Cheerleading Music

What makes a good mix

Cheerleading music can be a great help in getting your audience riled up at competition and it can really help you impress judges at a competition. You should put as much effort into your cheerleading music as you put into the appearance of your routine, because cheering is a multi-sensory sport. It is meant to be watched but also heard; and what an audience hears can really impact how they react to what they see. If you want to get a crowd up off its feet or want amazing grades from judges at a competition, then you will need to spend plenty of time getting the perfect cheerleading music.

Your cheerleading music should be great quality - that means music that is on CD and is of professional quality. Any skips, jarring transitions, overly loud sound effects, or differences in tempo are going to take away from your routine. Whether you choose cheerleading music that has words or not, you will want music that has plenty of pep - and a beat of 134_140 bpm. Your cheerleading music should have enough tempo to let you move around but should also have built-in moments where you can do slower routines and formations. A constant jarring beat will leave you exhausted and will feel out of sync when you move into a pyramid.
Make sure that your cheerleading music matches your routine. Have someone watch you and listen. Any mis-step or problem may mean that you need to either change your routine or your cheerleading music. Mismatching the music and movements can be disastrous, because you won’t be able to move with the music, and that can make your movements seem jerky. Good cheerleading music can actually help your moves - by giving you energy and by giving you sound “clues” as to where in your routine you are.
Re-Cap of a good cheer music mix

• fast tempo ( 134 to 140 beats per minute (bpm)
• should have a consistent tempo - tempos should not change abruptly
• smooth transitions
• good flow from one section to another
• should match the choreography
• should have appropriate sound effects matching what is being performed
• should have a custom voice over with the team name. this sounds great and also says to the judges that you took the time to get a professional mix
• should have level sound levels throughout. One section should not be louder than the others.
• should be recorded onto CD, not tape
• should have songs that the judges and the crowd recognizes
• should be age appropriate
• should be free of any foul language

Bad cheer music - What to avoid for your cheer mix

Bad cheer music can really affect your score at competition. I have compiled the features of a bad cheer music mix
Avoid the following

• Try to avoid overplayed songs. The judges will grow tired of the same songs over and over again.
• Avoid Jock Jams or any old school, over played, off the shelf cds
• really slow mix- this will not have the energy that the judges are looking for. Don't use the original tempo of a song. Most songs on the radio are between 80-100 bpm. Your mix should be between 134-140 bpm
• abrupt transitions. This shows you have a "home made" mix. Your transitions from section to section should flow well
• Music that does not match your choreography. Listen to your music and if a section of your music sounds like dance, put a dance there and don't try to put up a pyramid to a funky dance track
• Stolen music- don't steal other squads music from last year and try to use it. It will be difficult for you to match it to your routine anyway/ Many rec teams and school teams try to steal the custom mixes of an all star team and don't even cut out the custom voice overs. The judges will know you have stolen music...it is not good
• Random sound effects
• Really loud sound effects. This can be distracting to the flow of your routine. How do you know if your effects are too loud? turn on your music in a stereo and go out of the room and listen to it. If all you hear is sound effects, your effects are too loud and should be equalized into the music
• Useing one song that is not remixed for the whole routine- This is the worst thing you can do. You must have remixed music that compliment a cheerleading routine. You will bore the judges to death if you do this.
• Using a track off of a pre-made cheer CD. Although this is better than trying to mix your music yourself, you run the risk of several other teams having the same track, and this can be bad at competition. If you are going to do this, try to use amore obscure company to get your pre-made tracks.
• Using a Muffled mix that is hard to hear. your music should be loud and clear
• Using a tape for your music shows that you are not professional. tapes sound awful, scratchy, and volume is usually lower.