At Charlottesville’s beloved cycling studio, Pūrvelo, they aim to cultivate a positive and energetic environment for riders of all experiences. A large part of building that excitement during class are the instructors’ curated playlists. From house and electronic dance music to pop and musical theater, these playlists offer something for everyone.
Spin classes are a group workout experience where riders, led by an instructor, ride stationary bikes at varying speeds and resistances. At Pūrvelo, cycling classes can range from 30 to 90 minutes, but the most common class is the standard 45 minute class. Maxine Clifford, Pūrvelo Charlottesville and Pūrvelo Athens owner and instructor, said that around half of the classes have a musical theme.
“[Theming classes] help create a community experience in the room, because there will be riders attending class that are following along with whatever moment or festival or film is being highlighted, and it creates conversation. It creates connection,” Clifford said. “It's a fun way to bring like minded individuals together … and it adds a special flair to that specific class.”
Some of her past classes have been artist-focused with Addison Rae and Lana del Ray playlists, while others take inspiration from popular musical soundtracks like “Wicked” or “Hamilton.” She curated one theme entitled “POV: You’re a college freshman in 2015” that featured iconic 2010s era music like “Trap Queen” by Fetty Wap and “Doses & Mimosas” by Cherub. Clifford said instructors have also themed classes around timely musical events like Coachella or the Super Bowl Halftime show to draw relevancy to their themes.
While instructors are planning their classes, they are coming up with their own unique themes that they put onto the schedule, which according to Clifford is an exciting challenge. Madison Calvo, Pūrvelo Charlottesville studio manager and master instructor, said that these themes can help an instructor create an exciting environment that drives the class and gives riders the best experience on the bike.
“When an instructor is really pumped about the theme ... they're very prepared for it,” Calvo said. “They can come into the class with more confidence. Confidence allows them to put more energy into it without necessarily taking up mental space stressing about the actual mechanics of the class.”
Georgia Webster, frequent Pūrvelo rider and third-year College student, commented on how these musical themes are essential to her experience on the bike.
“The music is especially important around the third-quarter complete part when you need to distract your mind from being tired and push through to the end of the workout,” Webster said.
At Pūrvelo, themed or not, every instructor curates unique and constantly evolving playlists for their classes. Calvo said instructors constantly have their ears to the ground listening for new music to incorporate. Often, they find songs off social media so that their riders can be familiar with the music and tune into the songs to keep them motivated.
Not every instructor at Pūrvelo has the same music taste, but the variety is part of what makes each class distinct. Despite their differences, every song is picked with Pūrvelo riders in mind, carefully matched to the energy and pace of each portion of the workout.
“If you think about the rider experience, there's different times in class where they're going to be heavy, there's times in class where we're moving really quickly and there's times where we're moving on an in between,” Clifford said.
Clifford, who has been with Pūrvelo for nearly 10 years, explained that there are three general formulas that determine when riders are sprinting or using heavy resistance. Each of these formulas have their variations in workout choreography — the way riders move on the bike — that instructors can adapt. After an instructor designs their class, they choose the music to match the energy and speed level at each section.
Millie Cole, instructor and fourth-year College student, said she downloads SoundCloud mixes to her computer and incorporates classic songs that have good beats per minute for spin — around 120 to 150 beats per minute.
“I have songs that I love, and they obviously have to fit with the spin model where it can't be too fast, where people are really burnt out or really tired,” Cole said. “It also can't be too slow, or they get bored and tired.
For Calvo, picking the right music is about tapping into the riders’ intuition and letting the beat drive the ride.
“I really love a lot of house music, the EDM stuff that has that really loud defined beat that allows the rider to lock into that beat and not really think about anything else, because it is intuitive at that point for them to ride to the beat of the music,” Calvo said.
Calvo said matching the beats per minute and vibe of the music to the portion of the class where riders are sprinting or working with heavy resistance is integral in creating a positive environment for riders. Clifford echoed this idea, noting that every song is chosen with purpose to mirror the workout’s rhythm and drive the energy in the room.
Pūrvelo’s instructors complete the workout alongside the class’s attendees with carefully curated music to make the experience as positive as possible. This creative freedom, whether it be a fun theme as motivation or letting the riders tap into their intuition, is integral to the studio’s welcoming environment.
“My hope for a lot of the riders of Pūrvelo is that it's a positive part of their life, and not something that they do to check a box or to try to cancel out other behaviors, or anything that doesn't come from a place of self love and wanting to care and take care of themselves,” Clifford said.
Read More
Underground Springhouse and Dizgo stacked up The Southern
By CC West | YesterdayUnderground Springhouse and Dizgo are bands dedicated to the jam band genre, and they christened The Southern on Wednesday by playing both of their sets in one night.
October Book Club: Four books to get you into horror
By Darya Bartol | YesterdayThis list blends history, fantasy, dystopian and classic slashers all into the overarching genre of horror, allowing for anyone to find a subgenre they like.
Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” doesn’t shine very bright
By Matthew Wang | 2 days agoMost of “The Life of a Showgirl” feels musically safe and unexciting.
