Figure Skating Music

Since I plan to attend the ISU Worlds in Los Angeles later in the week, it might be helpful for me to review what I'll be hearing. Figure skaters don't skate in silence, but take some time to select music to which to skate. Jo Ann Schneider Farris:

Figure skating programs need to be a certain length.

For example, skaters competing at the Pre-Preliminary level skate to music that is one and one-half minutes long. The music a figure skater skates to must be custom made and put on a CD....

Some good selections for ice skating routines include tunes from movie soundtracks and classical music.

Vocal music is not a good idea unless the program is for a show, exhibition, or artistic event.

It is important to take some time before choosing a piece of music to skate to.

Some skaters will skate to the same piece of music for an entire year.

For example, let's look at what Laura Lepistö has been skating to this season:

Music Short Program / Original Dance as of season 2008/2009
Imagined Oceans by Karl Jenkins

Music Free Skating / Free Dance as of season 2008/2009
Don Juan DeMarco (soundtrack) by Michael Kamen

For more on Karl Jenkins, go to http://www.karljenkins.com/. For more on the late Michael Kamen, go to http://www.michaelkamen.com/. Both composers are popular choices among figure skaters. As far as I know, the Ramones have not been chosen by a figure skater (for one, their songs are probably too short).