Conversations with Sami Seif

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sami Seif.

Hi Sami, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born into a Lebanese family in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. As the child of parents from the mountain towns of Ghazir and Ashqout, I was immersed in a trilingual environment, learning Arabic at home, French at school, and English through American cartoons. This fusion of cultures would later influence my music.

Music found me at the age of twelve when I began to experiment with a microtonal keyboard, an instrument designed for the distinctive microtones of Arabic music. Access to formal music education was not within my reach, so I devoured music theory textbooks, teaching myself how to read and write music. This self-taught period was instrumental in shaping me: it taught me self-reliance, to make the most of the limited resources I had. Later, I was fortunate enough to receive formal training in composition, piano, and audio engineering.

I remember the first summer after I discovered music—I would often stay awake until the early hours of the morning, my hands dancing over the keyboard as I immersed myself in practice, improvisation, and aural exploration. I strived to understand the fabric of music, to decipher why certain melodies resonated with me, and how to weave those elements into my compositions. It was a quest to “catch lightning in a bottle”.

Today, the same passion that those sparked late-night keyboard improvisations still fuels me. This journey, one filled with tenacity, self-teaching, and ceaseless learning, has provided me with a wealth of experiences. As I got deeper into music, I gained the benefit of collaborating with others, learning from each interaction and opportunity.

While my work has found resonance far beyond my small bedroom in Abu Dhabi where it all started—I constantly remind myself that at the heart of it all is my enduring love for music. Even today, every composition I craft, every note I pen, is imbued with the spirit of exploration and discovery that has been with me since those early morning practice sessions.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Indeed, the road to where I am today has been far from smooth, but every bump along the way has made the journey all the more rewarding.

When I first found my passion for music, the initial challenge was simply finding a music teacher in my area–a city that was still growing and was nothing like it is now. My early years in music were punctuated by constant change as I had to switch teachers frequently. I even remember taking a trip to Dubai just to find a piano because the options in Abu Dhabi were limited. Then, there was moving to a new country as I entered conservatory for the first time, having come from a largely self-taught background.

Today, the challenges I face are more complex and intellectually stimulating. I grapple with intricate compositional questions such as how to balance different musical parameters, how to effectively engage human perception, and how to manage the natural peaks and lulls of attention. On top of this, I constantly find myself racing against the clock, trying to squeeze every ounce of productivity out of the mere 24 hours each day affords us.

Looking back, the path was not smooth, but who knows? Perhaps it’s best that way. Overcoming challenges has made me more confident in myself, and that comes in handy when I choose to take artistic risks. It’s been a thrilling, enlivening road; I’m excited and optimistic about the future.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My journey into music began with an unorthodox start, which now forms a cornerstone of my work as a composer and music theorist. Growing up in a trilingual household in the United Arab Emirates, I was drawn to the unique intersection of Western and Middle-Eastern aesthetics. The microtonal keyboard I had facilitated this, as quickly switching tunning systems was a breeze.

This diverse background has endowed me with a unique musical palette that blends different cultures and languages. My music carries the hallmark of my heritage, the nuances of my trilingual upbringing, and the intriguing tonalities of the microtonal keyboard. I’ve always believed in following my curiosity, a trait nurtured during my early self-taught days. This curiosity continues to fuel my creativity and exploration of composition.

One of my obsessions as a composer is the temporal aspect of music–the way it can alter our perception of time, making it seem to expand or contract. I frequently place myself in the listener’s perspective, contemplating how my compositions might transform their sense of time.

When I write music I find it to be self-exploratory, but through self-exploration, I find that people are more alike than they are different. Maybe that’s what draws us all to music, to begin with.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://samiseif.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samiseifcomposer/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamiSeifComposer
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sami-seif/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi3k0_sZciu5fvCm2B3e88A
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/samiseif
• Other: https://linktr.ee/SamiSeif 

Image Credits
Niles Singer and Shaleah Feinstein