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Just as in other disciplines of


skating, music choice is important in synchronized skating. It can be problematic when you’re picking a selection for a large group to skate to, Chicago Jazz coach Lisa Darken said.


“It’s very important that the


music has a good beat for skaters to count to,” Darken said. “It can be very difficult to pick up subtle cre- scendos. Te music has to be very clear and the skaters have to clearly understand the music.” Taking the team’s style and


Joe Inman


personality into account is also im- portant for making a competitive impact. “Choosing music sometimes depends on


the maturity of the team,” Darken said. “For example, if the team’s personality is happy and bubbly, I’m not going to choose quiet music, like a minuet.” It takes more than just a great piece of


music to make a truly memorable program. Editing can make or break the story the skater is trying to create on the ice — but it shouldn’t be obvious. “Te most important thing to keep


in mind when editing is that the audience shouldn’t even notice the edits,” choreographer Tom Dickson said. Editing music is an art form all its own,


and like any art, it can take time and patience to master. Skating judge and musician Joe In- man understands the role editing plays in cre- ating a work of art on the ice. “If editing is done well, there is seamless-


ness to the whole of the composition, as well as integrity to the music as written, as much as possible, for the time constraints,” Inman said. “Paying attention to the details of the music, including highlights of the rise and fall — that


Members of the Chicago Jazz junior team perform their free skate to music from Carousel.


Tom Dickson


is the up and down of the tension in the music — is essential. Without tension in the music, the music would be boring. If it’s the same all the time, it would be like walking on top of buildings that are all the same height.” According to Inman, a recent example


of great editing is 2016 U.S. pewter medalist Grant Hochstein’s free program from last sea- son to the 2012 film Les Misérables. Oppegard, Hochstein’s coach, edited the free program. Hochstein related to the music of Les Misérables in a real way and was able to vividly visualize the story he wanted to tell. “It all centered around the spread eagle,”


Hochstein said. “I saw the spread eagle in my brain and got chills when I thought about it. To me, Les Misérables really tells the journey of a man and his struggles and heartache. It’s a story about a man in the gutter. I was really able to put it out there, because it was very personal for me.”


Hochstein, who has used music sugges-


tions from Karen Kwan-Oppegard in years past as well, was sold on the music. However, it took some convincing for Peter Oppegard. “Grant came to me with the idea of skat-


ing to ‘Les Mis’ and I had reservations about the piece with so many skaters having skated to it in years past,” Oppegard admitted. “I


music from Les Misérables a skating warhorse, and that brings its own set of considerations, he said. “Putting your own stamp on a piece of music with warhorse pieces with such well-known characters can be


have always loved the piece but nev- er choreographed it myself for the same reason. It is such a touching piece of music and the relatively new soundtrack afforded some gritty con- trast to the well-used version. I could tell immediately once we started it was exactly the right fit for him at exactly the right time in his life.” Many fans would consider the


challenging,” Oppegard said. “If a skater and choreographer are willing to take some risk in the re-creation of that character, it can be unique. If you have captured through move- ment the true depth of their character, making it your own will take care of itself.” Just as Hochstein felt personally connect-


ed to his free skate music, other skaters must find pieces that speak to them, and then they must do their research to learn as much as they can about what they are skating to, Inman said. “You must have passion and understand-


ing of all the music’s details, structure, funda- mentals, what the music is all about from the standpoint of the composer, and when it was written and for what it was written to truly in- terpret at the highest of levels,” Inman said. Te complexity of music choice can make


for an interesting challenge, but one that can be very satisfying if done well, Dickson said. “Tere is so much to take into consider-


ation with skaters and music and rules, as well as intentional tastes and perceptions,” Dickson said. “In the end, it’s like squeezing a bunch of grapes and refining it into an elegant glass of wine. Tis takes a sense of process, integrity and personal expression — a difficult tightrope to balance on — but thrilling nonetheless.”


SKATING 21


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