Oren Levine
@ohljazz.com
I write songs and play jazz piano.
2023 ASCAP Foundation Bergman Lyric Awardee.
Based in St Croix USVI
2023 ASCAP Foundation Bergman Lyric Awardee.
Based in St Croix USVI
Reposted by Oren Levine
for more about the "Biblical case for border security"
and about the political philosophy motivating religious zealots like Mike Johnson and what makes them see the world this way and seek power in it
i spent 3 years writing a book about the movement he's part of
bookshop.org/p/books/wild...
and about the political philosophy motivating religious zealots like Mike Johnson and what makes them see the world this way and seek power in it
i spent 3 years writing a book about the movement he's part of
bookshop.org/p/books/wild...
February 4, 2026 at 2:51 PM
for more about the "Biblical case for border security"
and about the political philosophy motivating religious zealots like Mike Johnson and what makes them see the world this way and seek power in it
i spent 3 years writing a book about the movement he's part of
bookshop.org/p/books/wild...
and about the political philosophy motivating religious zealots like Mike Johnson and what makes them see the world this way and seek power in it
i spent 3 years writing a book about the movement he's part of
bookshop.org/p/books/wild...
#TunesOnTuesday shares version 2 of "The Smile In Your Eyes" from last month's challenge. After the writing comes the rewriting... #songwriter #songwriting #rewriting ohljazz.com/2026/02/03/t...
Tunes on Tuesday: The Smile In Your Eyes
Why this tune? I had a very successful January song-a-day challenge, completing 28 songs in the 31 days (I took a few days off because of ill health). Now I’m starting the longer process of r…
ohljazz.com
February 3, 2026 at 8:41 PM
#TunesOnTuesday shares version 2 of "The Smile In Your Eyes" from last month's challenge. After the writing comes the rewriting... #songwriter #songwriting #rewriting ohljazz.com/2026/02/03/t...
Reposted by Oren Levine
In Springfield, Ohio, people are preparing in advance of a “large deportation” promised by the president. To all appearances, the city is 2 or 3 days from a federal ethnic cleansing, grounded in a hate campaign organized by the vice-president and American Nazis.
snyder.substack.com/p/ethnic-cle...
snyder.substack.com/p/ethnic-cle...
Ethnic Cleansing in Ohio?
Nazi Lies in Vance's America
snyder.substack.com
February 2, 2026 at 1:09 AM
In Springfield, Ohio, people are preparing in advance of a “large deportation” promised by the president. To all appearances, the city is 2 or 3 days from a federal ethnic cleansing, grounded in a hate campaign organized by the vice-president and American Nazis.
snyder.substack.com/p/ethnic-cle...
snyder.substack.com/p/ethnic-cle...
Reposted by Oren Levine
I testified Friday before Gov. Pritzker's commission studying abuses of ICE and CBP and tried to explain how the agencies went so far off track. It's actually way worse than I ever realized. Please read and share my testimony as Congress considers reform: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/accountabi...
Accountability for ICE and CBP
However bad you think the corruption and misconduct at ICE and CBP is — the reality is far far worse.
www.doomsdayscenario.co
February 1, 2026 at 5:02 PM
I testified Friday before Gov. Pritzker's commission studying abuses of ICE and CBP and tried to explain how the agencies went so far off track. It's actually way worse than I ever realized. Please read and share my testimony as Congress considers reform: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/accountabi...
The last day (!) of my January song-a-day challenge organized by Songwriting for Music Educators. "Broken Screen" started as a writing exercise. This is the second version of the lyrics #songwriter #songwriting youtube.com/shorts/za486...
Broken Screen (January 2026 song-a-day challenge Day 31)
YouTube video by Oren Levine
youtube.com
January 31, 2026 at 10:40 PM
The last day (!) of my January song-a-day challenge organized by Songwriting for Music Educators. "Broken Screen" started as a writing exercise. This is the second version of the lyrics #songwriter #songwriting youtube.com/shorts/za486...
Day 30 of my January song-a-day challenge. It's my first day in my new music space on St. Croix, which of course inspired a song. Thanks to Cole Porter's "It's All Right With Me" for giving me the starting point. #songwriter #songwriting #JazzSky youtube.com/shorts/9qFDw...
