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After every Peloton class I've taken by instructor Cody Rigsby [3], I always think to myself, "This guy has great taste in music." But I'd like to give him more credit than that. Rigsby strategically curates his playlists [4] with the sole purpose of connecting with his fans, and his approach is pretty genius.
First and foremost, Rigsby's playlist is only filled with music he can connect with.
"Everyone is connected to this sense of nostalgia — it makes us feel happy, safe, and like we belong, and so that is why you'll always hear a lot of end of the '90s [5], beginning of the 2000s music."
Just because Rigsby can relate to all of his songs doesn't mean he wants you to, though — at least not right away. He often sits on the border of hoping you'll be familiar with the music he plays and wanting you to be curious about songs you might not know. So Rigsby pulls from his love of traveling and the music he's collected worldwide to create that balance.
"In my class, you may hear a lot of Latin American music — you'll find influence from international DJs. I love to take the authentic things that are in my heart and share that with the world. I love sharing things that maybe people do not know. Even though you don't know the language, there is something about music that you can connect to, and all have fun with."
Rigsby's one guideline, whether playing a nostalgic hit or an international tune, is that it should inspire him (and hopefully others!) to shake their ass.
As for his pre-class playlists, Rigsby says that, in "true Gemini fashion," he operates from two different places depending on the day. Sometimes meditation and journaling [7] help him internally prepare, while other times Rigsby relies on his own personal hype-up playlist for inspiration.
"I love Britney Spears [8] — so, I'm going to pump Britney before I go on to teach a class, or I might do 20 burpees [9] to get my system going. Especially if I am taking a superearly class, it's hard for me to kind of wake up — you know, I need that extra push. I might jump into a workout myself before I even teach a class."
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