Aleks Ozolins
About Me
You've reached the website of Aleks Ozolins. I'm a NJ/NYC based software engineer and professional musician. Please check back often for content updates.
Note: This site is best viewed on a computer, not a mobile phone!
Contact
- Email: aleks@ozolins.xyz
- Download my public GPG key here or
curl -sL https://ozolins.xyz/aleks_ozolins_public_gpg_key.txt | gpg --import
to download and import.
Site Info
Copyright © 2021-2024 Aleks Ozolins
This site is self-hosted on an old PC running Arch Linux BTW. The source code for ozolins.xyz can be found on GitHub. This site was built using Org Mode. The theme used here is darksun by alphapapa.
Music
I play the French horn professionally and am a member of The American Federation of Musicians - Local 802
I also occasionally do audio recording and engineering work and also play the piano/keyboard.
Email me for my performance résumé.
Discography
Below are commercial recordings I've had a hand in, either as a performer, or as part of the production process.
Year | Album | Role |
---|---|---|
2021 | Spellling - The Turning Wheel | engineer/editor/producer for brass tracks |
2021 | Calliope Brass - (Stay At) Home For The Holidays | producer/recording engineer |
2019 | Louis Karchin: Jane Eyre - Libretto by Diane Osen - Orchestra of the League of Composers | horns: Sarah Cyrus, Aleks Ozolins |
2017 | Song of Solomon: Original Concept Recording | horns: Aleks Ozolins, Eric Davis |
2015 | Dr. Zhivago: Original Broadway Cast Recording | horn |
2012 | Tempesta di Mare - Fasch: Orchestral Works, Vol. 3 | horns: Todd Williams, Aleks Ozolins |
2010 | Philharmonic Orchestra of The Americas - Mi Alma Mexicana | horn |
2010 | Travieso Carmesi | horn |
2009 | Stephanie White - This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things | keyboards, horn |
Media
Images
Audio
Video
Professional Services
UPDATE 2022-07-10: For the moment, as I shift my focus back towards software engineering and performing music, I'm not taking on any new recording projects. This may change in the future so please don't hesitate to ask. I'm always willing to entertain special projects or help colleagues find solutions.
Audio Editing / Production
I've produced and edited a number of recordings and work in Avid Pro Tools, although since that software is now on a subscription model, I'm looking for a good free alternate. Feel free to check out my discography for more info.
Analog to Digital Transfers
I am equipped to transfer a variety of audio/video media to digital format including:
- Cassette Tapes
- 7.5 and 13 Inch Reels (Reel to Reel)
- Vinyl (any size)
- VHS including 8mm Super8, Hi8, and Digital8
- Photographs
- 35mm Slides
Media can be transferred to a variety of lossless and lossy digital formats and is provided to the customer via removeable media, web transfer, or shared via cloud services. All media is backed up both on and off site and can be redistributed to the customer in perpetuity.
Only high quality transports and converters are used for transfers to ensure the preservation of the media. Physicaly damaged media can often be repaired and media that has lost audio quality over the years can be restored with a variety of methods including:
- Noise Removal
- Pitch Correction
- Dynamic Compression and Correction
Pricing is in-line with industry standards and is settled on a per-project basis. email me to discuss your needs.
Gear
Horns
Here is a list of horns I own and work with. In the future, I look forward to providing some more detailed info on each here.
- Engelbert Schmid Triple Horn in F/B/Eb (Mindelzell)
- Alexander 103 (2018)
- Alexander single F horn (date unknown – likely pre WW2)
- H Series Conn 8D (1968 – mint condition and unmodified)
- 1950s Nickel Kruspe (as new - unmodified except main tuning slide lengthened)
Mouthpieces
I have a fairly large collection of French Horn mouthpieces and colleagues often ask to borrow some for trial. Don't hesitate to reach out if you'd like to try a few.
Coming soon: A table of mouthpieces!
Recording/Studio
Mics/interfaces/software/etc.
Library
Learning (Software Engineering)
I maintain these notes online to act as personal wikis, but you may find the information here useful as well. Notes here are taken in org-mode format and published via ox-publish using the read-the-org theme.
Course | Comment |
---|---|
NOTES – The Complete JavaScript Course 2024 | |
NOTES – JavaScript: From First Steps To Professional | |
NOTES – Real Python | |
https://boot.dev | I'm currently focusing my learning on this platform |
Reading
Ever wonder what I'm reading? Well, as of December 2023, I've started keeping track. When I start a new book, I'll list it below. For transparency, I don't always finish every book I start, nor do I like all of the books I read. I also don't endorse any of the content within them. Don't hesitate to send me an email if you'd like to discuss any books here.