A New Song (January 2026 song-a-day challenge Day 30)
YouTube video by Oren Levine
youtube.com
January 30, 2026 at 10:29 PM
Day 30 of my January song-a-day challenge. It's my first day in my new music space on St. Croix, which of course inspired a song. Thanks to Cole Porter's "It's All Right With Me" for giving me the starting point. #songwriter #songwriting #JazzSky youtube.com/shorts/9qFDw...
Day 29 of my January song-a-day challenge (lots of writing yesterday but no recording). "Mama Don't Cuss" started with a Bluesky post reading "Auntie don't cuss at the AI." I liked the concept but thought "mama" scanned better as a lyric #songwriter #songwriting youtube.com/shorts/6iL8f...
Mama Don't Cuss (January song-a-day challenge Day 29)
YouTube video by Oren Levine
youtube.com
January 30, 2026 at 12:36 AM
Day 29 of my January song-a-day challenge (lots of writing yesterday but no recording). "Mama Don't Cuss" started with a Bluesky post reading "Auntie don't cuss at the AI." I liked the concept but thought "mama" scanned better as a lyric #songwriter #songwriting youtube.com/shorts/6iL8f...
Day 27 of my January song-a-day challenge. "Leave a Fresh Footprint" was inspired by a remark from a friend while shoveling snow: "When your snow reminds you of your childhood and your muscles remind you of your age" #songwriter #songwriting youtube.com/shorts/AL7sp...
Leave a Fresh Footprint (January 2026 song-a-day challenge Day 27)
YouTube video by Oren Levine
youtube.com
January 27, 2026 at 10:49 PM
Day 27 of my January song-a-day challenge. "Leave a Fresh Footprint" was inspired by a remark from a friend while shoveling snow: "When your snow reminds you of your childhood and your muscles remind you of your age" #songwriter #songwriting youtube.com/shorts/AL7sp...
Day 26 of my January song-a-day challenge. I saw a rainbow this morning, which led to "The Power of a Rainbow" (following today's song form prompt from Kat and Sarah at Songwriting for Music Educators!) #songwriting #songwriter youtube.com/shorts/PZxzs...
The Power of a Rainbow (January 2026 song-a-day challenge Day 26)
YouTube video by Oren Levine
youtube.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Day 26 of my January song-a-day challenge. I saw a rainbow this morning, which led to "The Power of a Rainbow" (following today's song form prompt from Kat and Sarah at Songwriting for Music Educators!) #songwriting #songwriter youtube.com/shorts/PZxzs...
Reposted by Oren Levine
Curious why ICE and CBP agents are so brutal? Here's a useful explainer I wrote last week, before Saturday's outrageous murder, about how uniquely unsuited ICE and CBP are for this moment—and why they were so corruptible into Trump's own fascist secret police: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/ice-101-ho...
"ICE 101" — How Trump changed ICE and CBP into a fascist secret police
ICE and CBP are fatally flawed products of the post-9/11 War on Terror — now Trump has weaponized those very flaws to occupy America.
www.doomsdayscenario.co
January 25, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Curious why ICE and CBP agents are so brutal? Here's a useful explainer I wrote last week, before Saturday's outrageous murder, about how uniquely unsuited ICE and CBP are for this moment—and why they were so corruptible into Trump's own fascist secret police: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/ice-101-ho...
Day 25 of my January song-a-day challenge. The feel for "Leave a Little Mystery" was inspired by a tasty Billy Higgins drum loop from drumgenius. #songwriter #songwriting youtube.com/shorts/zTWyt...
Leave a Little Mystery (January 2026 song-a-day challenge Day 25)
YouTube video by Oren Levine
youtube.com
January 25, 2026 at 8:52 PM
Day 25 of my January song-a-day challenge. The feel for "Leave a Little Mystery" was inspired by a tasty Billy Higgins drum loop from drumgenius. #songwriter #songwriting youtube.com/shorts/zTWyt...
Day 24 of my January song-a-day challenge. Thanks to #MissManners for this one. She responded "May you two have a long and happy life together focusing on your various grudges." I found a love song there. Here's "We Hate the Same Way" #songwriting #songwriter youtube.com/shorts/pITPK...
