WAG Music in the Gym

[coachmolly]

Just curious- what do your gyms do about background music in the gym? I don't typically turn anything on, but inevitably another coach will come in who thinks it's too quiet and clicks on the radio to a pop station and inevitably some questionable stuff comes on. We had a parent complain recently, so I'm trying to figure out other options. HC has been playing classical CDs in the meantime, but I know it's probably not the kid's first choice. And CDs tend to get repetitive.
So what do your gyms do? Pandora station? Spotify playlist? I think there is a Radio Disney station that plays popular songs minus the really bad ones- anyone have experience with that? Something else?

 

[Jard.the.gymnast]

We always have floor music playing... I never listened to if we actually have other music playing

 

[MILgymFAM]

Usually the coaches have a playlist and just go with that. The music definitely gets repetitive for my DD but it’s also oddly ok with her.. she’s used to the sameness. One gym had all country music and it drove her bonkers, but everyone else on team liked it. She prefers music to working out in silence though. Her current gym is SO loud. I had to sit there for awhile once and I would’ve killed for headphones. The playlist music, the compulsory music, the kids, the coaches, the jump rope team.. seriously was headache inducing almost immediately. Oddly enough, the optionals girls run their routines to whatever is up on the speakers- they don’t get to use their actual music.

 

[CoachAlex]

Disney station on PAndora during the morning for the preschool classes...usually either KidzBop or a pop-song playlist that we know is clean...when it's just our team kids in the gym, unless floor music is playing, we usually have some sort of Pandora station on, but stations we know are usually "clean" like Tween Radio.

 

[lindsaygymnast7]

For most of the time, us optionals get to pick the music. People running across the gym to turn a song off is definitely a common thing. We have to have explicit turned off.

 

[Texasmomof3]

Weekdays, there is always someone's floor music or dance music playing. Weekends are only level 8 and up, and they are all teenagers, so the girls pick. They usually put it on a Pandora station. My dd always picks hip hop when they use her phone. They like loud and fun and with a good beat.

 

[coachmolly]

Usually the coaches have a playlist and just go with that. The music definitely gets repetitive for my DD but it’s also oddly ok with her.. she’s used to the sameness. One gym had all country music and it drove her bonkers, but everyone else on team liked it. She prefers music to working out in silence though. Her current gym is SO loud. I had to sit there for awhile once and I would’ve killed for headphones. The playlist music, the compulsory music, the kids, the coaches, the jump rope team.. seriously was headache inducing almost immediately. Oddly enough, the optionals girls run their routines to whatever is up on the speakers- they don’t get to use their actual music.

I tend to get super irritated with loud, so no music or music playing softly is my first choice. Plus I'm very quiet so lots of noise means my kids can't hear me, which makes me even more irritated . We have a few coaches who turn on a country station, but I feel like that can be just as bad sometimes. I think our kids are split about 50/50 between kids who prefer pop/hip hop stuff and those who would prefer country, so I guess I could make 2 playlists and flip flop back and forth for a little variety. Though I really don't know pop music at all, so I'm probably not the one to be trusted with that task! Sounds like a good job for a high school coach.
Usually team kids don't do routines until after class kids leave, so the biggest issue is music to play when rec classes are in.

 

[gymmomx2]

I'm pretty sure they play the radio at the gym. It's the only explanation I have for my DD knowing the words to every single song that comes on the radio given that we don't listen to the radio except when in the car on the way to gym

 

[raenndrops]

Our gym often plays a mix of high school musical and camp rock

 

[aerials]

Pandora when floor music is not being played

 

[ayyyrial]

We used to listen to a pop station on the radio - any songs were OK since all the swear words were cut for the radio (never mind the content). Then Rihanna's "S&M" came along, and that was the only song we had to change the station for. I always thought it was weird that so many other songs with explicit content were fine, but that one song wasn't. After a while of dashing across the gym to the opening bars, we switched to playlists made by some of the high school-aged gymnasts.

 

[vagymmomma]

We used to listen to a pop station on the radio - any songs were OK since all the swear words were cut for the radio (never mind the content). Then Rihanna's "S&M" came along, and that was the only song we had to change the station for. I always thought it was weird that so many other songs with explicit content were fine, but that one song wasn't. After a while of dashing across the gym to the opening bars, we switched to playlists made by some of the high school-aged gymnasts.

Our gym has the optional girls create a playlist. Each girl contributes songs (not all are included). The girls leading the effort understand the limits. DD likes it because she prefers a lot of "old" 90s songs. And I had to laugh at your Rihanna S&M reference. I remember driving DD home from the gym one night many years ago and she was singing along to that song. I asked her if she knew what the title meant. She said of course -- "it's a kind of candy".

 

[LouLou]

I can't hear the new gym, but old always had a pop station with definitely questionable songs. When we have kids at the house, I use a tween Pandora station. It's a lot of what you hear on the radio without anything too bad.

 

[John]

Our gym has the optional girls create a playlist. Each girl contributes songs (not all are included). The girls leading the effort understand the limits. DD likes it because she prefers a lot of "old" 90s songs. And I had to laugh at your Rihanna S&M reference. I remember driving DD home from the gym one night many years ago and she was singing along to that song. I asked her if she knew what the title meant. She said of course -- "it's a kind of candy".

Hahahaha candy, where do I buy that candy?

 

[skschlag]

Our music depends on who is there, and who has gained control lol. RIght now, the gym is full of mostly teenagers, so it is normal music.....nothing explicit.

We did have a mom get upset one day because "jack and diane" was on. sigh.

Mostly I think it is appropriate. Saturday mornings....they are kind of hard rock though

 

[MickeyDGym]

Have your own playlist or you can’t go wrong with Kids Bop

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Depends on the coach. Could be AC/DC or Katy Perry.

 

[coachmolly]

We used to listen to a pop station on the radio - any songs were OK since all the swear words were cut for the radio (never mind the content). Then Rihanna's "S&M" came along, and that was the only song we had to change the station for. I always thought it was weird that so many other songs with explicit content were fine, but that one song wasn't. After a while of dashing across the gym to the opening bars, we switched to playlists made by some of the high school-aged gymnasts.

I think maybe there is just a lot of awful stuff that happens to be popular right now? We used to be able to play the radio with just a quick change every now and then, but now it seems to happen more often than not. I hate that it's so hard to find decent music for kids/tweens that they enjoy that aren't explicit/objectifying. There are some good songs on there too with happy and positive messages, just not sure why that's not the norm. Though I'm also in a college town, so perhaps our local radio caters to that demographic in their song selection?

 

[Texasmomof3]

Maybe I'm just weird, but I'd rather my kids just listen to regular uncensored songs than Kidz Bop. That stuff is offensively awful. What did these kids ever do to deserve that?

 

[John]

Our music depends on who is there, and who has gained control lol. RIght now, the gym is full of mostly teenagers, so it is normal music.....nothing explicit.

We did have a mom get upset one day because "jack and diane" was on. sigh.

Mostly I think it is appropriate. Saturday mornings....they are kind of hard rock though

Jack and Diane seriously? I little diddy?

Maybe I'm just weird, but I'd rather my kids just listen to regular uncensored songs than Kidz Bop. That stuff is offensively awful. What did these kids ever do to deserve that?

Yes, not kidz bop, regular songs they are just words and ideas in songs. Maybe DD comes home with questions about a song and I can take the opportunity to be her dad and teach her something.