Does a Skater's Choice of Music Influence You?

Ladskater · Mar 30, 2014

I feel music really plays an important role in how a skater does. Sometimes I don't get why a skater may have chosen a certain piece; of course sometimes the music is chosen for them. Kurt commented that the American ice dance team who skated to the music from Les Mis perhaps made a mistake with that particular piece as it was too distracting to watch and appreciate their program. I agree. Sometimes I don't enjoy watching a skater if the music is not melodic or is too jarring. I was not thrilled with Kevin Reynolds short program music by ACDC (not a fan of ACDC!). I did enjoy his long program though. I loved Alexandra Paul and Mitchell Islam's music from the movie WE. Also I enjoyed Jeremy Abbotts music and program. I really wish Kaetlyn Osmond would pick better music - her short program music "Hey Big Spender" is too "old" for her; she is a vibrant young lady and not sophisticated enough to pull off the Marilyn Monroe look. I really pay attention to skaters who choose good music. Both Mao Asada and Carolina Kostner are good examples of wise choices of music for their programs. They were awesome!

hyperinflation · Mar 30, 2014

yes

automatic deductions the isu should consider:

-1 for rachmanioff
-2 for the piazzolla tangos except adios nonino
-3 for adios nonino
-5 for west side story
-5 for malaguena
-10 for romeo and juliet
-15 for scheherezade
-20 for the feeling begins
-30 for firebird
-50 for anything with the word 'swan' in it
one year suspension for les mis or poto
banned for life for carmen
death by electric chair for requiem for a dream

moviechick · Mar 30, 2014

I like it when skaters chose unconventional music, especially modern/non-classical. Even if the program doesn't completely work for me, I appreciate it a lot more than even a decently done 5000th Carmen or Swan Lake program. A soundtrack from a good but not overwhelmingly popular movie is always a plus.

Meoima · Mar 30, 2014

hyperinflation said:
yes

automatic deductions the isu should consider:

-1 for rachmanioff
-2 for the piazzolla tangos except adios nonino
-3 for adios nonino
-5 for west side story
-5 for malaguena
-10 for romeo and juliet
-15 for scheherezade
-20 for the feeling begins
-30 for firebird
-50 for anything with the word 'swan' in it
one year suspension for les mis or poto
banned for life for carmen
death by electric chair for requiem for a dream

60 for anything written by Tchaikovsky! :disapp:

Sam-Skwantch · Mar 30, 2014

Meoima said:
60 for anything written by Tchaikovsky! :disapp:

I hope that's a plus 60!! I love the Nutcracker!! I listened to Pas De Deux on my drive home from the rink today!!

Meoima · Mar 30, 2014

Sam-Skwantch said:
I hope that's a plus 60!! I love the Nutcracker!! I listened to Pas De Deux on my drive home from the rink today!!

At least Tchaikovsky wrote music for ballet so people can dance along with his music. But Rachmaninov? I don't get PChan choice of music for his SP this season, and Kovtun also skated to Rach 2 without any connection to the music. Mao is Japanese and she seems to have more syncs with the Russian music than a Russian. I guess it goes with natural talent, then.

RoundedBackCamel · Mar 30, 2014

In that most music is so dull and repetitive, it does. It thrilled me to see Jeremy Abbott skate to an interesting arrangement of what many consider the greatest Beatles song ever written and then Muse. But his short program music this year left me so bored. I know, someone "composed" that arrangement specifically for him, but man, is it repetitive! Muse is a personal favorite band of mine, but as one of the hoards that left skating fandom ten years ago, can someone tell me if all the music in the last decade has been drab and not evolved? Really, it's one of the reasons I got turned off to skating. Same old, same old. I am probably totally biased because I cannot STAND when skaters skate to music with vocals. It immediately dates the music--but I wish music choices were more varied. Oh, and I don't pay that much attention to skating and all you people are surely much more qualified to comment than I am. I am a Yagudin über and loved when Kurt Browning skated to "current" 90s bands back in the day (Live, BaredNaked Ladies), but I can't stand the Jackson medlies--or the Yagudin skates to Sting or so-and-so skating to Neil Diamond, so I would have to say that only new instrumental arrangements of music can move me. I am disappointed that after raising my lazy-a** head to see what was going on with skating this Olympic year, music choices remain incredibly unimaginative. Time to hibernate till 2018, I guess

TripleToe · Mar 30, 2014

Meoima said:
60 for anything written by Tchaikovsky! :disapp:

- 70 for anything Moulin Rouge (-75 If It's El Tango de Roxanne)

karne · Mar 30, 2014

moviechick said:
A soundtrack from a good but not overwhelmingly popular movie is always a plus.

Tron!

I'm hanging out for Rush next season, but I doubt it.

CanadianSkaterGuy · Mar 30, 2014

Usually a skater's music choice influences you if they actually pay heed to the music.

Too many skaters, not gonna name names, completely ignore the music and just reel off jumps. This makes programs appear homogenized and should be reflected by lower interpretation and performance PCS scores.

