I am not fond of country music. In fact, it is probably safe to say that, with very few exceptions, I hate it. However, I very much enjoy square dancing, and there is a long-standing relationship between square dancing and country music. I think that part of the reason that square dancing remains a fringe activity is because of its association with country music. Country music has become quite a bit more popular than it used to be, but it is still not considered “cool” (<– dating myself here — I'm sure there is a cooler word than "cool" these days) by a good number of people.

So, when I decided to become a square dance caller, I made up my mind to try to make square dancing cooler by making the music cooler. It is possible to download pre-packaged music for square dancing, but quite a lot of it has that old, familiar country twang that makes me want to stuff my ears with cotton balls. Instead of using what everyone else is using, I like to use instrumental versions of popular music. Here are some examples of music that I think goes well with a good square dance.

• Avicii – Fade Into Darkness, Hey Brother
• Crystal Method – Keep Hope Alive
• Decto – Urban RNB Beat
• DJM – Abrasion
• Eiffel 65 – Blue
• Green Day – Holiday
• J Cook – Shut Up and Dance
• Jessie J – Domino
• Maroon 5 – Moves Like Jagger
• One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful
• Rihanna – Only Girl, Where Have You Been
• Shakira – Waka Waka
• Ylvis – What Does the Fox Say?