Do you ever watch figure skating muted?

[xabia]

This has become my new obsession
It is a great chance to evaluate the plain physical delivery of a skater; to pay attention to what skaters actually physically do. It's paradoxical but watching sans music helps to evaluate how musical the performance is: does the movement keep any rhythm pattern? Does it build any structure, any character, or tell any story?
It is interesting to watch first without music and guess what the music could be. But it is also interesting to do a muted re-check without music that I know very well.

Have you ever tried it? What are your most interesting discoveries?

Yes, I muted Daniel Grassl’s fs at the Grand Prix Final for two reasons. First - I had watched his fs at an earlier competition and disliked the choice of music intensely, and Second - his style of skating is so unaesthetic that I couldn’t bear the combination of his skating with the awful soundtrack.

But generally speaking I would never mute the sound, although very often some skaters could be skating to anything, so unconscious are they of the phrasing and dynamics of their music.

 

[Mathematician]

Synchro mute team had quite a few gatherings last year with the russian ladies. The music choices were rough.

This year is a lot better. But yes I do switch off the music if its trash. Sometimes I just skip the whole program.

I also mute if I associate that music strongly with a different skater already and dont want to ruin the connection.

 

[4everchan]

Never. I dislike most of the music but it is IMHO disrespectful to dismiss the intent of the skaters and their teams by muting their performances

 

[Lamente Ariane]

As part of the synchro mute team… I have to confess when I’m really that bothered by music I prefer to put on other music instead and see if the skater(s) movements work to a different song. Adds a level of suspense

(I usually listen to the original the first time at least to be sure I can’t get over it, unless it’s one of those songs I hate that I also know will be stuck in my head all day if I hear it even once)

 

[gkelly]

Also, even if it's not late at night so I'm not worried about disturbing neighbors, I won't turn the sound on to check something like program content if I know that there would be commentary that would just annoy me.

 

[Skating91]

Without the music it is not really possible to assess the presentation and composition, only skating skills. I know some people think edge work counts for 100% of the program component score (plus deserves inflated GOE), but there is presentation and composition and that is 2/3rds of the score.

 

[DancingCactus]

If I hate the music I don't watch the program except for live streams where you can't skip. I simply don't rewatch.

Music is an integral part of a figure skating program. Maybe not if you do some kind of freestyle, but figure skating as competitive sport is build around programs to music.

 

[Arigato]

I watch it muted when someone skates to Billie Eilish or some other unlistenable music.

I thought the world had gone mad when someone hired her to sing for a Bond film.

 

[Anna K.]

Never. I dislike most of the music but it is IMHO disrespectful to dismiss the intent of the skaters and their teams by muting their performances

I am truly sad and disappointed to hear that.
As far as I know, you are a professional musician and I anticipated you commentary on music that can be seen, not heard. As many commentators have noted, music is an integral part of figure skater. However, only watching a skating program without music, be it a training run-through or a muted video, you can appreciate the music of the movement, not movement as a part of a musical performance, which may be two very different things. I believe that paying attention to that leads to better understanding of both the movement and the music and is by no means disrespectful in any way.

It's painful to hear from you that you regard it as disrespect. But you are, of course, entitled to have your own opinion regardless if it hurts somebody else or not.

 

[TallyT]

Everyone is entitled to their own views but...

Once an artist/creator puts their work out there, just like a writer or musician or anyone else, they don't and shouldn't have any say whatsoever about how the individual audience member chooses to enjoy or interpret it, and it is not disrespect to choose our own private way of doing so unless we insist on others doing it our way or inflict it on the original creator when they would rather not know.

Oh, and some skaters' usage of some music IM-probably-not-HO could be called very close to disrespect itself and it's not a private use.

 

[4everchan]

I am truly sad and disappointed to hear that.

You are disappointed to hear that I never mute the music ? Why?

As far as I know, you are a professional musician and I anticipated you commentary on music that can be seen, not heard.

Not sure what you mean by this.

As many commentators have noted, music is an integral part of figure skater.

Agree

However, only watching a skating program without music, be it a training run-through or a muted video, you can appreciate the music of the movement, not movement as a part of a musical performance, which may be two very different things. I believe that paying attention to that leads to better understanding of both the movement and the music and is by no means disrespectful in any way.

I don't see music. I am sorry. I hear it.

It's painful to hear from you that you regard it as disrespect.

I am sorry to say but I find it more painful and disrespectful to read "muting" every other post in the competition thread. I am so sick and tired of many pieces but I will still make myself listen to them because I do respect the work of choreographers among others.

Even if, for one second, I'd pretend that there is music in the movement, how can one say that this "musical movement" is done at the same time as the actual music ? That's the whole point of music in figure skating : musical lines and rhythms are there to create a canvas on which the skater is supposed to move timely. Not randomly. One needs music to really see if the skater is in synch with it.

But you are, of course, entitled to have your own opinion regardless if it hurts somebody else or not.

I don't think my opinion is hurting anyone here when i say that I never mute and would never mute the music in a figure skating performance.

 

[Flying Feijoa]

If I don't like the music, chances are I won't like the programme itself either, because it usually reflects the music. The first time in a season that I see a programme, I'll give it a chance and watch it through. Sometimes even if the music is not great, there is interesting technical or choreographic stuff that outweighs it. If not, I'll just skip it, if it's a recording. Even for skaters I generally like, if they have a programme that really doesn't appeal to me, I might only watch it 1-2×/season.

When I'm watching live (and thus more invested in results), I can usually find some technical thing to focus on and mentally tune the music out. At worst I'd be a bit bored, but I can sit through it.

Skating uncoupled from music is interesting for analytical purposes. I like watching programme sections during 6-minute warmups and slow-mo replays. But its value is like a behind-the-scenes tour, best taken in conjunction with the main event (the whole programme with music).

In a practice environment, turning the music down or off is a very handy diagnostic tool for working on skating skills. No noise, or a satisfying edge crunch = good, toepick scratch = bad

 

[Jhar55]

Yes! When music starts so like long tail cat in room full of rocking chairs. I hit the mute button.

 

[moonvine]

Absolutely not. I thought that might be an answer to the music rights issue. Then I tried it and I’d just as soon not see it at all.

 

[Weathergal]

When it's the only way to watch a program I desperately want to see that has its music muted. But otherwise no thanks.

 

[noskates]

Yes - when Tara is yammering.

 

[Rebecca Moose]

Only for Ilia's offensive long program music. Whiskey shots and seducing women?

Do better.

 

[Mathman]

Fo me, I an't imagine getting anything from a skating performance with no music. Or a ballet.

 

[labgoat]

Watching late at night, or rewatching the same performance over and over, I mute in case they can hear the music

I bought some excellent headphones since I find myself watching an event at 3 or 4 in the morning live often enough.

 

[Diana Delafield]

I bought some excellent headphones since I find myself watching an event at 3 or 4 in the morning live often enough.

I've tried that, but never found any yet that worked for me. Small bones = small skull, also small ears. Any "grown-up" headphones I've tried slide down even with adjustable bands. Earbuds? Still too big, and they keep falling out and have to be held in place with a finger the whole time. I tried children's headphones and found they came with an automatic mute that muffled the music. Still searching for the perfect solution.