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Have you ever wondered how a cheer music mix is made? It used to be that we would hear popular songs mashed up together into two and a half minutes of pop culture mixed with stunting and tumbling sound effects, but it’s a little more complex and custom nowadays. In this episode of The Cheer Mom Podcast, Alex LaGrossa from Twisted Cutz takes us behind the scenes of cheer music.
Alex started as a cheer athlete and then began coaching, tumbling, right when All Star cheer was taking off. He got into music mixing and ultimately began Twisted Cutz, which he owns today.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE CHEER MUSIC MIX
Until about 2015, cheer music was a free-for-all of the top 100 songs, mixed together to make a soundtrack for a cheer routine. You would hear everything from a Taylor Swift Song to “Shut Up and Dance,” by Walk the Moon. But, the music industry didn’t take too kindly to that, and law suites started popping up everywhere. So, cheer producers needed to get a whole lot more creative and start making custom mixes for cheer routines.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
For Alex, he wants to make every cheer mix an experience. It’s really about making a visual come to life through music.
First, the team does their choreography and submits their 8-count sheets to Alex, along with other important things about the team, like name, colors, themes, etc.
Alex and his team pinpoint big moments in the cheer routine: like, the pyramid, elite stunts, and build the music around those moments. Each section (dance, tumbling, etc.) requires a very specific sound and style to go with the visual.
WHY DOES A CHEER MUSIC MIX TAKE SO LONG TO PRODUCE?
Every producer has their own process, but for Alex and Twisted Cutz, they have a system to try to prevent long turnaround times. He says, ‘It doesn’t have to take a long time if you don’t want it to.’ They try to book as many teams in as much advance as possible. But, it’s first-come, first-served! If you try to sneak your mix in during the busy late summer and fall months, you may be waiting until December or so before you get your mix, because Alex and his team are working on the mixes that submitted everything back in May. A delay in your choreography could mean a delay for your mix, too!
WHY IS IT SO EXPENSIVE?
I teased Alex and said that I’ve always wondered if I’m in the wrong business because it seems like he is BANKING over there! Tune in to find out what he says about the cost of a cheer music mix.
WHERE DOES ALEX GET HIS INSPIRATION FROM?
Everywhere, he says! Cheer music is a genre of its own. Typical sounds are pop, EDM, hip hop, and dubstep. Alex’s inspiration comes from each mix and each routine.
Listen to the full episode to hear more about cheer music and cool, behind-the-scenes facts!
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