Michael Mortilla started playing music at about 4 years old and hasn’t stopped since. Largely self-taught, he has composed and performed his original works for the Academy of Motion Pictures, the Chicago Symphony, the Olympic Games, and Martha Graham. Graham’s company pianist for many years, Michael was the last composer to collaborate with her in the studio on a produced work. He has composed well over 1,000 works for theater, dance, film, TV, radio, and an array of other artistic and commercial events. He was a resident composer and UC Santa Barbara faculty member for over 14 years and continues to conduct master classes for filmmakers at CalArts.

In Movies, Music & Time Machines, wouldn’t it be magical to go back 100 years or more to see long-gone people and places? Michael recreates cinema’s early days, using silent films from the very first days of filmmaking (1895–1927) and live concert-level piano playing. Original improvised music accompanies iconic, historic, and sometimes obscure silent films in these assemblies for all grade levels.

Time Machine Extended is perfect for family nights, reaching a wide audience from young to old and especially non-native English speakers. Available titles run the gamut—silent comedies to multi-hour drama, romance, adventure, and slapstick—culled from Michael’s own large inventory and close working relationship with the Academy of Motion Pictures, the National Film Preservation Foundation, and other organizations and individuals.

Multi-performance discounts are generous and make the creation of a series of events within the reach of even the most modest budget.