Hitchadshut (Revival) by Nir Popliker

We can seek rejuvenation through many avenues. It can be a change of scenery, an escape from routine, or immersion into an altogether different environment. Sometimes, it can be as simple as putting in our headphones and letting music transport us to new places. Indeed, music can enhance our journeys as it helps us capture a sense of newness, rejuvenation, and even reinvention that can inspire us to consider how old routines give way to new ones.

Through his album Hitchadshut (Revival), Israeli guitarist, composer, and educator Nir Popliker invites us into his personal journey of revival as he captures milestones along the path toward parenthood. This instrumental collection of guitar compositions begins with “A Song for Uriah” (“Shir L’Uriah”), written for the birth of his first-born son. The album also addresses the challenges embedded in new beginnings and journeys of change. Tracks such as “Sleepless Nights” (“Nedudei Sheinah”); “Longing” (“Kisufim”); and “Adjustment” (“Histaglut”) lead to the concluding composition, “The Road Home” (“Haderech Habaytah”) which invites us to reflect on the literal and metaphorical paths that lead us home. Click on any one of the links in the song titles to play.

This listening experience can inspire us to consider how our journeys can transform the very essence of home, expanding both the physical walls of the house and the capacity of the heart.

AS YOU LISTEN TO THE ALBUM, CONSIDER:

The album marks the new beginning with the birth of the artist’s first child. What kind of atmosphere does the song create around this event?
The path of hitchadshut in the album is expressed through instrumental guitar, underscoring the power of nonverbal expression. What songs in the album express joy?
What other emotions arise for you through listening to the songs?
Music without lyrics can inspire images, feelings, or words. When listening to “The Road Home,” what came to mind? In what ways, if at all, did the song’s title impact you?
What music gives you a sense of hitchadshut?

Nir Popliker is an Israeli guitarist, composer, and educator. His solo albums explore jazz music and instrumental expressions of the guitar from diverse perspectives. He plays guitar with artists such as Eric Berman and Korin Allal, and was previously a member of the bands Bamidbar (In the Desert) and Batzir 76. Popliker holds a senior teaching position at the esteemed Arison Campus for the Performing Arts in Tel Aviv, and serves as the chair of the music production and performance department at the Thelma Yellin High School.