Welcome!

Welcome to the Talisman Music website. Here you will find musician and teacher Carl Thor, Celtinalia, Hands4/Stepwise, and Bandwidth. We also for a decade hosted the web site for Vancouver's monthly 2nd Friday contra dance, Contra in the Couve! which, sadly, is no longer happening.

Featured events

See our Calendar for all our events.

[12/10/24]: Big news! We are thrilled (and relieved) to announce that the long-awaited Third Edition of our tune book, Come to the Dance Hall, is finally published!! Every tune in the (2009) 2nd Edition has been reviewed, edited, and reformatted. And 100 new tunes are added in this 3rd Edition, for a total of 207 Jig, Reel, Waltz, Swing, Polska, Schottische, and other tunes. It's available now as downloadable PDF from Sheet Music Direct and Sheet Music Plus.
Please note: For some unknown reason our server refuses to display the link for Sheet Music Plus.
You'll need to copy the following URL and paste it into your browser to go to our SMP page:
https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/publishers/c/carl-thor-talisman-music/?aff_id=657155
We are currently waiting for a proof copy of the print version before releasing it for sale through the print-on-demand site Lulu. Watch here for updates.
Upcoming: Bandwidth will play for the Eugene contra dance on February 8. And an afternoon English Country dance in Eugene is in the works for May 3, 2025. See our calendar page for all the details and more future dates.
Although we have been performing less often since the pandemic, we have not been idle during this time. See below for some new ways to engage with our music.

Find us online

Music lessons: I am conducting hammered dulcimer and piano lessons remotely over the internet, using the Zoom video conferencing platform. In this new environment, there is zero risk of infection, and geography is not a limiting factor! On-site lessons in Vancouver are now also an option. If you would like to begin lessons, please get in touch.
BandCamp: Did you know that musicians only earn a fraction of a cent when you listen to their music through a streaming service like Spotify? Even if you buy a download through a service like Apple Music, only a very small part of the sale trickles down to the artist. But there is a better way for you to support us and the other musicians you love! We are now on BandCamp, a site where you can purchase downloads and physical recordings (streaming comes along with your purchase), and the artist receives about 80% of the purchase price! You can also listen to recordings, usually 2 or 3 times, before you buy. We'll be adding more of our music over time, so keep an eye on our BandCamp site.
“Follow” us to be notified of new releases.
Download Sheet Music: A growing number of our compositions and arrangements can be purchased as PDF downloads through the Sheet Music Plus and Sheet Music Direct online stores. Visit either site to explore our titles!
Please note: For some unknown reason our server refuses to display the link for Sheet Music Plus.
You'll need to copy the following URL and paste it into your browser to go to our SMP page:
https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/publishers/c/carl-thor-talisman-music/?aff_id=657155
Facebook: You can keep track of what we're up to by visiting our Facebook page.
“Like” us to see our posts in your feed.
YouTube: We've produced and participated in some cool music videos over the past few years, which you can find on our YouTube channel. You'll find playlists of our commercially available recordings, as well as a playlist of stuff we like from other sources.
For best results, subscribe to our channel.
SoundCloud: We primarily use SoundCloud as a platform for band demo tracks, new recordings that aren't quite “studio quality” and some of our more “esoteric” music. Stuff you won't find anywhere else. Listen for free. Check us out here.

Listen

With so much work out in the world cancelled, we had more time to devote to composition, recording, and publishing, and we have launched a Talisman Music Facebook page, where we announce new events and projects. Check us out at: facebook.com/TalismanMusicWA

The CDBaby Store for purchasing physical CDs and digital downloads was shut down, and we're in the process of adjusting to that change. You can now find Talisman's 2004 CD, Just Up the Hill, to purchase, either as digital download and streaming or the physical CD (yes, we still have them!) which also includes digital access at our BandCamp site. And, of course, you can always find CDs and other products in our Web Store.

No Caravan of Despair, music by Carl Thor and the Talisman Digital Symphony Orchestra, is now available for download. Lush and exotic, this four part suite evokes images of desert caravans and celebrations under the starlit sky. Find it at our BandCamp site.
Here's a sample.

See video of Celtinalia playing the great Irish tune, “Banish Misfortune” — our blessing for these troubled times.

See video of Hands4 playing “A Happy March for David” — written in 2020 by Carl Thor and dedicated to our now-departed friend, David Kaynor.

See video of Celtinalia performing “Crossing the Bar” at the Northwest Folklife Festival, 5/26/19. Poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson set to music by Rani Arbo.

I was honored to play hammered dulcimer for a recording of “I Wonder As I Wander” by the Chor Leoni Men's Choir, directed by Erick Lichte.
Listen here: https://youtu.be/iCxnMik0W7o and find their albums here.

Learn

I offer private lessons on hammered dulcimer and piano in Portland or Vancouver, and occasional dulcimer workshops in Portland and the Willamette Valley. Most teaching is still remote, over Zoom, due to COVID, but I am beginning to see students on site in Vancouver. See Lessons or Contact us for more info.

Dance

We had a contra dance in Vancouver, WA from 2010 until 2020. Sadly, with COVID-19, the closure of the Hazel Dell Grange and various other factors, Contra in the Couve! is now history. It was great fun while it lasted. Many thanks to all the dancers, volunteers, musicians, and callers who came out to support our dance.

Dulcimer News

Spring Dulcimer Rendezvous

The 2025 Hammered Dulcimer Rendezvous is scheduled for May 15-18 at Oral Hull Park just outside of Sandy, OR. Registration should be opening soon. Visit nwdulcimer.com for more information.

Services offered by Talisman Music

Live Music

Music for stage shows, weddings, parties, and other events
Music for contra dancing, English Country dancing, family dancing, waltz

Recordings, Published Music and Other Products,
available through our Web Store

Recordings by Talisman Music artists and others
Sheet music and tunebooks by Carl Thor, Hank Laramee, and others
The Portland Collection tune books and CDs
Hand-crafted hammered dulcimer ornament and other music themed ornaments

Composition and Arranging

Downloadable sheet music of our original compositions is now available at: SMP Press
For some unknown reason our server will not reliably display the above link.
Please copy the following URL and paste it into your browser to go to our SMP page:
https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/publishers/carl-thor-talisman-music/14002?aff_id=657155
Original music for folk dancing, special occasions, film and video, etc.
Music arranging and production of lead sheets, scores, and parts for your music

Education

Private lessons and group instruction in hammered dulcimer and piano
Hammered dulcimer instruction materials

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