Music | Golden Skate

Music

Seren

Wakabond Forever
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 21, 2014
I kept my previous program for 2 years because I felt like I hadn't performed it to my best ability yet and wanted to work on other things. I succeeded in that but when I finished my skate at Adult Sectionals last weekend my first thought was "Thank god I don't have to listen to that again!". This week has been a reminder of how daunting looking for music can be. For me, the balance is making sure I don't pick music that is too fast or powerful for my skating. Thus far my search has come up empty.

I have not skated to music with lyrics before and am intrigued in doing so. I would like to find some music I can connect to or emote to that isn't completely overused (or overpowering) and unfortunately I haven't found a way to turn Bon Iver into a skating program :drama: . To that note- does anyone have any favorite artists or musicians who you think might make good skating music? I don't need specifics, anything helps my search.

Thank you and happy skating!
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
What styles and genres of music are yes and no for you? That would help us help you. ;)
 

Seren

Wakabond Forever
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 21, 2014
What styles and genres of music are yes and no for you? That would help us help you. ;)

Thank you for the reply!

I tend to listen to more alternative/indie folk music much of which doesn't make for a great skating program. I am pop culture deficient when it comes to most music currently on the radio. For non-lyric music I really like Max Ritcher but much of his work is too fast for me. In terms of music I think I am looking for something more melancholy/emotive/lyrical rather than fast or upbeat.

I'm not sure that was helpful. Thank you!
 

hanyuufan5

✨**:。*
Medalist
Joined
May 19, 2018
I have the opposite problem in that it seems like 70+% of the music I listen to would make an amazing skating program. I listen to mostly Japanese "visual kei" symphonic metal/power metal/alternative rock, so much of which has at least one instrumental part that sounds like it was made for a step sequence. It is going to be painful when I'm ready to compete and it comes time to narrow it down. :laugh:
 

TallyT

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 23, 2018
Country
Australia
This is just suggesting what I find emotive... have you tried film music? James Newton Howard has some glorious emotional ones (The Village, Lady in the Water) and if no one has yet skated to Javier Navarrete's Pan's Labyrinth, someone should. And Christopher Young's The Shipping News.

Then there are video games, some of the modern music is wonderful... currently I am in love with with Journey by Austin Wintory and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture by Jessica Curry, they're on youtube.
 

cl2

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
I have the opposite problem in that it seems like 70+% of the music I listen to would make an amazing skating program. I listen to mostly Japanese "visual kei" symphonic metal/power metal/alternative rock, so much of which has at least one instrumental part that sounds like it was made for a step sequence. It is going to be painful when I'm ready to compete and it comes time to narrow it down. :laugh:

Lucky you. All the music I like seem to cut perfectly for 2'30", whereas what I need is 2'10". :sarcasm:
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Thank you for the reply!

I tend to listen to more alternative/indie folk music much of which doesn't make for a great skating program. I am pop culture deficient when it comes to most music currently on the radio. For non-lyric music I really like Max Ritcher but much of his work is too fast for me. In terms of music I think I am looking for something more melancholy/emotive/lyrical rather than fast or upbeat.

I'm not sure that was helpful. Thank you!

Secret Garden has been used in skating before, I have skated competitively years ago to one of their songs, I don't think this particular song has been used in the skating world, yet but it is beautiful. It would have to be cut and possibly mixed with something else. It could easily be mixed with this, which has been used in skating before.

If you want something more contemporary and lyrical:
https://youtu.be/vOIMcbP0FCI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTmLm8gdCvs


I have other suggestions if you'd like and I can come back later with those.
 

Seren

Wakabond Forever
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 21, 2014
Secret Garden has been used in skating before, I have skated competitively years ago to one of their songs, I don't think this particular song has been used in the skating world, yet but it is beautiful. It would have to be cut and possibly mixed with something else. It could easily be mixed with this, which has been used in skating before.

If you want something more contemporary and lyrical:
https://youtu.be/vOIMcbP0FCI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTmLm8gdCvs


I have other suggestions if you'd like and I can come back later with those.

Thank you! I hadn't even thought of using A Fine Frenzy- I used to love that album back in college! I'll definitely add it to the list to talk about with my coach. And Secret Garden is so pretty- here in Portland there are some older Ice Dancers (who are a married couple) who skate at the mall rink during lunch, they use a lot of Secret Garden music and I always enjoy watching them.

- - - Updated - - -

This is just suggesting what I find emotive... have you tried film music? James Newton Howard has some glorious emotional ones (The Village, Lady in the Water) and if no one has yet skated to Javier Navarrete's Pan's Labyrinth, someone should. And Christopher Young's The Shipping News.

Then there are video games, some of the modern music is wonderful... currently I am in love with with Journey by Austin Wintory and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture by Jessica Curry, they're on youtube.

Good idea! Thank you!
 

bunnybarista

If I risk it all, could you break my fall?~
On the Ice
Joined
May 27, 2018
This is just suggesting what I find emotive... have you tried film music? James Newton Howard has some glorious emotional ones (The Village, Lady in the Water) and if no one has yet skated to Javier Navarrete's Pan's Labyrinth, someone should. And Christopher Young's The Shipping News.

Then there are video games, some of the modern music is wonderful... currently I am in love with with Journey by Austin Wintory and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture by Jessica Curry, they're on youtube.

I agree with this - film soundtracks and video soundtracks can be treasure troves of content! Virtue and Moir actually skated to a song (Pilgrims on a Long Journey) that was from a video game, and the composer/musician, Cœur de pirate, has a lot of really lovely songs.
 

Ducky

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
Thank you for the reply!

I tend to listen to more alternative/indie folk music much of which doesn't make for a great skating program. I am pop culture deficient when it comes to most music currently on the radio. For non-lyric music I really like Max Ritcher but much of his work is too fast for me. In terms of music I think I am looking for something more melancholy/emotive/lyrical rather than fast or upbeat.

I'm not sure that was helpful. Thank you!

And how long would your program be? And what kind of thing are you going for? For instance, my coach is having me skate to Imogene Heap's Canvas next season because it's kind of fast, but still stretchy. It also helps that her vocals act more like an instrument than the main focus, which is v useful when the audience isn't going to know the song.

Anyway, because we might have similar music taste maybe check out Cyrus Reynolds and Keeley Bumford's The Wolves, or maybe Gordi's Heaven I Know.

Likewise, have you heard of the band San Fermin? Their first two albums are definitely in the classically trained composer decides to round up his talented musician friends and create a pop band vein, and so have a lot of those wonderful *dramatic* skating music moments. (The New Yorker describes the lead singer as someone who has either never ever heard of The National or has only ever listened to the National. As an indie fan, I thought you might lol at that.)
 
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