I love Shazam… have I said that before? Well I do. It's one of the few Apps I've used more than once on my iPhone.
I'm using the premium version which connects the track to Spotify – makes it easy to then add to one of my “fun to use” playlists for future addition to a new class.
Keeping my phone close to me, with the intent to be ready to Shazam a track, has become a habit. I'll also bring it to a class I'm attending to covertly swip an interesting track I hear 🙂
But there's one thing I haven't figured out; how do I tag the song, so I know where I got it from? NOTE: we've published so many of these free tracks that I'm always concerned that where I got it from, was here!
Slapping up 6 coats of paint in 24 hours allows one to listen to many playlists (I am ‘un-nesting': meaning painting over the yellow/ orange and turquoise blue walls Abby and Carly chose for their bedrooms, now that they've moved out). Among the artists I listened to this week:
-Imagine Dragons- Calvin Harris- John Mayer- Toby Lightman- Tristan Prettyman – Bruno Mars- Lorde- Justin Timberlake- Frank Ocean- Yuna- Everything But the Girl- Alex Claire- Vicci Martinez. An eclectic list and I'm pretty sure I kept the cement guys putting in our new sidewalk guessing!
Out of that list comes today's music suggestion by Tristan Prettyman. It's a quick flat road called ‘Bad Drug' that's already in my profile/playlist for Saturday. At 89 rpm's and 2:50, I'm going to use it as we ramp up out of our warm up.
Check out all of Tristan's tunes on SoundCloud. Not only is she beautiful to listen to (and look at- she's a former Roxy model), but most of her tunes are free to download! Thanks Tristan.
All it takes is a 22 year old to keep me out of my box. Today we have another suggestion thanks to ‘Abby is listening to…..on Spotify'. This song has been a good surprise for my group as I lead them out of a moderate climb. They are accustomed to another moderate road, but not this profile! I take them out of a 74 rpm climb into a 99 rpm sprint match with their neighboring rider. It's fun and gets them interacting a bit without being too invasive (they don't really like ‘buddy' work, but do enjoy a bit of friendly competition). This tune has a pulsing 99 rpm beat, but is not overwhelming with loud vocals, so they can talk and encourage each other through the 3:47 sprint.
I hope you and your class will have as much fun with Drake's ‘Hold On, We're Going Home', as we have. You may also shock them a bit by having Drake in your playlist. I know I did. If John picks this tune up, his class will definitely know he's using OPM (other people's music)!
One of the benefits to teaching with OPM (other people's music) is that it forces you out of the safe/comfortable/familiar box you've drawn around yourself. In the past, my musical “box” has limited me to selecting my class music a bit like this:
Interesting little Spotify playlist you have here…
Love it…
Going to use this exactly as you've constructed it…
Well except this Britney Spears track, no way I'd play that in my class…
Pitbull? Eh, no thanks… Not quite my style.
And that cheezie “Tabata” track you've got there near the end? What's up with that? I don't think so… that wouldn't be me… I think I'll just copy most of your tracks into a playlist of my own and add in a few more “appropriate” tracks to replace those that just don't quite fit into my safe/comfortable/familiar box.
We see that our PRO/Playlists are viewed thousands of times in Spotify and Deezer, but a relatively small number are actually followed. What's the difference? You can't alter a playlist you've Followed. You have to use it As Is. You can't meddle or mess with it. You can only hit play and follow where it takes you and your class.
In case you missed it, we discussed what I called; The Great Spotify Enigma back in February. It included a survey where ICI/PRO members communicated they did pretty much what I describe above; Instructors tend to pick and choose songs, rather than Follow and use the playlist as originally constructed. Which is fine, if you're content with staying in your Box.
But I've found that people in my class didn't express much appreciation for the music in my Box.
They do when I use music from Chris, Amy, Julz, Krista, Cameron and other's who I follow on Spotify.
So if you Followed (and used) Chris Hawthorne's latest profile High Intensity Supersets PRO/Playlist you lead your class through two Tabata rounds. Maybe I should have said; the voice in the music lead you and your class through two Tabata rounds. I used this playlist last night and got the inevitable; “that was really cool tonight, John” that reinforces my transition to using OPM 🙂
Both Spotify and Deezer offer large selections of Tabata tracks.
For your free track I found a Tabata track without any voice-over, and yet the timing of each interval/recovery is unmistakable.
Please let me know if you're willing to give it a try.
I love this funky band from Belgium. Their sound is a nice mixture of electronica/alternative and rock. The original version of this week’s FF is at 90 rpm’s and is 3:44. I also found a smooth re-mix for this week’s Free Friday Favorite that is 6:34.
You’ll have to let me know which one you like for your class. I‘ve been using the longer re-mix version as the last flat push before my cool down and a few members have asked what the song is (I always take that as a good sign).
Enjoy Hooverphonic’s ‘Mad About You’, from their The Magnificent Tree album:
