A Safer Sound for Movement
Making Sound for Movement safer, simpler, and more focused.
Music formodern dance
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Breathe
A collection of solo piano pieces inspired by the reflective and connective moments in a dance class. These compositions are spacious yet grounding, evoking a sense of breath and presence. They support movement, whether in warm-up exercises, improvisational practices, or moments of rest, without becoming overly dreamy or vague. The music strikes a delicate balance—open and ambient, yet always gently urging forward motion. With its calming yet intentional tone, "Breathe" invites listeners to immerse themselves in a timeless space where stillness and movement coexist.
Blueshift Redshift
Blueshift - sound of an object coming nearer. Redshift - sound of an object moving away. Enormous gratitude to Melissa Lanham and Chloe Keating of LJ Projects Dance for the inspiring collaborations and conversations that helped create this music.
Maquina de Humo
"Maquina de Humo" emerged from a captivating collaboration with Charles Anderson, performed live at the American Dance Festival. Positioned behind the scrim at the back of the stage, I was enveloped in smoke and could only see the dancers' silhouettes, creating a powerful visual impact. "From Over There" also stems from working with Charles; it evokes memories of my early gigs as a musician, playing trumpet secluded in the woods and awaiting my cue. "Time Passes" is a remix of a work made for Lachan Jaarda, where I adore her idea for the simplicity of repeating notes and the unique interpretation of each instrument. "Brush Wire" originated from a project collaboration and features a blend of "wire brush particle" with piano from Nil Frahm's "Noire" piano instrument; it’s a piece I revived from an unused section, echoing a former housemate's belief that "One person's garbage, is another person's art." Lastly, "Hills and Valleys" was developed during a project with Joey Anderson and includes what I consider one of the coolest sonic textures I've ever created, marking a deep, resonant moment during the peak.
Sonar
Thank you to Derion Loman, Michael Wells and Diablo Ballet for the inspiration for the music.
Latest Posts
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Embodied Musical Knowledge
Dancers are not "beginners" at music.
Choreographic Listening
The more you practice speaking about your choreography, the easier it will be to collaborate with others.
The Tiny Dance
Music can create an environment where even the smallest movement from a dancer can be framed and influenced.
About Sound for Movement
Twenty years ago, musician Michael Wall noticed dance teachers spending their evenings searching through piles of CDs to find the right track for their classes—something with the right meter, tempo, feel, and without awkward lyrics. He thought: What if there were a website offering a wide range of music in various meters, tempos, and styles, all made specifically for dance teachers and creators? When mp3s became popular and could be linked to PayPal, Michael teamed up with coders and web designers, going through many versions of websites to build what is now Sound for Movement.
Michael has been playing music for dance classes for nearly 30 years, working with hundreds of teachers and thousands of students. A versatile musician, he plays piano, trumpet, harmonica, djembe, congas, modular synths, and sings—all blending traditional instruments with modern technology. He's experienced with all types of dance techniques, including improvisation, contemporary, modern, ballet, pointe, Gaga, contact improvisation, partnering, West African classes, yoga, meditation classes, and various hybrid styles that mix different musical genres and movements.
His journey started in 1995 when he began playing for ballet classes at Rutgers University under the guidance of Robert "Tigger" Benford. He learned a lot from different technique classes and teaching styles, and he further expanded his knowledge by learning from leading musicians at the American Dance Festival and Bates Dance Festival. These mentors included Glen Fittin, Natalie Gilbert, Terrence Karn, Albert Mathias, Peter Jones, Khalid Saleem, John Hanks, Mike Vargas, Ken Ray Wileman, Vladimir Espinoza, Arthur Solari, Norman Beede, Raj Bhandari, Adam Crawley, Atiba Rorie, Jefferson Dalby, and many more.
As a composer, Michael has created thousands of pieces for choreographers, dance filmmakers, international TV and film companies, students, and friends. He currently works on over a hundred music for dance projects each year. He has also taught at several universities and guest lectured at smaller dance programs, where he developed a curriculum to teach music to dancers. By sharing what he's learned, he helps dancers create their own music using software—a method now widely used in the dance community. He's also helped several dancers build music careers alongside their dance work.
The goals of Sound for Movement are to keep expanding its diverse music library, improve music licensing options for the community, collaborate with emerging choreographers around the world, teach anyone interested in making music for dance, and stay up-to-date with web and music distribution technology. By doing this, the platform hopes to support the next generation of artists creating sound for movement.