We Hate the Same Way (January 2026 song-a-day challenge Day 24)
YouTube video by Oren Levine
youtube.com
January 24, 2026 at 6:57 PM
Day 24 of my January song-a-day challenge. Thanks to #MissManners for this one. She responded "May you two have a long and happy life together focusing on your various grudges." I found a love song there. Here's "We Hate the Same Way" #songwriting #songwriter youtube.com/shorts/pITPK...
For Day 23 of my January song-a-day challenge, I reworked "Breathing in Time" from the 19th, adding a verse and setting the words to a brighter blues feel. Sending island breezes to my friends and family in the path of this weekend's winter blast. #songwriter #songwriting youtube.com/shorts/ciQb3...
Breathing in Time (January 2026 song-a-day challenge Day 23)
YouTube video by Oren Levine
youtube.com
January 23, 2026 at 8:29 PM
For Day 23 of my January song-a-day challenge, I reworked "Breathing in Time" from the 19th, adding a verse and setting the words to a brighter blues feel. Sending island breezes to my friends and family in the path of this weekend's winter blast. #songwriter #songwriting youtube.com/shorts/ciQb3...
Check out "Beachside Grooves," an EP of three songs in different styles from different bands, sharing a common beachy theme. Now available on your favorite stream distrokid.com/hyperfollow/... #JazzSky #beach #songwriter #songwriting
Beachside Grooves by Oren Levine
Stream and Save Beachside Grooves - Distributed by DistroKid
distrokid.com
January 23, 2026 at 2:31 PM
Check out "Beachside Grooves," an EP of three songs in different styles from different bands, sharing a common beachy theme. Now available on your favorite stream distrokid.com/hyperfollow/... #JazzSky #beach #songwriter #songwriting
Day 22 of my January song-a-day challenge. The title "Damn the Budget" came from a group of our friends. That turned into this bossa nova tune about spending a bit more on those little extras #songwriting #songwriter youtube.com/shorts/DoK0h...
Damn the Budget (January 2026 song-a-day challenge Day 22)
YouTube video by Oren Levine
youtube.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:58 PM
Day 22 of my January song-a-day challenge. The title "Damn the Budget" came from a group of our friends. That turned into this bossa nova tune about spending a bit more on those little extras #songwriting #songwriter youtube.com/shorts/DoK0h...
Day 21 of the Songwriting for M.E. January challenge. I saw a potion for sale in a local store labeled "Do My Will." That inspired this tone poem about dark forces and breakfast coffee, preposition-free per today's prompt #songwriting #songwriter youtube.com/shorts/yEiud...
Do My Will (January 2026 song-a-day challenge Day 21)
YouTube video by Oren Levine
youtube.com
January 21, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Day 21 of the Songwriting for M.E. January challenge. I saw a potion for sale in a local store labeled "Do My Will." That inspired this tone poem about dark forces and breakfast coffee, preposition-free per today's prompt #songwriting #songwriter youtube.com/shorts/yEiud...
Reposted by Oren Levine
I won a prize from the Harvard Shorenstein Center for my newsletter, Popular Information.
“Legum has built a model of journalism that combines meticulous investigative reporting with clear, accessible explanations of how power operates—and who benefits."
“Legum has built a model of journalism that combines meticulous investigative reporting with clear, accessible explanations of how power operates—and who benefits."
Judd Legum and Samantha Maldonado win Nyhan Prizes - The Shorenstein Center
shorensteincenter.org
January 21, 2026 at 12:28 AM
I won a prize from the Harvard Shorenstein Center for my newsletter, Popular Information.
“Legum has built a model of journalism that combines meticulous investigative reporting with clear, accessible explanations of how power operates—and who benefits."
“Legum has built a model of journalism that combines meticulous investigative reporting with clear, accessible explanations of how power operates—and who benefits."
Fascinating connection between the current #Greenland fracas and the US Virgin Islands (where I live). The current President apparently agrees with the NYT and Admiral Peary that the US lost out by excluding Greenland from the 1916 deal for the purchase of the Islands from Denmark.
January 20, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Fascinating connection between the current #Greenland fracas and the US Virgin Islands (where I live). The current President apparently agrees with the NYT and Admiral Peary that the US lost out by excluding Greenland from the 1916 deal for the purchase of the Islands from Denmark.
#TunesOnTuesday shares my song for Day 20 of my January song-a-day challenge: "Ready To Change" expresses musically my long-standing grumble that everyone wants to change but nobody wants to do anything different. #songwriter #songwriting ohljazz.com/2026/01/20/t...
