Tag Archives: music editing

Michael Jackson for tap dance routines

It’s been quite busy for music remixes and edits over the past several weeks. One of the latest requests is a Michael Jackson song re-edited/remixed for a 7-year-old tapper, with a duration of 2:20 for the routine. Michael Jackson was an amazing musician, singer, dancer and entertainer. Pretty much every one of his songs has a catchy beat and great structure. He is one of my favorite artists for music editing and remixing.

After completing and uploading the latest MJ remix for the tap routine, the dance parent had this to say upon first listen:

“Oh my goodness, this is PERFECT!! You are a genius! Thanks so much!”

It’s great to know that another tapper will have a spectacular remix to dance with. When you are ready for flawless music which is a cut above the rest for your next dance routine, just let me know.

Wizard of Oz Remix is big hit

Just got a link to a video from Kim Houli, dance studio owner of Dance for Joy in Brielle, NJ. This is a video of the opening recital production number for which I did the music remix last fall. It was truly a pleasure to make this music, and an honor to provide the foundation for what Kim says was their biggest recital opening hit to date.

Enjoy the hard work of these fabulous dancers!

And now, you too can purchase and use this remix, thanks to a new service called Legitmix. Preview and purchase this mix here:

Get more Squirrel Trench remixes at Legitmix

Busy and exciting week!

It’s been a busy and exciting week for Squirrel Trench Audio! Not only are we sponsoring this week’s contest in the Dance Mom of the Year competition on DanceMom.com, we also have 23 routines with Squirrel Trench music debuting in competition this weekend! Out of a total of 243 routines at the United States Tournament of Dance Western Massachusetts championship, Squirrel Trench Audio has provided the music for 31 of the routines, which is nearly 13%!

Competition CDs are ready to goAnd as if all of that weren’t enough, we continue to edit the music for numerous solo routines for On Stage Dance Studio in Cedar City, Utah. In fact, we’ve gotten another 3 done in just the past 24 hours alone.

Here’s the latest feedback from one of the dance teachers at On Stage Dance:

“I can’t believe how fast you are, thanks a million!!! Too bad that music alone can’t win a ‘high point,’ because we would have a guaranteed trophy! THANKS!”

Welcome to Squirrel Trench Audio!

Welcome! Squirrel Trench Audio is proud and honored to be the official sponsor this week of DanceMom.com’s Dance Mom of the Year Contest! It’s only fitting, since this week, the contest is all about the music used in dance. Break a leg to all of the Dance Moms competing! And we are also excited that we will be giving the winner a FREE music edit!

The mission of Squirrel Trench Audio is to ensure that all dancers have gorgeous, beautiful, funky, grooving, and/or soulful music to dance to. Towards that end, there are many things you may find valuable on this site. We have:

• Tips for all you music editors out there, including how to Avoid Awkward Fade-Outs, Understanding Song Structure, and CD Care Tips

• Songs that are a little off the beaten path in the categories of Jazz, Tap, and Lyrical

• For those of you looking for a professional music editing service, we also offer song edits for $39, or custom remixes starting at $74. Some samples are here, and Testimonials are here. We can also fix music that has already been edited, but that still have jumps, clicks, or glitches in it, as well as master music for proper volume, if it has sections that sound too soft in competition halls.

Feel free to browse this site, and ask me any questions at any time. I can be reached via email at: morriss@squirreltrenchaudio.com.

Break a leg, all you Dance Mom of the Year contestants, and break a leg to all the other dance parents and dancers as you enter another year of exciting competitions!

Protect your CDs inside your dance bags

Have you ever had this experience? You are at the dance competition and the CD with your competition music won’t play. The judges ask you for a backup CD, you give it to them, and it also won’t play. You look at the underside of your CDs, and much to your dismay, they are complete scratched up.

I sincerely hope this has never happened to you, and that it never will.

I’ve previously written about using only top-quality, name-brand CD-Rs to minimize the chances of getting a bad CD-R, or a bad lot of CD-Rs. I’ve also given you the Top 5 care tips for your precious CDs.

Tip number 5 from the preceding list is DO NOT put your CDs in your dance bag! The reason why is that, while you may have your CDs in a jewel case or a sleeve, all it takes is ONE grain of sand to work it’s way into the sleeve for it to start scratching the sensitive plastic surface, making it completely unreadable.

My girlfriend, Lesley Lambert, who is a dance teacher and a dance mom, came up with a brilliant solution. Since it only makes sense that dancers are going to carry around their competition CDs, backup CDs, and rehearsal CDs in their dance bag, she realized she could protect them from dirt and foreign objects by putting the CD into a plastic baggie. A standard sandwich baggie may be too small; one size bigger may be required.

So if you are going to put your CDs in your dance bag, put them inside a plastic bag and seal them first, so that they remain playable!

Unique music source for choreographers

At many competitive dance studios, guest choreographers are invited to create routines for the most advanced students.

If you are such a choreographer, and want to bring a unique world-class song remix to your students along with the unique world-class choreography you are creating, look no further than Squirrel Trench Audio. I can take your concept and create a unique song interpretation which can then provide the inspiration for your unique choreography. If you are a world-class choreographer looking for unique music which works in a competitive dance format, send me an email.

Squirrel Trench Audio has created the music for a Mr. Junior Nationals Superstar winner in 2011.

Junior Mister Superstar at Star Systems Nationals

Katelyn and Jacob warming up for their Jump Jive and Wail duo

Congratulations to Jacob Lill for winning Junior Mister Superstar at Star Systems’ National dance competition 2011 at Myrtle Beach. Jacob was smooth on stage for his brief interview, citing his mother as the coolest person he’s met in real life, and finding nothing bad he could say about his home state of Connecticut. An hour later he was on stage performing That Old Black Magic, choreographed by Lesley Lambert. The music was by Jeremy Davenport, and edited by yours truly. It was somewhat of tricky song to edit, since the tempo of a jazz song will drift slightly through different sections of the song. I am very proud of the results of my audio editing, making the song perfectly seamless.

But I am even more proud of Jacob and his choreographer for all of the hard work they have put into becoming a National Champion!

And now Squirrel Trench Audio can claim to have edited the music for a National Dance Champion! For more on the keys to a winning dance routine, check out this entry.