Barb · Mar 30, 2014

hyperinflation said:
yes

automatic deductions the isu should consider:

-1 for rachmanioff
-2 for the piazzolla tangos except adios nonino
-3 for adios nonino
-5 for west side story
-5 for malaguena
-10 for romeo and juliet
-15 for scheherezade
-20 for the feeling begins
-30 for firebird
-50 for anything with the word 'swan' in it
one year suspension for les mis or poto
banned for life for carmen
death by electric chair for requiem for a dream

noskates · Mar 30, 2014

Absofreakinglutely! I"m SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sick of tangoes and Carmen and Firebird and anything with Swan in it. Malaguena and Sheherezade and Adios Nonino.

iluvtodd · Mar 30, 2014

Well, it certainly has helped my CD collection if I like the music a skater has used. I already love classical music & Broadway musicals, but I've bought a number of soundtracks that skaters have skated to, even if I haven't seen the movies. At the same time, I can and do appreciate musical choices that are not as likely (Jeremy Abbott's free skate, many of P/B programs, Deloebel & Schoenfelder ...)

alebi · Mar 30, 2014

yes definitely! who does remember Gold's first short program? It was an agony!!! I automatically turned off the voice when it was her turn.
And I agree with Browning... C/B free program music (music?!?!) was atrocious... I went to eat while they were performing, I couldn't stand one more second...

the result is that I still don't like Gold and C/B the way they deserve :eek:

hwell:

[edit]

But I wouldn't generalize. Watching again Yuzu's "R&J 2012" gave me the cue that you can still use a trite idea without being expected. It's up to you to choose the right musics... and "Kiss you" and "Romeo + Juliet" soundtrack were perfect

For example, "The nutcracker" has so many beautiful pieces that can help to develop so many different ideas but it seems like the choreographers prefer to use always the identical musics.. same for Rachmaninov, Saint-saens, Chopin etc... (but I shouldn't complain since these are always pleasant for me

)

It's like there're some "ready to use" pieces that choreographers give to skaters because they don't want to put much effort into them.

I also prefer Jeremy's "Bring him home" to any other Miserables routine... he uses the same piece without atrocious mixes and cuts and develops that idea.

Yes, another thing I can't stand is when there're too many cuts!! Dornbush homage to Beatles was another atrocious program to hear, even if you like the songs! How many songs were used? 5? 6? I hadn't the time to realize which one was playing (because they unlikely use original version) when it changed.. And so on for 4 minutes... :bang:

silverfoxes · Mar 30, 2014

It makes a huge difference. I know that when one of the Olympics commentators said that Kevin Reynolds "isn't really into music," or words to that effect, I was horrified. I didn't mind that he wants to skate to AC/DC or hard rock, though. I'm all for imagination and taking chances, not using the same boring old warhorses. And after watching a couple of his ice show performances I do think Kevin can interpret music well. Just can't wrap my head around what kind of person, and skater in particular, doesn't care about music? (Maybe the commentator was taking quotes out of context, who knows.)

WeakAnkles · Mar 30, 2014

Unfortunately the old war horses keep getting rewarded and rewarded and anything truly creative rarely does.

CarneAsada · Mar 30, 2014

hyperinflation said:
automatic deductions the isu should consider:

-1 for rachmanioff
-2 for the piazzolla tangos except adios nonino
-3 for adios nonino
-5 for west side story
-5 for malaguena
-10 for romeo and juliet
-15 for scheherezade
-20 for the feeling begins
-30 for firebird
-50 for anything with the word 'swan' in it
one year suspension for les mis or poto
banned for life for carmen
death by electric chair for requiem for a dream

But I have to disagree with the flat deduction for anything Rachmaninoff. It really depends on the piece.
+22 for Non Allegro from the Symphonic Dances (it's such a great piece, for me it evokes the image of mortuary workers dragging dead bodies across a ballroom floor)
+8 for Piano Concerto No. 4 (it is an unusual choice, but this bonus will be removed if more than 5 skaters/pairs in any discipline use this in one year)
+0.2 for Etudes-Tableaux
-7 for 3rd movement of Piano Concerto #3
-23 for 2nd and 3rd movements from Rach 2
-38 for Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (and lifetime ban for using 18th variation)

And the Swan part needs more revision as well. Swan Lake should have cumulative deductions.
-30 for using any version of the famous theme
-30 for using Drigo's music for Odile

-75 for The Swan by Saint-Saens

Also there should be a -19 for tasteless arrangements of other pieces. For example, Adelina's Introduction and rondo capriccioso would get that deduction.
Poor edits and bad cuts get -3.

Meanwhile, does anyone else think that skaters doing Petrushka should get a bonus? My feeling for it is very positive, while I am neutral toward Firebird and I loathe The Rite of Spring.
+10 for Petrushka

karne · Mar 30, 2014

But then you have issues like a tiny 8-year-old Max Aaron seeing a performance of "Carmen" for the first time and dreaming that one day he will skate to it. Fast forward to the present season and that boy has grown into a young man who is finally going to fulfil his long-held dream - even to the point of using less common cuts. To me, it was obvious that the music of Carmen meant a lot to Max, and you could see that he was really feeling it.

So I don't think "banning" the warhorses should be an option. Because not all choices of warhorses are "lazy" choices. Like that little 8 year old boy who fell in love with the opera and wanted to skate to it.

I would have been interested to see what a different choreographer would have done with it. Unfortunately Max chose Lori Nichol which meant it was always going to be a blah program.

hyperinflation · Mar 30, 2014

i'm not necessarily opposed to people skating to warhorses, i'm opposed to unoriginal, trite, uninspired skating to warhorses

which is what happens 95% of the time

Blades of Passion · Mar 30, 2014

All that matters is how well the skater interprets the music they've chosen.

However, some musical selections are impossible to interpret (at least in a meaningful way), so it's important to have a good cut of music. Many musical selections that include lyrics are impossible to interpret properly.

Does a Skater's Choice of Music Influence You?

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~

hyperinflation

Match Penalty

moviechick

Meoima

Match Penalty

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”

Meoima

Match Penalty

RoundedBackCamel

TripleToe

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode

CanadianSkaterGuy

Barb

noskates

iluvtodd

alebi

silverfoxes

WeakAnkles

CarneAsada

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode

hyperinflation

Match Penalty

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be

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