.jpg "\"This is my jam\"")
I don't know about you but personally I echo two time Olympic Gold Medallist Dick Button's sentiment when he famously said during the free dance at Skate Canada in 2003 that "every skater goes through a thousand CD's until they find the music that they want, and all too often they end up with Carmen". If not Bizet's "Carmen", then surely some other warhorse is on the musical menu every year more often than we'd like. In the 2014/2015 season, the culprit appears to be "Phantom Of The Opera". Despite a rule change to allow lyrics and open a whole new world of music to skaters, still skaters like Yuzuru Hanyu, Gracie Gold, Kanako Murakami, Takahito Mura, Michael Christian Martinez and Caitlin Yankowskas and Hamish Gaman flocked to Phantom Of The Freakin' Opera. I don't know. Call me old school (I am) but Brian Boitano and Robin Cousins set the bar pretty high with their interpretations of "Music Of The Night" and to me, it just seems anti-climactic to keep bringing it up after it's already been owned. Rather than be part of the problem and just complain endlessly about people overusing music, I decided to use the power vested in me as a figure skating blogger to be part of the SOLUTION and suggest 6.0 pieces of music that NEED to be skated to going forward:
"CARAVAN" BY PUCCIO ROELENS
Why: It's completely edgy and a completely 'out there' take on a Duke Ellington standard. If you insist on skating to something a million other people already have, why not go in a completely different direction and give it you're own spin?
Who Could Rock This: Jason Brown, Carolina Kostner, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje
"FOLLOW YOU DOWN TO THE RED OAK TREE" BY JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW
Why: It's hauntingly beautiful, no one has ever skated to do it and it creates such a sense of mood... a different time and a very darkly beautiful place. Vocals are allowed now... pick something that makes people's jaws drop with its beauty!
Who Could Rock This: Jeremy Abbott, Jeffrey Buttle, Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue
"WHIRL-Y-REEL" BY AFRO-CELT SOUND SYSTEM
Why: It's instrumental, it's edgy and it's got that driving Afro/Celt beat that just commands your attention. Denise Biellmann skated to it one time and Robin Cousins choreographed the program so it can be choreographed to brilliantly... mark my words!
Who Could Rock This: Ashley Wagner, Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, Alena Leonova
"BLUES IN THE NIGHT" BY KATIE MELUA
Why: This cover of "Blues In The Night" is as steamy as I gets and just begs for long running edges and personality plus on the ice. It NEEDS to be skated to.
Who Could Rock This: Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Joannie Rochette, Shae-Lynn Bourne
"SWEET LULLABY" BY DEEP FOREST
Why: This music is edgy, different and completely made for movement. The balance of the instrumental and vocal segments is superb and the music just evokes that sense of imagination that captures your attention wholly.
Who Could Rock This: Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat, Shawn Sawyer, Adam Rippon
SENIOR MEN'S FREE SKATES TO DONNA SUMMER MEDLEYS
Why: WHY NOT? I'd LOVE to see more senior men's free skates to "Bad Girls", "She Works Hard For The Money" and "Hot Stuff". Wouldn't you? If it's good enough for Rosalynn Sumners, it's good enough for the world's best men.
Who Could Rock This: Just about anyone, honey!
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