OCSA’S Isaac Olivo, senior band major extraordinaire, has plenty of accomplishments under his belt. State Solo and Ensemble Superiors, first place in the 2019 Clearwater Jazz Holiday Young Lions Jazz Festival, acceptance into both the University of Central Florida and the Berklee College of Music, first place in the 2022 Essentially Ellington Competition and Festival, and his very own original music album Suspension- just to name a few. He’s a show-stopping, do-it-all guy, but what is he really like? What does he have to say about the OCSA experience? Where did all this musical talent come from? And what flavor of ice cream does he recommend for the hot summer months to come? The Hall of Fame holder revealed all this and more for this exclusive article!

Olivo’s music career started at the age of seven when he learned piano through a summer program. His love of music only grew stronger, and when he discovered OCSA? He knew it was the right place for him. After getting accepted, he was the one who introduced his father, the equally legendary Mr. Olivo, to the school. Initially, Olivo struggled a bit in his major, since he couldn’t utilize his piano skills. But as he gained more experience and learned about the jazz band, Olivo was able to succeed tremendously. He played piano during the Essentially Ellington music festival and helped the jazz band take home first place. “It was like something out of a movie,” he stated.

With such a long list of amazing achievements, many people would assume that he has at least one trophy that he’d be most proud of. However, Olivo values the OCSA experience more than anything. Being surrounded by so many different people with different skills allowed him to pick up countless other skills, such as percussion, music production, and graphic design- allowing him to create his first album. “He’s one of the most creative people I’ve ever met, and while I only had him for one year, I’ve seen him growth so much as a student and artist,” says Mr. Anderson, director of Jazz Band A. Mr. Anderson also shared a particularly interesting tidbit: Olivo managed to sample the sound of a vacuum cleaner and turn it into a song. There’s truly no limit to what he can do.

But of course, Olivo also has plenty of interests outside of music. His hobbies include video games and toy photography- setting up action figures in interesting locations and capturing them with a snap. Olivo is a wildly talented musician, but he’s also a laid-back guy who’s very easy to talk to. While his future holds nothing but the best for him, it’s still so sad to watch him go. Overall, nobody put it better than Olivo’s father, Mr. Olivo, who shared this heartwarming quote: “He’s a kid who evolved into a model student. I’m glad he was my student, and I’m blessed that he’s my son.”

And as for his favorite flavor of ice cream? “I don’t know what they put in the vanilla ice cream at Disney, but it’s really good. But in general, I would have to say chocolate.”