Arts & Entertainment, Sports & Gaming
How to Work With Music
Lesson time 05:06 min
Parris explains her process for selecting music and how she forms a connection with it that inspires her choreography.
Students give MasterClass an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars
Topics include: How to Choose Your Music
Teaches Creativity in Choreography
Award-winning choreographer Parris Goebel teaches you her techniques for bringing a vision to life and her approach to owning your creativity.
Sign UpPreview
[00:00:00.00] [MUSIC PLAYING] [00:00:26.17] The first step to creating for me is the music. And depending on the job you're on, the music could be given to you or if you're just working on a project that you're doing for fun, you're choosing the music. [00:00:40.09] Because of my years of competition work, I had these amazing experiences I've been able to put together these mixes, and, you know, going online and looking at remixes of my favorite songs, and putting together these kind of medleys for the competitions. [00:00:55.66] [MUSIC PLAYING] [00:01:00.90] It really kind of taught me the power of just choosing music that talks to you and speaks to you and being able to create to it. I think if you're in a position where you can choose music, you know, this is so much fun. And really, it's about having fun. For me, when I create, I have to have such a strong understanding of what the music means to me and what it's saying. so usually, I'll just have the song on replay. [00:01:34.70] You know, if it's given to me by an artist or if I've chosen it-- doesn't matter what it's for-- you know, it's my job to have a relationship and understanding with the song before I can even create to it. So, you know, I'll put it on when I wake up in the morning, brushing my teeth, listening to it, driving in the car. Just have it on repeat just over and over. And I kind of-- I look at the song as you know as a person that I'm getting to know and I'm forming a chemistry with, so that if I can understand what that person is saying, the intricacies-- you know, every beat, every snare, every percussion-- you know, I'm trying to get to know this song inside and out almost like getting to know person. [00:02:20.09] And this is forming a relationship, you know, with the song. And that means when I go into the studio to create and to, you know, freestyle, the song just talks to me. And, you know, it's almost like-- it's like magic. [00:02:34.22] [MUSIC PLAYING] [00:02:40.44] That leads me into the expression of freestyle. You know, that's how I start anything-- is being able to freestyle to the music. So if I can't freestyle to the music, then it's very hard for me to create and it feels forced. You know, so I really encourage you to form a bond with the music that you choose or the music that you've been given. Create that chemistry. And that way, when you push play, you can just be free and not overthink it. [00:03:07.23] [00:03:12.57] [MUSIC PLAYING] [00:03:13.54] [00:03:17.42] Over the years of doing competition, I found this kind of obsession with using older music or popular music, but using a remix to it. So every time we go to create a competition piece, I literally just type in a song and I just put remix-- I just type remix next to it. And I'll sit there and listen to every single remix-- a house remix, a dancehall remix. And I just feel like it's a fun way to use popular music, but in a different light or reimagined, almost. I feel like ...
About the Instructor
The creative force behind Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” video and Jennifer Lopez’s Super Bowl halftime show, Parris Goebel is a dance powerhouse. Now the award-winning choreographer breaks down her approach so you can harness your own creativity. Learn how iconic performances are made—and how to develop and polish routines, direct videos, and exude confidence every step of the way—as Parris opens up like never before.
Featured MasterClass Instructor
Parris Goebel
Award-winning choreographer Parris Goebel teaches you her techniques for bringing a vision to life and her approach to owning your creativity.
Explore the Class