Derek Van Cleve

Derek Van Cleve is a songwriter and soundtrack creator who wrote the entire soundtrack for The World is My Stage—a TV docu-series built from songs spanning his life, from early teen inspiration to modern releases. His journey began with “Same Picture Different Day,” written at 14 and released for the first time here. In 1998 he wrote “Can’t Stop Dancing,” reflecting his long love for high-energy, feel-good music. Derek’s catalog also includes “Sex Symbol Superstar” (released 2017), written as a collaboration concept with Steve Coy (manager of ’80s group Dead or Alive) for Pete Burns, alongside Tam Taylor. Burns passed away at 57 on October 23, 2016. He released “Ashamed” on SoundCloud in January 2016 as an experimental EDM track and wrote “All Turnt Up” later that year. The rest of the soundtrack was written between 2020 and 2026, capturing Derek’s latest evolution as an artist.