Work | Status |
---|---|
Attia, P. (2023). Outlive: The science & art of longevity. Harmony Books. | Completed 2023-12 |
Easter, M. (2021). The comfort crisis: Embrace discomfort to reclaim your wild, happy, healthy self. Rodale Books. | Completed 2023-12 |
Willink, J. (2017). Discipline equals freedom: Field manual. Macmillan. | Completed 2024-01 |
Storr, W. (2021). The status game: On social position and how we use it. William Collins. | DNF |
Haidt, J. (2024). The anxious generation: How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness. Penguin Press. | DNF (will re-start) |
Eyal, N. (2019). Indistractible: How to control your attention and choose your life. BenBella Books. | Reading |
Hari, J. (2022). Stolen focus: Why you can't pay attention – and how to think deeply again. Random House. | Completed 2024-08 |
Hughes, C. (2024). The end of race politics: Arguments for a colorblind America. Penguin Random House. | Reading |
Oster, E. (2021). The family firm: A data-driven guide to better decision making in the early school years. Penguin Press. | NEXT |
Shrier, A. (2024). Bad therapy: Why the kids aren't growing up. Penguin Random House. | NEXT |
Cain, S. (2012). Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking. Crown Publishing Group. | NEXT |
Writing
Music
- Tips For Practicing Music After a Long Break
- The Horn Mouthpiece and Receiver Relationship: A Guide (Note: I no longer stand by this content as I have since come to understand this topic a bit differently. As such, this guide demands an update, but until then, some of the information may still be interesting.)
Tech
- Optimize Your Mac For Productivity (Zapier Blog) - Also reprinted by Fast Company here
Engineering Portfolio
I'm a developing back-end engineer. Below, you can find links to the software projects I've built and maintain.
mouthpiecer-cli
Title | mouthpiecer-cli |
Description | TUI interface for French Horn Mouthpiece Management |
Languages | Python |
GitHub | Link |
Detail: Written in Python, mouthpiecer-cli
(which technically should be called mouthpiecer-tui) is a terminal user interface for keeping track of your French horn mouthpiece collection. It leverages the power of Knack, a platform for building custom online apps, as a database back end. Interacting with Knack via its REST API, mouthpiecer-cli
uses pandas to display database information in the terminal, providing a simple interface for users to manage their mouthpiece collection.
![mouthpiecer-cli screenshot](./images/mouthpiecer-cli.png)
reprov
Title | reprov |
Description | Aleks' Reprovisioning Script for Desktop |
Languages | Bash |
GitHub | Link |
Note: I'll be rewriting this in Python soon and expanding its functionality!
Detail: Written in Bash, Aleks' Reprovisioning Script for Desktop
is designed for personal use only, and is aimed at automatically reprovisioning a new install of Arch Linux into a fully usable system with minimal intervention.
The script serves several functions:
- Error Logging: Logs errors for easy troubleshooting and debugging.
- Dotfiles Management: Automatically clones and stows (using GNU Stow) both public and personal dotfiles.
- Package Installation: Installs necessary packages from both the official Arch repositories and the AUR (using paru).
- Password Store Setup: Sets up the password store using pass and configures my GPG key.
- Machine-Specific Configurations: Applies machine-specific configurations to tailor the system to the specific hardware and personal preferences.
- Printing Setup: Sets up printing capabilities using CUPS.
- Window Manager Configuration: Sets up a minimal yet fully functional tiling window manager environment using my custom build of DWM.
- Email Synchronization: Synchronizes email accounts using mbsync and mu.
![mouthpiecer-cli screenshot](./images/reprov.png)
aodotcom
Title | aodotcom |
Description | Aleks Ozolins' personal website at ozolins.xyz |
Languages | Org,Elisp,Shell,HTML/CSS |
GitHub | Link |
Detail: The source for this website. The content itself is written in org-mode. An Elisp script leverages ox-publish to publish the content to HTML using a CSS template. This is wrapped in a simple build/deployment/backup script written in plain shell.
dotfiles
Title | dotfiles |
Description | My personal configuration files |
Languages | Various |
GitHub | Link |
Other | Emacs Config (org, published using org-babel |
Detail: My personal configurations for a range of software with a focus on FOSS (Free and Open Source Sofware) for GNU/Linux.
Other
Links
Family/Friends
- Erin Paul Ozolins (My other half)
Software
- Arch Linux (BTW)
- GNU Emacs (It really does everything…)
- Org mode for GNU Emacs (How I organize my life)
- Ledger CLI (How I organize my finances)
- Zapier (I am employed here)
- boot.dev (Back-end focused learning platform for software developers)
Updates
Here are the list of upcoming updates to this site:
TODO Add revert script to undo most recent deployment
TODO Upload some media
TODO Switch to a more mobile-friendly theme
DONE Include some links to my software projects
DONE Change build script to eliminate htdocs dir
DONE Add publish script to copy to server automatically