By Krystal Bryce
Do you have playlist distress? What you need to first realize is that there is no such thing as a perfect playlist. At least not for every single student you have at one single class. Therefore it’s a good idea to stop trying to make that perfect playlist. Secondly, it’s not all about you. That one was really hard for me to swallow, and sometimes I still wrestle with it.
I mean seriously. It’s not all about me? Are you sure?
Yes. I am sure.
So if you’re not going to make the perfect playlist, then how can you at least get close? Let’s start with the beginning.
There is always a beginning, a middle, and an end to everything. This includes your playlist. Here are some good questions to ask yourself when you begin to put it all together.
- What is my warm up going to consist of?
- Will it be fast or slow? Perhaps a little of both?
- How is it going to flow?
- Lastly, how is it going to end? Will it end with a wild and exciting song or one they can all just melt into the floor with?
Furthermore, if I really want to go deeper, I may even choose a theme. Perhaps something like an all-female voice playlist, all-male or a mix of duets. An 80’s playlist. A playlist with just dubstep, rap, country, hip hop, or R&B. You get the idea. A theme. This theme can even continue on in the rest of your class. For example, if you decide to go with the 80’s theme then maybe you can add in fun 80’s clothing. You don’t have to go all out for this. It could be as easy as a headband or a leotard and leg warmers. If you don’t want to go with a theme, then be sure to mix it up so all genres get a little air time. This includes male and female voices. Look for opportunities to add in instrumental versions only. Sometimes people simply don’t need words to move.
Once you’ve decided how you want your warm-up playlist to flow, it’s time to start looking for your music. Some really awesome resources I’ve found are Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, and iTunes. I’m sure there are plenty more platforms; however I usually have more than enough music from all of these places that I really don’t need to look elsewhere.
If you get stuck and can’t seem to find the jams that hit the spot, then start looking online for people you know who share the same music platform as you. See what they are swirling to. See if they have any playlists they can share. I find people typically love to help out in this area.
Along those same lines, another place of great musical inspiration is social media. Find those dancers you love and see what songs they are dancing to. If it’s not posted, then use the Shazam app to snag it. Instagram songs are sometimes the best songs because you get to witness how someone else’s body has responded to it. Therefore this can help you discover the magic of variety. Plus, you don’t have to rely solely on your own opinion.
Use technology to the fullest. Network like crazy. Share songs with friends as often as possible. Throw all possibilities into a playlist. Leave nothing behind. Even if it’s something you aren’t very fond of. You may just be surprised at how someone else will absolutely love it.
After gathering your music, start to plan your warm up. Personally I change my warm up every week. I use my Liquid Motion® movements to warm them and get them in the Liquid mood. It essentially becomes a twenty-minute Liquid Motion® movement guided dance. I do throw in abs, pushups, planks and other conditioning moves as well.
Sometimes I write it out and practice, but most times I just go with the flow of the music. Either way, I’m still prepared because I know my playlist very well. I’m not saying this will work for you. What I am saying is, don’t be afraid to try new things. Look outside of the box.
To add to this, if you ever worry about your students getting bored, it’s usually a sign that you are bored and not them. It’s also a sign that you’re ready for growth. So try that new song out. See if something new happens.
Your beginning is now done. Next comes the middle. What’s in the middle? The teaching section. The part where you dig into the Liquid Motion® movements and sequences.
This is where I usually have some low background music going. It keeps the energy moving. Here is where I would advise not to play anything really sad or dreary. This is where you want your students to be engaged and having fun. Nothing can bring a person down faster than one of those tear jerkers we all occasionally love to move to. Ask yourself what mood you want for this portion of the class. Think about your own demos as well. What makes your body move better?
Music plays a huge role in helping students find their flow. Having something prepared for this middle portion of class is a pretty big part of my planning. I usually write it out in my curriculum so I remember what song to play with what movement or sequence I’m teaching. This helps prevent me from picking a song that can totally kill the vibe. Plus I waste less time looking for music in the middle of class and use more time teaching.
Lastly, we have our ending, the conclusion of class. This is where the students get to try out everything they’ve learned. This is where they get freedom to explore it. I look for songs that are different each time. I rarely play the same song twice. I even try to space out when I use the same song between classes. I may only use a song one time and then ditch it. I give them variety. We are all different. Therefore we will all like different songs.
It’s important to allow for the opportunity to try on new music. Most people don’t do this for themselves. Often they don’t even know they might actually like a certain genre until you play it for them. Play it all and then some.
When the final song comes, I usually tend to go for something that feels meditative. This is where I have them cool down and stretch while I review with them the things they have accomplished. This is a time for celebration and for closure. Abruptly ending class tends to leave people feeling a bit undone. I find that closing in this way helps to set the mood for my students for the rest of the day. It also gives them something to look forward to for the next week.
Well, there you have it. This is not by any means all that I would like to share about music and playlists. There is so much more to it. I’m still learning. I will never again pretend to know everything there is to know about building playlists. However I know every day I practice building, I get better.
I would love for you to follow my playlists. They go back several years to when I used to teach for S Factor. I hope you find some music you enjoy. Mostly I hope you find something out of this that is helpful. Music is meant to be heard and shared. I hope you share yours with me! I’ll be looking forward to seeing some playlist posts on the Liquid Motion® Certified Facebook page!!!
XOXO
Krystal Bryce
Spotify: KrystalBryce
SoundCloud: Charley Avery
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