Here's tip #3 from Joe Jorgens, a professional music editor and head of Sonic Edge Music, which provides pre-cut and custom programs for figure skaters. Joe is sharing his tips for selecting great skating music, especially for younger skaters. So far he's discussed music that is age appropriate, and accentuating the positive.
TIP #3: FIT THE MUSIC TO THE SKATER'S STYLE AND SKATING PERSONALITY
Beyond a skater’s strength in elements, we also want our music to match
the way a skater performs. Some music simply fits certain skating
styles and programs better than others. For example, if your skater has
a fluid, lyrical style of skating would they work best with something
dramatic like Bizet or Carmen, or the softer flowing sound of
Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
If your skater has good speed and jumping ability your musical choices should favor tempo and drama. You can find this type of music among epic soundtracks where the titles, themes and music fully use an orchestra, making them a good choice for this type skater. These should also have a well defined and clear melody or theme. Some fitting music might include:
(Click on the links below to listen. Please note these are short downloads that should play on any MP3 music-capable software.)
- 0:57 Robin Hood (00071)
- 1:07 Hook (00283)
- 1:29 The Last Starfighter (00094)
- 1:38 The Mexican (00157)
Our examples listed here are from among better known pieces and are not
suggestions to limit your thinking, but rather use them as a starting
point.
For a skater with strong footwork you might consider a faster paced
piece, or a piece with a more defined baseline such as these:
A skater with a more fluid and artistic skating personality should consider music that amplifies the value of their grace and the overall emotional feeling of the presentation. There are many classical and more contemporary pieces that can work for you. You might consider music such as:
- 1:09 Anne's Theme (00271)
- 1:09 Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - Allegro (00133)
- 1:29 Liszt -Liebestraum 3 (00176)
- 1:38 Yanni -One Man's Dream (00123)
Although, you’ll want to choose something that accentuates your skating personality, at these levels, skaters should also push themselves to work with other genres, as variety will be needed when they are required to do both long and short programs. Now is the time to do some experimentation as the stakes are not as high as when you reach the Intermediate, Novice and Junior ranks.
Coming up next...Music that delivers a mixture of different tempos and musical themes.
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