THE MUSIC OF OL!VES

BRUISE

BRUISE is an EP which blossomed from heartbreak. BRUISE showcases OL!VES' vocal and production prowess throughout, and earned Sam the honor of High Distinction on his BA in Music from the University of Virginia.

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VAGABOND

VAGABOND is a project entirely made from sampled material, both pre-recorded and newly recorded. OL!VES' debut EP, VAGABOND focuses on the journey that defined his childhood: moving across the world to Moldova and Bangladesh.

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ACAPELLA ARRANGEMENT

As a member and Music Director of University of Virginia's Academical Village People (AVP), Sam demonstrated his ability in vocal performance and TTBB arrangement. Three of his arrangements are featured on AVP's latest release, Basement Soup for the Academical Soul. Sam's take on Running Up That Hill is one-of-a-kind, showcasing his rich bass vocals.

FILM SCORING

ACADEMIC
COMPOSITIONS

Sam's studies at the University of Virginia lead to a number of pieces composed for all sorts of mediums. Here is a sampling of some of the best.

Avant Garde, 2023

Avant Garde is an instrument defined by the aesthetics of fencing. The sonic materials are two sounds commonly heard in a fencing match: the bell guard and the blare of a point machine. Control of the instrument is based on precise hand and wrist motions of fencing, whether it is the wrist rotation of a parry or the quick snap of a wrist seen in flicks and beats. The instrument circuit is housed in a fencing glove, performed with a pencil in place of a sword.

A Dent in the Boulder, 2022

The impact humans have on their environment is massive, and as a result, it's easy to think of humans and human structures as invincible. Inevitably, though, all man-made and curated spaces of living will eventually return to the domain of the natural world. This piece is based on a field recording conducted at a creek located next to a railroad track. This recording was originally intended to capture how the soundscape was affected by the presence of these massive, blaring trains. However, the results of the recording indicated an ecosystem that had adapted to the new levels of noise, remaining relatively unaffected by the sound of horns and chugging metal. This inspired a piece with two opposing gestures using this field recording: A natural scene which becomes overwhelmed by manmade noise, and a human-made scene which becomes overwhelmed by noise of the natural world.