Competition Cheer Music Ideas

Cheerleading squads compete against other teams in regional, state and national competitions. Choosing music for the 2 1/2-minute routine is crucial to keeping the crowd, competitors and more importantly, the judges motivated to continue watching the routine. An innovative and effective cheerleading music mix can set the team apart from their competition.

  1. Thematic Music

    • A theme might be an option for your cheerleading squad's competition routine, and choosing an age-appropriate theme, especially with youth cheerleading squads, can wow the judges. Consider a Mickey Mouse theme for a five- to six-year-old squad including a remixed version of the Mickey Mouse Club March while an older youth squad could use music from "Hannah Montana" with a techno back beat. Junior high squads may consider bringing up the tempo to 50s and 60s music while high school squads could use a remixed version of their school fight song in the music mix.

    Sound Effects

    • If you've ever watched a winning cheer squad competition routine via the Internet, you may realize that sound effects add a lot to any cheer music set. Sound effects and voice-over work may be strategically recorded within the chosen song selection during a stunt sequence or to enhance the existing music. When purchasing music online that is not custom-made, a coach or cheerleading captain may shape the routine around sound effects already laid in the track.

    Current versus Classic Music Selection

    • Although many high school and junior high cheer squads might prefer more current music from the top of the pop charts, there are other factors to consider. While current music relates to the cheerleaders and their tastes, the preferences may not correlate with those of the spectators and judges, if they are more "seasoned." Weigh the potential demographics of the judges, spectators and other contestants when making your final choice, or consider mixing both current and "classic" songs.

    Crowd Participation

    • One of the main goals of cheerleaders is to motivate the crowd to cheer the players on to victory, and a competition is no exception. When selecting cheerleading music for your competition squad, consider music that is well-known by all age groups and may lead the crowd to cheer your squad to a victory. Crowd participation songs such as "Rock and Roll Part 2" or "Shout" may get the crowd clapping along and shouting with you.