Our History
Moving Music Museum is the original creation of Michael Gil Arango — a Cuban-American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and master teaching artist with a passion for exploring the world’s musical cultures. This project was born from Michael’s curiosity and fascination with musical instruments, ancestral traditions, and their power to inspire connection across generations and communities.
More than just an artistic vision, the Moving Music Museum reflects over a decade of educational experience. Since 2012, Michael has worked as a teaching artist and collaborator with a diverse range of institutions including Arts for Learning/Miami, Musicall Inc., Koubek Center, Miami Dade College, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Miami Book Fair, Conecta Miami Arts and Florida Children’s Theater. His programs have engaged thousands of children, families, and educators across the Miami-Dade, Broward, and Hillsborough County Public School systems, as well as through initiatives with Silent Victims of Crime and performances for the New World Symphony and the All Kids Included Festival at The Moss Center — two of South Florida’s premier platforms for accessible and inclusive arts education. In 2025, after years of meaningful community impact, Michael officially filed for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status to take the Moving Music Museum to the next level — transforming it from a beloved educational program into a fully realized, mission-driven organization dedicated to cultural literacy, artistic inspiration, and inclusive access to the transformative power of music.
Moving Music Museum: A Journey in Images
Founder and Artistic Director
Michael Gil Arango is a Cuban-American multi-instrumentalist, composer, educator, and cultural connector dedicated to using music as a bridge between cultures, generations, and communities. He is the founder and artistic director of the Moving Music Museum, a mobile initiative delivering immersive, culturally-rooted experiences through music, performance, and education. A graduate of Havana’s Felix Varela School of Music, where he studied guitar, Michael has spent over a decade collaborating with respected organizations including Arts for Learning/Miami, Musicall Inc., Miami Dade College, Koubek Center, Conecta Miami Arts, New World Symphony, Handy Inc., Silent Victims of Crime, The Moss Center, Miami Book Fair, Museum of Discovery and Science, and Broward Center for the Performing Arts, bringing transformative programs to public school systems, libraries, juvenile centers, arts festivals, and underserved communities.
Much of his music career has been dedicated to personal creative projects such as Luyano Band and DJ ma non troppo, as well as composing original soundtracks for theater productions, documentaries, and interdisciplinary performances combining music with visual arts, contemporary dance, and acting. Michael is also active in the electronic music and DJ scene, collaborating with artists and producers in live performance settings that blend traditional instruments with electronic textures. In addition to the stage, Michael’s work extends into wellness practices, regularly leading sound baths and performing for yoga and breath work sessions, integrating ancestral instruments and meditative soundscapes to support mindfulness, relaxation, and holistic healing. He is a Master Teaching Artist, certified through a professional development program implemented by the South Florida Cultural Consortium, further reaffirming his commitment to arts education and community engagement. In 2024, Michael traveled to Australia’s Northern Territory as part of the Two Islands Cultural Exchange, where he directly interacted with Yolngu elders, as well as Larrakia and Marranunggu/Marrithiyel Aboriginal artists — a powerful experience that deepened his commitment to preserving ancestral wisdom while fostering contemporary cultural dialogue. Michael also passed the ABA board exam to become a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) and gained meaningful experience working with young people on the autism spectrum. This work continues to shape his empathetic, inclusive approach to education and community practice.
An Arts & Education Inspiration Award recipient — presented by Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairsand the Arts & Business Council of Miami — Zen practitioner, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt, Michael values discipline, presence, and cultural connection in every aspect of his life and work. Proudly endorsed by Sela Percussion, he continues to champion both traditional and innovative sound practices, creating spaces where music inspires, connects, and uplifts
