Imagine conducting an orchestra with just the wave of a hand.  LIFT Music enables users to generate music dynamically through motion, bringing the joy of composition and improvisation to everyone, regardless of physical or cognitive challenges. Participants are not just passively listening, they are physically connected to the music, shaping its creation in real-time.

LIFT, a new gesture-controlled music app developed by UK-based creative tech studio Headsoup, is redefining how individuals with cognitive or mobility challenges engage with music. From SEND classrooms to brain injury groups, pilots have shown remarkable results: joy, confidence, and meaningful creative expression through music with no instruments or music training required.

Developed by Stuart Grimshaw, a musician-turned-iOS developer and music educator, LIFT offers a radically inclusive approach to music-making. Users interact via body movement, using their arms or gestures to control the app in real-time. Whether seated, standing, or with limited motor ability, the app adapts to the user’s range of motion, making it fully accessible and deeply personal.

“We call it a Music Mirror, users see themselves on-screen, conducting sound with their own movements,” said Stuart Grimshaw, CEO and founder of Headsoup. “It’s simple, joyful, and genuinely transformative for people who are too often excluded from creative expression.”

Unlike many music apps, LIFT focuses on improvisation, emotional connection, and person-centred engagement. The app has already been piloted across a range of environments including a SEND School, a brain injury group, Music Therapy and Care settings. 

The LIFT team is working with university researchers to explore the app’s therapeutic potential in formal studies. The goal: to make music accessible to everyone, especially those with the most barriers to participation.

About Headsoup

Headsoup is a UK-based creative technology company founded by Stuart Grimshaw. With a background in music education, live performance, and software development, Headsoup creates tools that merge innovation with human connection, bringing music, movement, and accessibility into the heart of immersive technology.

Media Contact

Name: Kate Billinge
Email: Kate.billinge@headsoup.info
Website: www.liftmusic.org