Someone already posted Patrick's A Journey LP from the 2016/2017 season (the Nationals version is even better than COC), but actually I think his Chopin LP shows even more "obvious" musicality. There are moments in the music that Patrick matches perfectly with his movement. Some examples:
- 2:15-2:20, where Patrick changes positions in his camel spin and slows it down to signify the music change
- 2:26-2:32, where a delicate arm gesture matches the two piano notes perfectly.
- 3:25-3:30, where he does 3Lo-turn-stop
- 3:41, where he lands the 3S right on the chord of the scherzo
- 4:32-4:37, where he glides to a stop and lifts his head up right on another clanging chord before running into his combination spin
4everchan, who used to post on GS and who is a professional pianist, commented that Patrick flows on the ice as a pianist’s fingers would flow on the keys. I find most of his programs quite musical, but particularly the ones since his comeback. When he had that disastrous LP at 2017 SC, when I watched it on TV I put it on mute to avoid the commentary, and still I found myself so enriched by the program, looking at all the beautiful images Patrick created. The jumps were a disaster, but there was still so much to appreciate.
When a skater does their choreography thoughtfully and I find myself going back to rewatch the tiniest nuances and moments of the program, that's when I know I love a program. It's when I stop thinking about a checklist of elements and can just sit back and take the program in as a whole because things have a sense of flowing naturally into one another. A musical program feels like it goes by so quickly (because you're enjoying yourself so much), while at the same time it feels like time slows down (because you lose yourself in the moment the skater creates and want to hold onto that feeling for as long as possible). For me, musicality is a matter of whether the movement matches the music and also whether there is clear intention from the skater in executing that movement. It's difficult to do, making it all the more exciting to see. Before I go I'll throw in Patrick's Blackbird SP as well. And, even at 18 he had musicality, at 2009 4CC.
- 2:15-2:20, where Patrick changes positions in his camel spin and slows it down to signify the music change
- 2:26-2:32, where a delicate arm gesture matches the two piano notes perfectly.
- 3:25-3:30, where he does 3Lo-turn-stop
- 3:41, where he lands the 3S right on the chord of the scherzo
- 4:32-4:37, where he glides to a stop and lifts his head up right on another clanging chord before running into his combination spin
4everchan, who used to post on GS and who is a professional pianist, commented that Patrick flows on the ice as a pianist’s fingers would flow on the keys. I find most of his programs quite musical, but particularly the ones since his comeback. When he had that disastrous LP at 2017 SC, when I watched it on TV I put it on mute to avoid the commentary, and still I found myself so enriched by the program, looking at all the beautiful images Patrick created. The jumps were a disaster, but there was still so much to appreciate.
When a skater does their choreography thoughtfully and I find myself going back to rewatch the tiniest nuances and moments of the program, that's when I know I love a program. It's when I stop thinking about a checklist of elements and can just sit back and take the program in as a whole because things have a sense of flowing naturally into one another. A musical program feels like it goes by so quickly (because you're enjoying yourself so much), while at the same time it feels like time slows down (because you lose yourself in the moment the skater creates and want to hold onto that feeling for as long as possible). For me, musicality is a matter of whether the movement matches the music and also whether there is clear intention from the skater in executing that movement. It's difficult to do, making it all the more exciting to see. Before I go I'll throw in Patrick's Blackbird SP as well. And, even at 18 he had musicality, at 2009 4CC.