The first 3 days of my hooping addiction were somehow devoid of music. It didn’t even occur to me that it would be easier to hoop WHILE listening to music. Which is ridiculous because who hoop DANCES without music?! I know that those of you who discovered hooping at festivals/concerts will think this is crazy, but I was just so focused on getting the tricks that I forgot it was about dancing. Needless to say, I figured it out and got the tunes rollin’. And it was SO much easier to get that hoop moving with the music helping me along.
It is possible to hoop to ANY music…but, there are some songs that are meant to be hooped to! I tried to explain this to my brother as he tried to put on HIS playlist right in the middle of some family reunion hoop time. I know! Can you believe that? 😉
I have NEVER been a fan of electronic/techno music…until now. I seriously cannot get enough. Good stuff. Bella demands that I put on Verbing The Noun first every time we hoop. Several of you have asked what music we are hooping to, so here is the list. I scoured Hoop City and Tribe for recommendations and came up with my very own playlist of tunes. I made an iMix as well. so you can just click here to go directly to iTunes and get the songs you want. Yes, I like Miley Cyrus. Don’t judge me. My favorites right at this moment are Beats Antique, Owl City, and Michael Franti. I want to start making “themed” playlists now.
So the next question is “how do you play the music”!? Hooping is done outside most of the time, so playing it from your computer or stereo isn’t always possible. When we are near a source of electricity, we use our Bose Sounddock and iPhone. I love it because it’s REALLY loud and it thumps that bass. When we don’t have somewhere to plug in, we’ve been using this little speaker system. It’s compact and easy to use…but it really only works well for groups of 2-4. I would love to hear your suggestions for a powerful battery powered compact speaker system for the iPhone. I’m trying to talk Matt into installing a giant sound system on top of the RV 😉 He seems to think we have other improvements that are more important. What!?
Here are some threads and resources for music ideas:
Hoop Music Tribe
Hoop City Hooping Music
This is an awesome page of hooping iMixes
Best Hooping Songs of 2009 – hooping.org
Top 10 Songs to Hoop To
What music are you currently hooping to? Leave me a big ‘ol list or even just your ONE favorite song at the moment. (If you have your playlist on iTunes, leave a link to your iMix. Here are instructions if you don’t know how.)
*Photo Credit: Phil Hilfiker | Flickr Creative Commons License
The Happy Hoop 
I use a Skull Candy Pipe. I don’t have an I Pod, but I hook up my Zune with the cable that comes with it and it is just fine. Nice and loud with great quality – I use it outside and for my classes in studios.
I’ll hoop to pretty much anything, but mostly top 40 type stuff.
I really love anything reggae. Bob Marley, Matisyahu, Ziggy Marley, Damien Marley. We blast it on our Bose computer speakers pointing outside to the yard 🙂
Some of my favs are Balkan Beat Box and Hot Chip. However, I just saw an awesome hoop video of a girl hooping to The Prodigy (which I listened to a lot while in HS), so I might try a bit of that as well.
I knew you’d like Owl City!
Currently loving Beats Antique…Roustabout and Caterpillar in particular.
Thanks for this Sara, since winning the hooping lessons at your other blog and making my own hoop, I’ve been hooping a little, learning the basics in my garden. Even though I’ve been watching lots of videos and loving the music (I just discovered Matisyahu – and love him – through watching your hooping class video) I haven’t hooped to music yet myself. So, this afternoon, I’m going to get those tunes thumping and really get down with it. It will go so well with the rest of the festive atmosphere happening here in Cape Town right now. I woke up to the sound of vuvuzelas this morning, real party fever here.
I don’t have any kind or portable music (what the heck?!?) so when I’m outside I either flip the key back on the jeep or open the windows to the house… although the South Georgia summer heat isn’t allowing that at the moment!
