“The Tortoise” (Orchestral) – Single

New single, Michael Oliva’s “The Tortoise” (Orchestral) is available now for streaming/download.

Trailsongs: Volume 1

Today is Trailsongs: Volume 1 album release day, featuring 10 songs inspired by America’s National Parks.

“The Tortoise” – Single

Inspired by Joshua Tree National Park. I was hiking alone in the desert and thinking about how you had to take it one step at a time and really think about water.

“Oh Bear” – Single

Inspired by a solo hiking trip in Glacier National Park, this song is about how I ignored all the warnings about hiking alone in bear country and my conflicting feelings of wanting to see a bear while simultaneously being terrified of encountering one. Not even carrying a bear bell, I started signing to alert any nearby wildlife of my presence and came up with this song.

Trailsongs: Inspired by Our National Parks

August 25, 2015 was the 99th birthday of the National Park Service and to celebrate I launched a new project. Trailsongs: Inspired by Our National Parks is a collection of songs that I’m writing based on the 59 National Parks managed by the National Park Service. This is an ambitious long-term project that I’ve been slowly working