Tag Archives: routine

Solos, duos, trios, and gymnastic floor routines

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It’s been a blast doing some fun music editing and remixing for this dance season’s soloists, duos, trios, as well as for a number of gymnastic floor routines. I’m really excited for all of these songs to be performed by a wide age-range of students, anywhere from ten to eighteen years old. The songs range from jazz to electronic to pop, and artists range from Martin Solveig to Club des Belugas to Dee Dee Bridgewater.

If your son, daughter, or student still needs their music professional edited for dance routine length or gymnastic floor routine length, send me an email, and I’ll try to get it done for you right away!

Video Tutorial: How to Avoid Awkward Fade-outs (Part 1)

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In this two-part video, I explain both WHY you should avoid awkward fade-outs whenever possible, and HOW to do it. Here is Part 1, WHY:

If you already know WHY you should avoid fade-outs, here is Part 2, where I show you HOW to do it.

For more detailed information on how to avoid awkward fade-outs when editing music for your dance routines, here’s a web page about it, in written form. Here’s more about the Top 5 song editing mistakes I hear at dance competitions.

I would love your feedback about this video. Was it useful to you? Did you learn something? What audio-editing-for-dance tips would you like to learn about next?

Music for gymnastics floor routines

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Just got done mixing my first song for a gymnastics floor routine. While I have years of experience with editing music for dance, there are some unique challenges posed by the requirements of gymnastic floor routines. Music can be no longer than 1:30, and at some levels, 1:10 or 1:00 is required. The other major consideration is that the music must be an instrumental with no voice or vocals on the track.

My client requested a version of my Drive Remix specifically for her gymnastic student’s floor routine, and I was only too happy to deliver a final mix within hours of her order.

Special offer on song editing for dance routines!

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Squirrel Trench Audio is currently running a SPECIAL OFFER good only through Friday, September 9, 2011. Submit your song to be edited (and payment) before that date, and I will cut it to routine length for ONLY $29! (That’s a $20 savings!) If you want to take advantage of this offer, email: morriss@squirreltrenchaudio.com.

Ready to step up your dance?

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As has been pointed out previously, music is the foundation of dance. You can easily verify this for yourself by realizing what happens when the emcee plays the wrong music at a competition….. the dancer freezes because it’s not the right music.

If you are a high-level dance studio owner or teacher, and you regularly bring your students to regional and/or national competitions, and you want to step up your routines, where should you start? Answer: The music. If you are working with exciting music, music that gets your kids pumped up, they will naturally perform better. If you, as choreographer are excited about the music, you will bring your enthusiasm to the choreography you create. On the flip side, if you are using stale, flat, worn-out music, it’s hard to generate enthusiasm, either in yourself or your students.

What’s the answer? Try an original Squirrel Trench Mix. I’ve created many original mixes based on modern interpretations of classic songs, including train medleys, a Beatles remix, a slumber party theme, a Mary Poppins remix, a Pixie Hollow remix, and more. I also have a slate of original remixes and medleys scheduled to create for a studio in Canada that I am eager to begin work on shortly.

If you have a theme idea and you want the music to provide the foundation to help you create original, exciting choreography to break through the multitude of routines that judges will view, then contact me to find out about our editing and remixing services. I’m excited about the remixes I’ve already done for the upcoming season, and I can’t wait to create yours!

Break a leg in the upcoming 2011-2012 dance season!

When do you prep your music?

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If you aren’t already a fan of Squirrel Trench Audio on Facebook, feel free to “like” us. (We’re also on Twitter if you want to follow us there.)

We’ve just added a poll on our Facebook page, and would be thrilled to get your answer. Check out the poll, and submit your answer here: Dance teachers – when do you select and prep your music for the upcoming dance season?

Songs for Tap Dance, part 3

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Nationals have wrapped up, summer dance camps have begun, and we are now in the full hunt for just that right pieces of magical music for next season’s routines. A cappella (which means without instruments) songs can be a fantastic choice for tap, if your student is a strong hoofer, because the music is open enough to let the sound of the taps really ring through. If you have other great song ideas for tap routines, leave them in the comments below and I’ll add ‘em! If you want to use any of these songs and need them edited perfectly for competition, we’d love to edit it for you. Also, we have song suggestions for Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Musical Theater, and Kid Friendly Hip Hop. And here are even more songs for tap, and Songs for Tap, Part 1 and Part 2.

I’d Like To (a cappella) – Voices In Your Head

Jesse’s Girl (vocal style) – Co Co Beaux (Rick Springfield cover)

I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker - Sandy Thom

Rolling In The Deep - Angela Wolff (Adele cover)

4 Minutes (acoustic) – Boyce Avenue (Madonna cover)

A Cappella in Acapulco (a cappella)- The Real Group

Dancing Queen (acoustic guitar) – Frank Turner (ABBA cover)

Need any of these songs edited to dance routine length? Let me know.

