This is a call to all coaches and music makers, please diversifiy your music. No more rock, country and church music, routine after routine. How come the dance sections of routines never have dance music, all you see is cheerleaders trying to do moves to off beat music. Now don't get me wrong I don't want to hear the same R&B or Rap songs with every other word bleeped out but can someone please give us music to hype up the crowd.
I coach at the high school level and I choose a theme each year and then all the songs for our competition routine fit into that theme. We almost always get comments from the judges about liking our music because it's different.
I personally like when teams have themes. There were a couple of great mini and tiny teams last year with really cute themed routines.
I do love to watch the older girls dance sections though, especially the ones who can really dance. I love it when the routine is tight and moves fast.
I am such the opposite. Themes are PLAYED OUT!! How many more routines can you see with Love, rain, thunder, heat, fire, country, 90's, 80's, jump, romance, friends, and doctor/nurse. Seriously it gets old really fast, leave it for the dance teams please.
Our theme is not any of those listed above, it is places. So all of our songs are places, for example Viva Las Vegas and Miami. It is a fun routine, it's not like we dance to theme. I don't have the team doing a showgirl kick line during the Viva Las Vegas segment... I am just tired of the same songs over and over again, like a few years back when every other team had Toxic by Britney Spears. I'll take themed music over hearing the same song ten times per comp any day.
I agree, themes are cute for tiny and mini teams, crowds love to watch them they are so adorable and cute, but after that we parents, family, and friends expect all star cheer teams to bring it. I want to jump out my seat in anticipation I want the music to make me feel the routine. Yes please no Toxic and no Missy Elliot, " I got a cute face, chubby waist" Oh sorry still can hear that song playing in my head.
Our theme is not any of those listed above, it is places. So all of our songs are places, for example Viva Las Vegas and Miami. It is a fun routine, it's not like we dance to theme. I don't have the team doing a showgirl kick line during the Viva Las Vegas segment... I am just tired of the same songs over and over again, like a few years back when every other team had Toxic by Britney Spears. I'll take themed music over hearing the same song ten times per comp any day.
I like this kind of themed music. The coach who used to train my daughter did themes in the music, although last year she either didn't theme it out or I didn't catch what the theme was. The year before last was Queen songs and before that was the sun.
There are teams that can take an overused song and make it sound like I have never heard it before (in a cheermix) by there own team energy. For example I have been to meny comps and heard the same song over and over then a team comes out and just blows me away...and yes it had maybe the same music but it didnt matter becasue they actually had the power to make the music sound way more exciting!! Then theres some teams that have good music and I am falling asleep to there routine....and I'm like "what a waste of a good song"!
There are teams that can take an overused song and make it sound like I have never heard it before (in a cheermix) by there own team energy. For example I have been to meny comps and heard the same song over and over then a team comes out and just blows me away...and yes it had maybe the same music but it didnt matter becasue they actually had the power to make the music sound way more exciting!! Then theres some teams that have good music and I am falling asleep to there routine....and I'm like "what a waste of a good song"!
As someone who creates music for a partial living, themes are actually easier to work with. Song selection is narrowed down and much easier to search for. Having done music for 30+ teams so far this season you get to a point where you just run out of songs. It does get very hard to come up with something that is completely original. With themes though, it's a pretty easy search. Whether making the theme obvious (Heat, Madonna) or making it subtle to help the music mix well (hair band rock, showtunes) I rather enjoy themes. But its how the music works with the routine that makes a difference.
With teams I work with I've always tried to make the music enhance the actual routine, thus the reason I normally create the music after the routine is done. Perhaps I may be a little overboard in thinking this, but I look at cheer music for a routine in the same light that I do with soundtracks for a movie.
In a movie with a good soundtrack, the music actually enhances your movie going experience. Whether adding to the drama, helping you feel that touching moment, or intensifying your fear, music plays a big part in movies. A great soundtrack is one where you can not only recognize the song or music, but you also know what is happening in the movie while that music is playing.
I think cheer music to a routine is the same way. It should enhance your routine, not take it over. If someone can remember a paticular piece of music as well as the choreography of a routine I did, then I feel I accomplished my goal. If someone only remembers the music but not the actual choreography, then the choreography wasn't strong enough.
Nelson ps..."feeeeeed myyyyy...frankenstein.."
__________________
Nelson
"I have no time to converse with you, I must be first to register my disgust on the internet regarding the new McBane film" - Comic Book Guy