I wasn’t too into the electronica music either until we went to a music festival that was allll about that! MAN!! Talk about some serious hooping opportunities! There were people hooping all over the place! Heaven on Earth, I tell ya 😉 My favorite is Dubstep type stuff (it doens’t have the “four to the floor” type sound as does most of you typical techno- the beats change out alot). Be sure to check it out! It’s mostly music with just a wee bit of singing in there. My hubby just got FL Professional Studio 9.1 and is starting to make some of his own music! Weeee!! 🙂
I’ll have to check out these mixes. Just bought my first hoop this morning from target, totally inspired by you and all the links you provide. So far, I’m a lame hooper, but I have visions of me and the hoop grooving together soon.
Heather…the hoops from Target are a standard kids hoop. If you buy or make an adult sized hoop, you’ll have much better luck and won’t be “lame” 😉 Resources on my side bar. xxoo
I don’t hoop (yet!), but I have a song recommendation for you in the technosphere that just makes me SO happy every time I hear it. Let the Joy Rise by Abigail… here’s a link to it on youtube.
my absolute favorites to hoop dance too are beck and g love and the special sauce….you cant go wrong…..g love just makes you want to jump all over the place. i am so glad you made this post sara!!!! i love ya!
I had a lady at brookstone show me this little number and the sound is REALLY GOOD…especially for being so compact. Has a subwoofer and everything. Plus, it has the option to use batteries or power cord. 🙂 Just thought I would pass it along. HAPPY HOOPING!
http://www.brookstone.com/ipod-accessories_iDesign-Collection_iDesign-Power-Speaker-Stereo-Dock-for-iPod.html?bkiid=categoryLandingPage_Electronics_mp3_And_iPod_Accessories|C4CategoryProdList1FDT|7823105
hmmmm…I love to hoop to pop so here are some of my faves:
ABC- Jackson 5
Candy Girl- New Edition
Sweet Escape- Gwen Stefani
Hey Ya- Outkast
California Love- Dr Dre
Starry Eyed Surprise-Oakenfold
1979- Smashing Pumpkins
Waking Up in Vegas- Katy Perry
Hey Soul Sister- Train
and last but not least, THE first song i was able to keep my hoop up to: Sexy Back-Justin Timberlake
How fun, I love exchanging music 🙂
My favorites:
Alex Zelenka
Ratatat
CocoRosie
I have a CD of Bollywood hits and it is fun. I am still learning and just recovered from a dislocated knee but my kids are getting the hang of it after we made some hoops of our own. BTW Love this new blog it a happy read.
Another “happy hooper” here! Although I had tried hooping a couple of years ago at a street fair, it took me awhile to get to class. I just started up classes a couple of weeks ago at Hoop the Flow here in SF, and am LOVING it. I bought a hoop on the spot. Been practicing in my living room with the electronic radio stations on iTunes! Looking forward to some outdoor hooping!
Love your playlist… huge fan of Roisin Murphy and new fan of Beats Antique (thanks to you!)… uhmmmm I don’t hoop in public (gasp)… so I can’t comment on the small portable sound… drat!
Have you tried the Pixies?? Love “Here comes your man”… I also looooove Reggaeton music… Daddy Yankee “Gasolina” and “Rompe” a couple of my faves… Sinnerman by Nina Simone when I’m feeling a bit manic and need to channel the energy… “I dare you to move” by Switchfoot and my absolute two favorites right now are “Right Round” by Flo Rida and “Big and Chunky” (cuz I am) by Will.i.am .. .AHHHHHHHH
So lovin your blog.. okay… all your blogs…
Do Something (Macy Gray)
Fantastic Voyage
Swingtown (Steve Miller Band)
Dance Dance (100 Portraits & Waterdeep)
Life is a Highway
Right Now (Van Halen)
🙂
So happy to have found your blog, AND all of these great music suggestions. Here’s mine, it’s Lyric Benson’s “Love Light Revolution.” The whole album flooooowwws! http://youtu.be/5_TR-7OZDXw
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I know just the thing that you could use for your music that’s cordless. I don’t have an IPHOne, I have an Android, but if you can enable bluetooth on your phone they have these portable speakers at any electronic store that works wireless, because it connects to the bluetooth. It is unreal the sound that comes out of these little things and they take batteries or you can plug them in. They start at around $50 I think. Thanks for the good music recommendations!
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