Tucked away in the basement of Bloomberg Hall is the ODUS Ultraviolet Recording Studio, a studio open to all undergraduate students offering the free use of professional music recording equipment. Samara Samad ’25, Daniela Vita ’25, and Caroline Zhao ’25 serve as student studio managers, training students interested in booking the studio and overseeing its operation. Countless projects have been shaped in UV, most recently supporting a Freshman Seminar and the creation of an a cappella album.
Students in the Freshman Seminar “Harmonizing Resistance: Music’s Power in the Americas” with Professor Iris Hauser, visited the Ultraviolet Recording Studio located in Bloomberg Hall and learned about the resources the studio offers for undergraduate students. After getting trained, students were excited to use the equipment and instruments and began preparing to record their own music projects for the class while exploring their own personal music interests. Special thanks to student manager Samara Samad for guiding this training!
“As part of the final project of FRS161: Harmonizing Resistance, we visited the Ultraviolet Studio in Bloomberg Basement. The training was completed in two parts: first we were introduced to the exterior part of the studio, which had soundproof space where we could record live instruments, and then, the interior of the studio, which had a sophisticated set of controls and computers for the production element of the song. The tour was relatively brief, and finished within the class period, but it was a helpful introduction that provided students with information about the tools within the studio, and the opportunities to learn more about the resources.” -Lilian Paterson ’28, participant in FRS161
Another hightlight for Ultraviolet was the creation of an accapella album. Old NasSoul, one of Princeton’s illustrious a cappella groups devoted to R&B and Soul music, used Ultraviolet to create their latest EP, Soul Session, released on March 30th.
“Getting to record our group’s music as a freshman last year was quite the memorable experience! Before coming to Princeton, I never would’ve been imagined myself as a recording artist, and from a group perspective much of what we do in acapella is ephemeral. Performances come and go, and the group is constantly changing. Our time here is short! Albums, on the other hand, act as snapshots of the group that live on long after we leave these gates. Given the group’s relative newness, it’s also really special that we can produce something to honor the legacy that the founders of the group worked so hard to build. I’m super grateful to have had that experience, and excited to replicate it again over the three years as well as finish up the album this spring!” -Chloe Hartwell '27, Current President of Old NasSoul
"I think one of the best things about recording is being able to see an artistic vision of what you want the arrangement to sound like coming to life piece by piece. I remember being able to give suggestions for the tone and inflection for individual people while doing their recording which is really difficult to give in the context of the group which really makes the life performance all the better.” -Rowan King '26, Alumni Engagement Chair, Old NasSoul
“Getting to record music, I think, is super special, because it’s a way to remember the work you did and the time you spent as a group. Performing is a great, but I think recording gives you a unique way to sort of leave your mark, something that both you can revisit yourself 10 years down the line or show to your relatives and say, “I was in this!” It was awesome to get the full recording experience and record in the Ultraviolet studio, which made the process painless and especially enjoyable. Thank you to ODUS for making this all possible!” -Alex Yoo '25, Former President, Old NasSoul
“Recording for our album in the spring of ’24 was the culmination of years of both growth as musicians and devotion to the best group (performance or otherwise) on campus. Was particularly special to have all of that come together in my last semester on campus - equally so to have been apart of a project that will build upon the work of multiple generations of Old NasSoul. Big thanks to Alex Yoo, Rowan King, and Ovi Banerjee for making it happen.” -Chris Johnston '24, former President, of Old NasSoul
Ultraviolet Recording Studio is open to all undergraduate students and graduate students. looks forward to future projects, supporting the Princeton music community. If you are a Princeton undergraduate and have questions regarding UV, please contact one of the studio managers, or contact ODUS Arts Program Coordinator, Pat Rounds ’15.