familiar." -Bruce
Webinar No. 4:
Otto Kahn: A Personal Connection with the Gilded Age Music Patron - presented 6 times from 2020-2024
In 1954, Roger Hall
began his music activities by singing in the glee club as a young cadet at Eastern Military Academy
then located in the former Oheka Castle of Otto Kahn, completed in 1919 on Long Island
and it was the second largest estate built in the USA.
He discussed the wealthy investment banker who helped support such musicians as Fred Astaire, Enrico Caruso, George Gershwin and others.
His son, Roger Wolfe Kahn, had his own jazz orchestra and also co-wrote a few songs,
including the big 1920s hit, "Crazy Rhythm," during the Jazz Age of the 1920s
and that song title
is
the tile of one of Mr. Hall's books in the Memories And Music series -- go here
Sponsored by the New York Adventure Club in their series about The Gilded Age.
This webinar has been presented over six times since 2020.
For more information, see Memories of Oheka Castle and Mr. Hall's book, "Crazy Rhythm" -- go here
Some comments from past webinars on Otto Kahn:
"Lots of great pictures. Very interesting. Cute touch. And loved the music. It got my feet tapping." - Connie
"Hall is passionate and personal! Wonderful lecture! Thank you! - Mary
"Very good material and clear explanation. Most interesting" - Robert
"Having grown up less than a mile from Oheka, I still learned things from this event." - Ellen
"Roger Hall was extremely knowledgeable about Otto Kahn and the arts scene in the early 20th century.
The pictures and music in his presentation made the webinar come alive." - Marsha
"I liked the photos of Kahn's homes, back story knowledge." - Elizabeth
"Very thorough and learned a lot more than I already knew about Otto Khan." - Jessica
"Very informative. Lots of visual aids. Host really knew the subject matter." - Nancy
Read about Otto H. Kahn and his magnifient Oheka Castle, one of the largest private residences built in America -- click here
Roger Lee Hall has worked in many areas of music as
Album Producer, Cable Television Producer, ASCAP Composer, Choir Director, Film Music Critic, Lecturer,
Music Teacher, Playwright, Radio Disc Jockey, and Writer.
For cable television, he produced a series of music programs about America's oldest surviving choral organization,
The Old Stoughton Musical Society -- go here
He is Founder and Managing Editor of Film Music Review (FMR), an e-zine which has been available since 1998
and there have been hundreds of reviews and articles published over the years.
His popular book on the subject is titled: A Guide to Film Music: Songs and Scores.
As a teacher, he taught classes in classical music, popular songs, and film music, in college and in a progressive adult education program in Massachusetts.
For his many accomplishments in music he has been listed in
International Who's Who in Music, Who's Who in America, Who's Who in Entertainment and other directories.
Some of his music compositions are on this AMRC CD:
His sacred compositions are available on this AMRC CD:
One Act Plays:
"The Grand Constitution" (1987)
"The Musical Telephone" (1988)
"William Billings Teaches A Singing School" (1990)
"The Canterbury Pilgrims" (2018)
Music Compositions:
He is a member of ASCAP since 1985 and has composed over 100 classical and pop song compositions and many have been recorded.
Music Consultant:
-the music of Tonga for the National Geographic Society LP album (1972)
-the music of Colonial America for the Paul Revere House in Boston (1981)
-two music collections: Love is Little - A Sampling of Shaker Spirituals (1992)
and Joy of Angels - Shaker Spirituals for Christmas and The New Year (1995)
-the best-selling CD, Simple Gifts - Shaker Chants and Spirituals by The Boston Camerata (1995)
-the DVD titled, "Emerson: The Ideal in America" for The Ralph Waldo Emerson Institute (2007)
-the CD, "It's Magic," commemorating the 100th birthday of movie lyricist, Sammy Cahn (2013)
A Special 50th Anniversary Program
"Tis the gift to be simple" - Aaron Copland Meets The Shakers In Shaker Heights - in 2024
On November 9, 1974, Composer Aaron Copland met several Shakers from Maine while both were in Ohio.
This meeting was arranged by Roger Lee Hall and it was the only time they met.
One month earlier,
Mr. Hall was the conductor of a community chorus at the two day conference in Cleveland
celebrating the bicentennial of the Shakers arrival in America in 1774,
sponsored by the Western Reserve Historical Society.
In that program,
he led the chorus in his edition of a North Union Shaker hymn, "On The Landing Of Mother Ann In America."
That Shaker hymn is included in his new multimedia publication
with hundreds of audio examples and ten concert videos, A Shaker Music Miscellany.
The meeting of Aaron Copland and several Shakers from Sabbathday Lake, Maine took place in Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Copland was in the area as an invited guest of the Cleveland Orchestra who were celebrating "Aaron Copland Week."
Mr. Hall's program included a discussion of the Copland meeting the Shakers plus about the Shaker dance song
and some of the later arrangements by other non-Shaker musicians,
including a popular one based on the Shaker tune by Sydney Carter, "Lord of the Dance."
The origin of the Shaker song was discussed and also arrangements of "Tis the gift to be simple"
which has been performed at the inauguration ceremonies for three different U.S. Presidents: Ronald Regan, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama.
To read about Roger Hall's two books on the popular Shaker song, see this web page -- Joseph Brackett's Simple Gifts.
If you would like to inquire about a web program on this subject or a similar one about the American Shakers history with music, write to Mr. Hall
He has spent considerable time researching and producing recordings for two singing traditions which are among the oldest in the United States of America:
Music of the Shakers -- from the 18th to 20th centuries, the Shakers composed well over 10,000 original songs, hymns and anthems,
more than any other communal society in the U.S.A.
Their best known song is "Simple Gifts" (also known as: 'Tis the gift to be simple), and he has written two books about that song.
He has presented numerous Shaker music concerts and lectures at museums, schools, churches, historical societies and colleges.
Also, he has edited and arranged Shaker spirituals for performance. See the list of his books and music collections below.
The (Old) Stoughton Musical Society -- organized on November 7, 1786, this is now America's oldest choral society.
They have performed American music longer than any other chorus in the U.S.A.
Their Constitution was written in 1787 just a few weeks after the United States Constitution.
They were first called The Stoughton Musical Society and the "Old" was added to their name
when incorporated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1908.
William Billings, America's first prominent choral composer, taught a singing school in that town in 1774
and he wrote a tune titled "Stoughton," which Roger Hall has edited and added a text by Isaac Watts.
That hymn was premiered in 1986 for the Bicentennial of the Old Stoughton Musical Society.
He was also Historian for this musical society and Chairman of the 1986 Bicentennial Season and prepared several concerts for that anniversary.
Album Producer:
He has produced over 50 CDs for the American Music Recordings Collection (AMRC) label
highlighting music in the United States from over three centuries.
To see the complete list AMRC titles -- click here
Sample Publications:
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