How to create a 2 minute Footbag Freestyle routine, Part 2... The Music Map

This is Part 2 of my series of articles on "How to create a 2 minute Footbag Freestyle routine."

The Music Map:

A Music Map expresses the chosen song in relation to where the 'sections' of music start based on their relationship to the beginning of the song.  This is necessary for designing a routine, as it allows me to break the song into several pieces so I can create sections of the song in my mind.  It will also be necessary for training, as I will break the song down into these sections so I can train the different sections separately.

This years song is a compilation of two tracks from the Monsters, Inc. soundtrack which I spliced together using GarageBand on a mac as referenced in the previous article Part 1 - Picking your music.

For the past few days I've been listening to the music and watching the clock.  I have broken it into 6 uneven sections, for the purpose of mapping each group of tricks and the transitions between sections.

Here is my map:
0:00 - Intro
0:10 - Frontsides
0:30 - Juggle 1 sequence
0:49 - Shred 5's
1:12 - Flow Section 1 (starting on top of head)
1:35 - Flow Section 2
1:50 - (Starts and ends on freeze?) Finalé
2:12 - End

From this map, I went back into Garageband on my mac and split the song up along these lines.  I had to use multiple tracks, lots of splitting tracks and copying and pasting to get it done.  But my goal of creating musical sections of my song selection is complete.  Specifically, using the time codes and listening, I made 6 separate songs that each have a bit of the 'before' and 'after' of each section so I can also practice the 'bridges' between the sections.

After exporting each song to iTunes and creating some new playlists, I have my song pieces available.  The playlists I will ultimately do my training to will include these specifics...
1) A Playlist that has each section in order, with gaps to create a pause.  So I can hit pause after I do a section, and hit play when ready to go again.  I could also have itunes 'loop' each individual section.
2) A Playlist that has each section in order, but with 1 minute song segments in between, so I can do my 'endurance training' jams with each segment.  Those are so tiring.
3) A Playlist with the first half of the song repeating 5 times with 1 minute 'other songs' interspersed.  I start it and keep going until done.
4) A playlist with the second half of the song repeating 5 times with 1 minute 'other songs' interspersed.  I start it and keep going until done.
5) A playlist with the entire song repeating 5 times with 1 minute 'other songs' interspersed.  I start it and keep going until done.  Very tiring.

So join me in this journey.  My next article will be about my Trick Hit List.  These are the tricks that I would like to incorporate into my routine.

Shred notes from this week:
Published some advanced Eclipse combos to youtube.  Broke 100 youtube subscribers this week.  Had a blast toying with my routine.  Today was day 2298 in a row.  Doing at least 2 run-thru's of my routine for worlds every day. Looking forward to actual spring temperatures.

This is what I published:

How to create a 2 minute Footbag Freestyle routine, Part 1... Picking your Music

In this series of articles, I plan to publicly create my freestyle routine for World Footbag Championships 2013 in Montreal.

Usually, I train in private and come out of nowhere to surprise my competition.  This time, I am publicly sharing my progress through this blog, and occasionally through Vimeo.

Today's lesson:

Picking your Music...

I am always keeping my ears open for good music, but because my library is limited and my taste in music is poor, I rarely come across new music that I like.  Whatever I choose, I will have to listen to it thousands of times, practice to it hundreds of times and perform to it at least 3 times (assuming I make it to Finals).  It has to be near my Beats per Minute speed of about 110bpm, it should not have any lyrics.

One of my favorite performances was the year I emerged victorious against the great Peter "Executioner" Irish.  At East Coast Footbag Championships 2003, Here is that performance...

The other day, I heard a commercial for Monsters, Inc on TV and the music spoke to me.  I have always liked shredding to swing and jazz music and this is great.  I listened to a few songs and I settled on the beginning of one and the end of another.  I used Garageband on a Mac to splice them together the way I need them and I included the track here:

The next thing to do is a Music Map... that will be for tomorrow's lesson.

Shred notes: Day 2260 in a row.

Today, I worked through my routine music a few times to get a feel for it.  Wow, what a great time I had.  It has been a while.  This music really moves me. Let me know what you think.

See ya!
-enlightener

25th Annual Midwest Regional Footbag Championships - Wrap up and Results

Dec. 27-28, 2009.
25th Annual Midwest Regional Footbag Championships - Wrap up and Results.

About 50 players united for two days of shredding. Milan Benda from Czech Republic, Ken Somolinos from D.C., Brian, Emily and Goldberg from central CA, among others from Toledo, St. Louis, Wisconsin and nearby states!

Thanks to our sponsors!
Freedom Footbags.com
World Footbag.com (WFA)
Kolo Sport
Brat
Chicago's Mayors Office of Special Events

Results (draft)
Footbag Freestyle Routines
-1st Place - Milan Benda
-2nd Place - Scott Davidson
-3rd Place - Ken Somolinos

Circle Contest
-1st Place - Ken Somolinos
-2nd Place - Milan Benda
-3rd Place - (name temp. missing)

More results:
Trick request contest- Milan Benda
Novice Consecutives: Alex Davidson (102, personal record)

Once I get these results completed here, I'll cross post them to Footbag.org and modified.in.

- enlightener

So much music, so little time

Why do I always use different music at different events? And music without words? Josh Casey is the biggest single influence for me. He argued that, especially in international competition, that words in music are a distraction.

For anyone who has seen me perform/compete over my 26-year career, you may have noticed that every event gets a unique music choice.

There are several reasons for this, but mostly because there is so much music, and so little time.

I consider this a personal challenge... To create a unique performance for each event I compete at. I know that I need to pick a song and make a routine that I can pull out at any opportunity. The reason I don't is that when I am training a routine, I not only practice to the song, but I listen to it over and over... Hundreds of times. I just haven't found that perfect song yet.

Any suggestions?

- enlightener