Earth Music Theater Live (EMTL) is a breathtaking fusion of music, science, and storytelling—an immersive, multidisciplinary performance that invites audiences to experience Earth from a profoundly new perspective. Directed by multimedia artist Steve Thomas, EMTL blends soaring, genre-defying music with stunning imagery captured by astronauts aboard the International Space Station. 
 
The performance features former NASA astronaut and author Cady Coleman, who brings personal stories and videos from her book Sharing Space: An Astronaut’s Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change. The visionary voice of Afrofuturist poet, astronaut and scientist Dr. Sian Proctor, whose spoken word bridges science and imagination is woven into the performance.  The combination of ethereal music, Earth imagery and astronaut stories delivers a powerful and emotionally resonant journey that celebrates Earth, ignites curiosity, and inspires a deeper sense of connection to our planet and to one another.
 
Steve Thomas is a composer, guitarist, and sound designer whose career bridges music, film, and planetary storytelling. Dan Barstow, Director of EarthMusicTheater.org, has broken new ground with creative exploration of visually compelling views of Earth from space. Thomas and Barstow have created more than a dozen Earth-themed films, featuring Thomas’ music with imagery captured by ISS astronauts. Their collaborations—designed to spark reflection on planetary stewardship—began in 2007 with Windows on Earth, commissioned for use on the ISS, and has recently expanded into the Earth Music Theater Live series.
 
The soaring sounds of the EMTL ensemble, led by Thomas, includes world-class musicians Carl Clements (bansuri, alto flute), Chris Cheek (alto sax), Clare Arenius (drums, percussion), and Josh Metz (double bass).  The ensemble weaves together sublime, genre-straddling music creating immersive soundscapes that evolve in real time with the stunning Earth imagery.
 
Cady Coleman is a former NASA astronaut and a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel with more than 180 days in space, accumulated during two space shuttle missions and a six-month expedition to the International Space Station (ISS) as the Lead Robotics and Lead Science officer. Cady served in a variety of roles within the Astronaut Office, including Chief of Robotics, and lead astronaut for integration and operation of supply ships from NASA’s commercial partners. Before retiring from NASA, she led open-innovation and public-private partnership efforts for NASA’s Chief Technologist. Cady's book, Sharing Space: An Astronaut’s Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change is published by Penguin. She and her family were also recently featured in two documentaries, PBS’s Space: The Longest Goodbye, and The Wonderful: Stories from the Space Station.

Steve's additional works tied to EarthMusicTheater.org and  the Association Space Explorers ASE. 

In 2007 Steve was commissioned to create Windows on Earth the original soundtrack used on the International Space Station. The timeless music is emotionally aligned with views of Earth, from the Sahara and Himalayas to the moody Aurora Borealis, marking the first of many captivating EarthMusicTheater.org releases. In 2024 Windows on Earth was remastered for the premiere of Earth Serenade, a series produced in collaboration with University California Television (UCTV) and the Association of Space Explorers. Shades of Blue I mentioned, along with Windows on Earth, Sunset Serenity and Flows of Desert Night  are among the six earth movies that feature my music on the UCTV series.  
 
Additional projects of interest: For years Steve has worked with New York Times Film Critic Pick composer/producer Ruth Mendelson on projects for the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) including the National Geographic docufilm The Hope, The Dr. Jane Goodall Hopecast and the immersive unabridged, My Life with Chimpanzees audio book featuring Dr. Jane Goodall in her own voice –where we created a listening experience that transports audiences directly into Goodall’s world. In 2023 I mixed, capturing Ruth Mendelson’s  emotional and artistic intent in the wonderful score for “Our Promise: 100 years of the American Battle Monuments Commission '' a deeply moving and memorable film experience.