At every LSU gymnastics practice, team members debate over what music will provide the background for their flips and tumbles.
If sophomore gymnast April Burkholder had her way, the Tigers would always warm-up to the sounds of some Top-10 hip-hop songs.
And she would be even more happy if one day they were some of her own.
In between scoring perfect 10s in competition, the gymnast devotes her time to writing and recording hip-hop music.
“I have five songs recorded and a book of stuff I’ve written.” Burkholder said. “I haven’t really had time this season. I wrote one song after the first meet on the plane because I didn’t have any homework, but I’ll probably work on it more this summer.”
The sophomore gymnast does plan to release an album sometime in the future.
“It’s going to take some work and time in it, but eventually there will be an album,” Burkholder said.
Burkholder said her style of music and writing is most influenced by the work of the late Tupac Shakur.
“He’s a legend,” said Burkholder of Shakur. “He has inspired me, and I think people can relate to him through his music, and I think that’s something I want to be like — have every song have a meaning behind it.”
Burkholder’s musical interests can be seen in her gymnastics, especially in her floor music.
“It’s a mixture of three songs, but they’re all pretty much hip-hop,” said Burkholder of her floor routine. “The last one is an old school beat that was remade for a hip-hop song.
“I just have fun with my floor routine. When I choreograph it, I listen to the music and feel it and do whatever comes to mind.”
Just as her music has influenced her gymnastics, Burkholder’s gymnastics has in turn influenced her writing. One of her songs, “Females Got Game,” is about famous female athletes in sports.
The sophomore gymnast may have to include herself in that list pretty soon. In just two years at LSU, Burkholder has become one of the most decorated gymnasts in school history.
The 2003 Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year, Burkholder’s sophomore season was rewarded Saturday at the conference championships when the gymnast was named the 2004 SEC Gymnast of the Year.
“It was exciting,” Burkholder said. “When we were waiting for the march back out there for awards, Megan [During] and Lindsay Beddow were like ‘You’re going to get it,’ and I said ‘No, no no.'” I definitely didn’t expect it.”
Burkholder earned All-SEC honors in the all-around at the competition.
The sophomore is currently ranked No. 4 in the country in the all-around, and is ranked in the top ten in three of four events. At one point this season she had won seven consecutive meet all-around titles.
She has also recorded four perfect 10s this season — one each on the vault and beam and two on the floor.
With all of her success, Burkholder said she knows she has become a leader for the Tigers in her second year.
“Last year I was a freshman and there were seven of us,” Burkholder said. “So we were all trying to work our way into this team and it was hard. I think you have to be a follower before you can be a leader, and that’s what last year was all about.”
LSU coach D-D Breaux said she has not been surprised by the early success of the former three-time Junior-Olympic all-around National Champion.
“Everybody in the country was recruiting her,” Breaux said. “We just persevered. It took us an extra year to get her eligible. We went the distance with her when other people weren’t willing to.
“I think her best is yet to come.”