Dance 231: Fundamentals of Choreography and Improvisation
LibKey Nomad
Research and Instruction Librarian for Music & Fine Arts
Finding Music by Mood -- Print Resources
The Music Library has catalogs of music by mood, mostly focusing on western art music.
Subject Guide to Classical Instrumental MusicCall Number: Music Ref: ML128 .I65 G59 1989Search for classical music depicting topics like "occupations," "gardens," "magic," etc.
Do not be deceived by the thumbnail photo -- our copy is blue!
Finding Music By Mood -- Library Online Resources
Naxos Music Library and Naxos Jazz have curated playlists that can help you identify music by mood. (Naxos is one of the services discussed in the DanceUSA webinars listed below).
The slides below to see how to access the playlist function in Naxos and Naxos Jazz.
Alt-Text for Naxos Playlist Slides
Title slide: Using Playlists in Naxos and Naxos Jazz
[Image: St. Olaf Libraries & IT logo]
Slide 1: Playlists in Naxos and Naxos Jazz
Naxos and Naxos Jazz include playlist functions, accessible in the side menu.
[Image: screenshot of Naxos side menu with a red arrow pointing to the "playlist" button.]
Slide 2: Playlist Options
There are several different playlist options. NML Playlists are largely organized by instrument. There is also a "relaxation and contemplation" option in Naxos, but not Naxos Jazz.
[Image: Screenshot of the various playlist buttons, with a red arrow pointing to the "NML Playlist" button.]
Slide 3: Playlist Options
Themed Playlists include a broad range of topics, including animals, fight scenes, love scenes, night-music, the seasons, and the sea.
[Image: Screenshot of the playlist buttons, with a red arrow pointing to the "Themed Playlists" button.]
Slide 4: Accessing the Playlist
Many playlists have multiple sections. Click a link to see the titles in the part of the list.
[Image: Screenshot of a multipart playlist for "love scenes." A red arrow points to the link for "love scenes part 1."
Slide 5: Accessing the Playlist
Once in the playlist, you can select and play the whole list (blue arrow) or tick the boxes for individual tracks (red arrow.)
[Image: Screenshot of the track list for "Love Scenes Part 1." A blue arrow points to the tick box to select the whole playlist. A red arrow points to the tick box to select only the first song.]
Slide 6: Get the Permalink!
Find a piece you like? Be sure to click the "link" icon to copy the static URL (aka, the permalink) for the track you chose.
[Image: Screenshot of the link icon, which looks like a link in a chain.]
Useful Websites for Selecting Dance Music
Creative Commons Sources
- Creative Commons: Legal Music for VideosA list of sites that include music licensed with Creative Commons licenses
- FreeMusicArchive -- DanceDance tracks from FMA; tracks are available under Creative Commons licenses.
Commerical Sources
- 8tracks: modern dance playlistsFollow links on each track to purchase on Apple Music; note that purchasing the track for personal use is not the same as licensing it for dance; see the Copyright for Choreographers tab on this guide for more information
- AllMusic Mood ListSearch the AllMusic catalog by mood tags
- Dance USA Resources on Music and ChoreographyWebinars and blogposts on finding and licensing music for dance
- music4dancePlaylists and blogposts for and about ballroom dancing
- SoundCloudSoundCloud can also be searched by mood tags. Some pieces are available under Creative Commons licenses.
- Sound For MovementMusic composed specifically for dance by a musician who works with many dancers. See the "licensing" page on the site for information about licensing.
- SpotifySpotify playlists can be search by mood tags