But some skaters do. So, if they decide to interpret the words, should they at least stick to the lyrics and be evaluated on that ?
If they decide to interpret the words, yes.
But what constitutes interpreting the words?
Here's a pro performance from the era when lyrics were not allowed in ISU competition. It's not structured like a competitive program.
This skater does a great job interpreting the music (IMO) and also does a good job interpreting the words.
But how much would a judge who doesn't understand English miss if they were just judging the skating to the music?
Here is a short program from the first season after the ban on lyrics was lifted. There are some lyrics in the song, although most of the music as edited is instrumental.
Is the skater interpreting the words? Or is he interpreting the aural soundscape, with the vocals as musically important as the guitars or drums, but the words being sung perhaps not so much.
I mean there are more and more programs with extensive "voice overs" without music... or much music. What do we expect them to interpret if they are not expected to interpret the words when there are sections with only... words
Yes, if they choose to skate to spoken word, one would expect them to interpret the words. Which might not be very musical.
For that reason, I would be fine with it if the ISU chose to discourage this option.
For me, that's not a good reason at least for skaters and their teams. Getting lyrics for a song is one click... getting translated lyrics to a song is another click. It's so much simpler nowadays so I don't find that argument very heavy.
They can read what the lyrics are and understand what the song is about.
But do we expect to focus on the meaning of what word is being sung with each note of the music, as is often the case in my first link above?
During a spin, it's hard enough to interpret the musical nuances (and should be rewarded when the skater manages to do so). Asking them also to interpret the specific lyrics the singer is singing while the skater is spinning seems impractical.
I would be fine with a general idea. No need to do word painting on skates here... but again, when a skater selects to interpret the words, should they be accountable ?
Accountable to what? The intentions of the lyricist? Or the intentions of the program, which may be intentionally repurposing both music and lyrics?
Sometimes skaters choose excerpts from songs because there are particular prominent words that they want to express, but those phrases in isolation are not what the song is actually about.
This is an exhibition performance, even less structured like a competitive program, chosen as an extreme example.
But if skaters chose snippets of words to interpret out of context whose meaning doesn't match the original context, is that a problem? Does it make a difference how much they're interpreting the musical phrasing?
They do it all the time using music from operas, ballets, musical comedies, film scores, etc., to tell stories unrelated to the source of the music.
If the ISU really wanted judges to be more alert on PCS scoring, they'd require more of these seminars. A few hours is definitely not enough.
I don't know exactly how much they require.
A video that all judges around the world are expected to watch, just a couple hours.
The live seminars are several days long. But they have a lot more to cover than just music.
Even if there were separate seminars for artistic-components-only judging that every prospective artistic judge needs to attend at least one of, and maybe every already-appointed artistic judge needs to travel to to participate in every year to maintain their appointment, there would be more aspects of those components to cover than just music.
We would definitely need them to learn another language : skating repertoire. How do skaters use their skills to portray music.
Plus everything else that is evaluated in the Composition and Presentation (or separate Performance and Interpretation) components. It's not ALL about music.
It's not as hard as it seems to be. There are various categories including the TES elements (to be able to judge if they highlight the musical score) but there are other categories like gliding moves (Ina Bauer, Spread Eagle, hydroblading, spirals), acrobatics, choreographic footwork and transitions etc. A judge cannot evaluate musical interpretation without knowing what is possible to do on the ice.
Yes.
And choreographers/dance experts (let alone musicians who don't know that much about human movement to begin with) cannot evaluate the composition of a program without knowing what it's possible to do on the ice, what's rewarded technically (so the skaters want to include as much as they can) and what is allowed but not rewarded outside of the CO and PR components.
but more that current judges train better to be able to judge Composition and Performance.
That would be more feasible.
Some judges may not want to take that training because they are not musically inclined nor interested. They could still judge GOE and skating skills.
Yes, if the panels are split.
But others, those with dance and music backgrounds and /or interest, could take that supplemental training, just like some singles judges take on pairs judging training etc and would then be allowed to judge not only GOE but also Composition and Performance.
That could work.
But fans forget that skaters have their planned content before the competition, as what they think are able to present on that day, and when i say to present, I'm including also the elements of the programme not standing in the judging sheet before the competition, as basic speed for example. Skaters involvement, as artistic side of the sport it's not that hard to judge too, when you have live response of the performance by the public in the arena to help you- As in a theatre, you are getting ovations, or not 
skatingscores.com
