Fitness and wellness coach, India Bailey, uses music to inspire and motivate. Truly understanding the power of sound in fitness culture, India talks to us about curating soundtracks to energise each class. Feel the energy with India's track selection for KEF.
Being a fitness and wellness coach, my passion lies in creating immersive experiences that people can fall in to, an experience that makes them think, and that keeps them inspired. I want my classes to be more than just a means to an end or a calorie-burn, they should become something my clients crave beyond the physical, into the mental benefits. This is why I feel an affinity with KEF’s call to action to their community; to Listen & Believe. This concept of creating unmatched experiences has always been a driving force behind the classes I provide, and naturally music and sound is at the bedrock of my offering.
Music has been instrumental in injecting vitality and inspiration into my experiences, whether it be in the gym or in everyday life. It has been a lively companion in times of joy and in equal measure, a holding hand in times of sorrow. Music & sound have the power to provide perspective and direction, or simply provide support. Just like sight or smell, a song can transport you to a memory you didn’t know you had stored in its lyrics or eclectic back beat. But ultimately, I believe music’s biggest power is in uniting people -- it brings people with similarities or differences together, and underpins many subcultures and communities.
My process aims to take my clients on a journey. From the minute they walk into the space, to the minute they walk out of those studio doors, there’s a story. My playlist changes on a weekly basis and incorporates the old with the new – where there is comfort in knowing “that song”, but paired with a sense of discovery with a new wave artist or track. The strategy is choosing the right track at the right time, and how it fits not only the journey, but also when the client needs an extra push towards a challenge. Similarly, it’s important to choose newer music when they are recovering, so they are able to take on new sounds, as their attention is placed less so on the challenge and more on their environment. There’s a visceral experience that takes place and it’s shaped by linking different senses, and the key one being sound: both vocally, and musically.
The first step is establishing the energy, and this generally reflects the way I am feeling or what I want to attract; it’s all about frequencies. Once clear on my energetic direction, I title and curate the messaging that represents the experience, such as: freedom of movement, facing fears or obstacles, releasing control, self-love etc and then I proceed to choose music that can support the story. All things are considered: the beat, the lyrics and the mood. What funnily enough comes last, are the exercises or movements that can represent the music in a physical form, or that will simply mirror the sound.
Pre-class I am not always certain how the music that I’ve curated and listened to through my headphones is going to translate, but the Mu3 Headphones give me the purest form of what it will sound like in class. Not only that, but they also help me to remain fully present due to their noise-cancelling capabilities, especially when on the move in London where we’re surrounded by traffic, noisy tubes and passers-by. However, no matter how much rehearsing is done, there is always an element of surprise and humanity with a room full of people, which is incredibly special on an energetic level. I therefore reserve my narrative until I am in the moment, and I let the environment speak to me. I want my classes to be about self-discovery, about living presently and diving head-first into a 45 minute mental & physical adventure through sound and lyrics. This ritual is created for my clients, but I end up uncovering so much about myself in the process through the power of speech, music and sound. It’s my therapy, and couldn’t be done without sound that feels crystal clear and all-encompassing, where KEF hits the nail on the head.
