Gracie's SP | Golden Skate

Gracie's SP

daphna

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 6, 2004
Why is there so much criticism about her SP music choice? I find it fantastic and avant-guard, and it totally fits her non-ballerina style. It's one of my favorite programs so far this season, and obviously the judges like it very much too - she scored a 69 plus at Skate canada. So why the criticism?!
 

LiamForeman

William/Uilyam
Medalist
Joined
Nov 24, 2006
I think a lot of it has to do with live in the arena. If the volume is scaled back it doesn't sound as jarring. The program is growing on me, but I can also turn the volume down on my computer. I think the big problem is how it comes across live and noisy and jarring it comes out.
 

noidont

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 27, 2010
I like the music. I do not however like her skating that goes with it. Moreover, her costume is plain ugly.
 

kwanatic

Check out my YT channel, Bare Ice!
Record Breaker
Joined
May 19, 2011
I think a lot of it has to do with live in the arena. If the volume is scaled back it doesn't sound as jarring. The program is growing on me, but I can also turn the volume down on my computer. I think the big problem is how it comes across live and noisy and jarring it comes out.

This. Those high screechy notes really hurt my ears but ever since I started turning the volume down, it's not so bad.
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
She has a lot of arm movements that try to capture the franticness of the music. However, she doesn't have very good arm movement. Rather than being sharp and having retraction, her arms just flail wildly.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I think a lot of it has to do with live in the arena.

To me, it sounded terrible both times I watched the program on my computer. When I watched the same program on regular network television, it sounded great. I would be interested to know what the people who heard it live in the arena thought. I think acoustics is the key. This is not Heifetz, right? Does anyone know who the violinist is?
 

jenaj

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Country
United-States
I don't like the music, but I didn't like Yu Na's cacophonous SP music last year, either. I don't think the music matters that much in the short program. With all the IJS requirements, there's not much room for artistry in 2.5 minutes. If Gracie does all her elements well--her 3-3 in particular-- she will score well.
 

sarahspins

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 30, 2011
To me, it sounded terrible both times I watched the program on my computer. When I watched the same program on regular network television, it sounded great. I would be interested to know what the people who heard it live in the arena thought. I think acoustics is the key.

I agree, in fact I was actually surprised watching it on TV for skate canada after having watched the same performance on Youtube earlier. I don't personally feel like it's as bad as many people are claiming. No, it's definitely not everyone's style, but I don't think it was meant to be and it's certainly not any worse than "Blues for Klook" that Daisuke Takahashi skated to a couple of seasons ago, to me that one sounded like nails on a chalkboard, and I did not like it at first. That said, I actually felt like he did a really good job skating to that music, despite my not like the music at all. I kind of feel the same way about Gracie - no, it's not a easy piece to listen to, but I'd challenge anyone else to skate to it as well as she is this season (arms aside). I doubt anyone could pull it off as well as she has, and there is still plenty of time for the program to develop (and the arms to hopefully improve). Personally, I'd like to see where she takes it.

I think there are a lot of people mistaking their own bias against the music as a genuine bias against her ability to skate (or more specifically, her ability to skate a program to her choice of music). They are two very different issues, and I feel like many aren't getting enough past the first issue to honestly have an opinion about the second that isn't either just about the music and how much they dislike it or something relatively superficial (like her arms).
 

caelum

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 8, 2013
I absolutely adore Gershwin's "Three Preludes." But I just don't think it's "skating music." The movements of skating are meant to have a certain fluidity, and these preludes are among Gershwin's most frenetic works (most of Gershwin's work share some of the frenetic influence of ragtime and jazz, but in these preludes the restraint from his usual impressionistic influences is largely lost). The nature of the sport doesn't mesh well with this kind of music. Throughout her skate there is just this awkward disaccord between the music and the program. I also feel to skate to any Gershwin music well, there has to be a bit of playfulness to your skate. I just don't think Gracie is a playful skater (I don't mean this as a critique, just an observation).
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
My dad was watching tonight with me... let's just say the music made him angry! LOL he hated it.
 

CarneAsada

Medalist
Joined
Sep 17, 2011
Why is there so much criticism about her SP music choice? I find it fantastic and avant-guard, and it totally fits her non-ballerina style. It's one of my favorite programs so far this season, and obviously the judges like it very much too - she scored a 69 plus at Skate canada. So why the criticism?!

I hate it because the violin part has been unnecessarily embellished, and I don't think the switch to the other 2 preludes was cut well. After 4 listens I can definitely say I hate it. Not the Preludes, but this haphazardly cut version of them.
 

James R

Match Penalty
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
I like this music. I'd much rather hear something more unusual like this than someone's bad/boring cut of R&J, Carmen or whatever else has been done to death. I would just say that I agree there is a bit of disconnect toward the middle of the program. Seems like there needs to be more movements happening in there.
 

skatinggold

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 21, 2013
Gracie Gold can you stop moving your arms so much? Her arm movements are very distracting and it's not even pretty. It's like a crazy lady swinging her arms left and right. That music sucks too.....
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I hate it because the violin part has been unnecessarily embellished...

That is the aspect of the music that sounded so much different in the You Tubes compared to the network TV version. When they showed it on TV somehow the balance between the violin and piano had been adjusted correctly. Made all the difference.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
I love it and it is something Caro or Ashley would do well. It shows the fast, fiery Gold. She is great...now for the LP-I can't get into it yet.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
That is the aspect of the music that sounded so much different in the You Tubes compared to the network TV version. When they showed it on TV somehow the balance between the violin and piano had been adjusted correctly. Made all the difference.

I dunno watching it on TV last night the violins were painfully overbearing.
 

koatcue

Medalist
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Country
Russia
At first I hated her music and now It begins to grow on me..=) I with she had the consistency to skate it clean. If so, the impression about it would be so much better. I liked it at SC.:)
 
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