Question 1

Originality

Accepted Answer

Many skaters perform to music that has worked well for other competitors. Yiruma's "River flows in you" or Excerpts from "Carmen", are brilliant pieces but unfortunately way overused nowadays. Some tracks are played in practically every competition and you will find that the audience and judges are just sick of hearing them. Same goes for songs you hear all the time on the radio. Not a good idea. If you are a figure skater, you are an artist, so do us all a favor and try to be a little more creative.

Question 2

Love

Accepted Answer

You have to be in love with the music you plan to skate to, because you must commit to it until you bow to the judges and head off the ice. This means countless hours practicing to it for weeks and often months. Don't choose a track or song that is simply "OK". You must feel the power of each note, harmony, articulation and dynamic to interpret the music on a personal level. The audience and the judges can only be moved by your skating if you are moved yourself.

Question 3

Acoustics

Accepted Answer

Some musical tracks sound horrible in a large space. That is because the sound bounces off all the surfaces it encounters and in an ice rink there will be a significant delay between early reflections, direct sound and late reflections. If the music is already complex to begin with, or if the drums are too loud, you will get a "soup of sounds". It is very unpleasant to the ear, and impractical to skate to.

Question 4

Fitting

Accepted Answer

The music you choose must fit your skating. While routines in the amateur world  can be performed to whatever music the skater likes (as long as it is age appropriate) it is absolutely critical for serious competitors to consider the style and pace of the music they choose. As a skater you want the music to showcase your skills not hinder them. It is quite common to see programs where skaters can not keep up with their music or desperately try to reproduce a style that is not their own. That makes the audience pity the skater, which is really the opposite of what we’re going for. Epic music for example, does not fit all skaters. Only the epic ones. Everyone has unique strengths in their skating and optimal use of the music will naturally support and emphasize those particular strengths in a performance.

CHOOSING MUSIC