Find even more tap songs here, and Songs for Tap, Part 1 and Part 2.

Keys to a winning dance competition routine

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As pointed out in this article on Suite 101, there are three keys to creating a winning dance routine for competitions.

1.) Start with fantastic and appropriate music. Dance is based on the foundation of music. If you don’t build your routine and choreography on wonderful music, then you are missing out on a major source of emotional impact on the audience and judges. I can help you select winning music for your next competition dance routine. I’ve attended numerous Regional and National dance competitions, and have decades of experience in music. When choosing songs, there are some songs (or versions of songs) that will leave the judges flat. I can help you pick something memorable and appropriate for your dancer. Just let me know the dancer’s personality, age and what song they’ve used previously, and I will give you a couple of suggestions for their next song. Whatever song you select, I can also edit it to the needs of winning competition routines, i.e. the correct duration, and any other minor adjustments it might need, such as a slight tempo change, or boosting the volume without clipping distortion.

2.) Choreography. I am no expert in this field, that is for YOU the dance teacher to make great. I agree with the article; great choreography nearly always tells a story. It doesn’t matter if the audience doesn’t fully understand the story conveyed, if there IS  a story, then the dancer has a message to transmit to the audience, and that’s the important thing.

3.) Costume. Dance is a very visual medium. While the music provides the auditory part of the routine, the costume provides the foundation for the visual part of the routine. The above referenced article goes into greater depth on costume choices.

4.) What this article leaves out is the most important part of a winning dance routine: PRACTICE. Practice equals love. If your student loves to dance, it will manifest itself in the practice habits of the dancer. One of my favorite sayings is the difference between amateurs and professionals is that amateurs practice until they get it right, PROFESSIONALS PRACTICE UNTIL THEY CAN’T GET IT WRONG.

So now we know that music is the foundation of the dance routine. Costume is the foundation of the visual part of the dance routine. Just as you wouldn’t put your dancer on stage with a ripped or torn costume, why would you put your dancer on stage with music that contains scars, hiccups, half-beats, partial measures, jumps, cuts, awkward fade outs, or unnatural silences? I’ve heard all of these music editing mistakes at competitions. Are they enough to reduce the scores from the judges? I don’t know, but why take a chance? Since you put countless hours of rehearsal into your choreography and practice every week, shouldn’t your music reflect the same meticulous level of detail and precision?

When you are ready for your music to step up to your dance, Squirrel Trench Audio is here to deliver.

What have YOU found to be the key to creating a winning dance competition routine?

Songs for lyrical dance routines, part 2

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Below are 19 songs that could be great for your next lyrical routine. If you have other great song ideas, leave them in the comments below and I’ll add ‘em! If you want to use any of these songs and need them edited perfectly for competition, we’d love to serve it up for you. We also have song suggestions for Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Musical Theater, and Kid Friendly Hip Hop. If none of these songs grab you, here is Lyrical Songs part 1, and we’ve got the whole list of lyrical songs here.

My Ghost - Glass Pear

Collide (acoustic) - Howie Day (sample choreo)

The Freshmen - Jay Brennan (Verve Pipe cover)

Sunny Came Home (live) – Shawn Colvin

Chasing Cars (acoustic) – Sabrina (Snow Patrol cover) (sample choreo)

Strong Enough (live) – Sheryl Crow

Last Kiss (acoustic) – Boyce Avenue (Taylor Swift cover)

Time After Time - Eva Cassidy

Love Will Lead You Back - Young Divas

Where the Streets Have No Name - Vitamin Piano Series (U2 Piano Tribute)

Over the Rainbow - Celtic Woman (sample choreo)
Over the Rainbow - m-pact (a capella)
I’m Yours/Over the Rainbow - Straight No Chaser

Love, Reign O’er Me - Pearl Jam cover of The Who

Beside You - Marianas Trench

Imagine - Jack Johnson
Imagine - Taio Cruz

Love’s Devine - Seal

The Moment I Said It - Imogen Heap

If you didn’t find something that tickles your ears in the list above, we’ve got a bunch more lyrical songs here. And whether or not you wind up using one of these songs, we’d love to edit it to the correct length perfectly for you!

Original remixes for your dance routines

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Are you looking for new, exciting, and fresh music for your next dance routine? Then you are ready for a custom Squirrel Trench remix. Your music should be as memorable and fresh for the judges as your choreography.

Here are some samples:

Pixie Hollow – Squirrel Trench Remix

Drive – Squirrel Trench Remix

Original Squirrel Trench Remixes are already underway (and some completed) for the upcoming 2011-2012 dance season. These remixes include the Beatles, a Slumber Party theme, a train theme, a movie theme, and others.

If you are interested in a custom Squirrel Trench Remix for this upcoming dance season, send me an email!