Tunes on Tuesday: Ready To Change
Why this tune? This week’s tune is another daily project in the January song-a-day challenge organized by Kat and Sarah from Songwriting For Music Educators. After years as a technology devel…
ohljazz.com
January 20, 2026 at 8:48 PM
#TunesOnTuesday shares my song for Day 20 of my January song-a-day challenge: "Ready To Change" expresses musically my long-standing grumble that everyone wants to change but nobody wants to do anything different. #songwriter #songwriting ohljazz.com/2026/01/20/t...
January song-a-day challenge Day 19: "Breathing In Time" is the short start of a song. I can always write a tune about the beach :-) #songwriter #songwriting youtube.com/shorts/Va6Zu...
Breathing In Time (January 2026 song-a-day challenge Day 19)
YouTube video by Oren Levine
youtube.com
January 19, 2026 at 6:31 PM
January song-a-day challenge Day 19: "Breathing In Time" is the short start of a song. I can always write a tune about the beach :-) #songwriter #songwriting youtube.com/shorts/Va6Zu...
Day 18 of my January song-a-day challenge organized by Songwriting for ME. "The Muse Knows" is a reworking of a song I started in 2019! #songwriting #songwriter #rewriting youtube.com/shorts/ZmRJz...
The Muse Knows (January 2026 song-a-day challenge Day 18)
YouTube video by Oren Levine
youtube.com
January 18, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Day 18 of my January song-a-day challenge organized by Songwriting for ME. "The Muse Knows" is a reworking of a song I started in 2019! #songwriting #songwriter #rewriting youtube.com/shorts/ZmRJz...
Day 17 of the January song-a-day challenge: "Let Them" combined another lyrics class prompt, a Clyde Stubblefield #funk groove and a bunch of rhyming verbs #songwriting #songwriter
youtube.com/shorts/3Wchx...
youtube.com/shorts/3Wchx...
Let Them (January 2026 song-a-day challenge Day 17)
YouTube video by Oren Levine
youtube.com
January 17, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Day 17 of the January song-a-day challenge: "Let Them" combined another lyrics class prompt, a Clyde Stubblefield #funk groove and a bunch of rhyming verbs #songwriting #songwriter
youtube.com/shorts/3Wchx...
youtube.com/shorts/3Wchx...
Day 16 of my January 2026 song-a-day challenge. This is what happens when you put a bunch of unrelated new and old song ideas in a document and mix them together. I added some harmonic adventures and got "The World Rearranged." #songwriter #songwriting youtube.com/shorts/bVrgC...
The World Rearranged (January 2026 song-a-day challenge Day 16)
YouTube video by Oren Levine
youtube.com
January 16, 2026 at 8:40 PM
Day 16 of my January 2026 song-a-day challenge. This is what happens when you put a bunch of unrelated new and old song ideas in a document and mix them together. I added some harmonic adventures and got "The World Rearranged." #songwriter #songwriting youtube.com/shorts/bVrgC...
For day 15 of this year's January song-a-day challenge, a song inspired by this week's #Torah portion Vaera (וארא), where we read the beginning of the story of the Ten Plagues that preceded the Exodus #songwriter #songwriting youtube.com/shorts/lnQRy...
Plague (January 2026 Song-a-day challenge day 15)
YouTube video by Oren Levine
youtube.com
January 15, 2026 at 5:37 PM
For day 15 of this year's January song-a-day challenge, a song inspired by this week's #Torah portion Vaera (וארא), where we read the beginning of the story of the Ten Plagues that preceded the Exodus #songwriter #songwriting youtube.com/shorts/lnQRy...
Celebrating #nationalbagelday with my tribute to this favorite nosh I wrote last year. "Bagel Day" youtu.be/qsPKXi3oxwA #bagel #songwriter #songwriting
Bagel Day (January 2025 Song a Day Challenge Day 15 & Tunes on Tuesday)
YouTube video by Oren Levine
youtu.be
January 15, 2026 at 12:31 PM
Celebrating #nationalbagelday with my tribute to this favorite nosh I wrote last year. "Bagel Day" youtu.be/qsPKXi3oxwA #bagel #songwriter #songwriting