That meetcritique blog where we talk about choosing the right music for a floor routine. One of our WAG senior judges gets to the heart of choosing the perfect song. And the potential pitfalls (and deductions) that can come from choosing one that isn’t so great.  

It’s CHOREO Season!

Summer time means new skills, vacations, extra conditioning and… NEW CHOREOGRAPHY! This is such an exciting time for every gymnast whether it’s her first, third, or the bitter sweet last routine. So much brain power goes into the biggest question of them all: what music should I use? Should it be spunky, spooky, upbeat, dramatic? At times when you are music hunting it seems like every tune blends together because you have spent eternity looking for just the RIGHT one. But you keep clicking through because you know you will KNOW it when you hear it. Right? 

So much goes into picking “the one”. What is your personality? Is the song overplayed? Pro tip: maybe DON’T use Simone Biles’ Taylor Swift mix from the Olympics. Or is the music too repetitive (which could cause a Lack of variety in choreography deduction of up to 0.1)? What sounds are you drawn to/dislike? But more importantly, how do you dance and how do you perform? Coaches take these artistry deductions into consideration when picking music. For instance, your coach will not let you pick a salsa song if you are not comfortable moving your hips (you want to avoid the possible deduction, Quality of gymnasts movements to reflect personal style, up to 0.1 deduction). If your facial expressions while competing do not match your music this can also accrue deductions – think serious face while “The Peanuts” theme song is playing (hello, Quality of expression and up to 0.1 deduction). Coaches will also take into account your movement, dance style and movement complexity to make sure that YOU are the star in YOUR routine. 

Gyms pick music differently – some pick for you, some help you, some will pick the best fit out of your top three songs. Our best advice is to trust your coach/choreographer. If they can picture the routine on you it’s bound to be a good one! Keep searching because you will find the right fit but also be open to alternative suggestions because you never know when something magical will come out of something you didn’t originally believe in.