All-Star Anyone Having Music Issues Thus Far?

[imrichhowboutu]

Eddies website is www.edditcheerproductions.com

Disregard prices on there. I need to update his website for him. Also if you want up to date samples, just shoot him a message. He has better work then what was put up there about 18 months ago.

 

[imrichhowboutu]

To speak to that point, most corporate professionals would not be allowed to NOT show up and NOT provide already paid for services on a consistent basis and still have a job, and we have all heard the horror stories of choreographers and music producers who do this to their loyal clients regularly.

In the corporate world there are several ways to fix things and I'm not sure why more people don't pick up on it. Rush fees, giving accurate quotes, saying no. Etc. I work with a creative agency in my position that has never missed a deadline they have promised. Some reasons may be they are cautious, but I don't think it is that difficult to do.

When you promise someone a date, you stick with it. Some people need to learn how to make schedules and stick with them. If you need to "work late" you do it.

(I am not speaking about a specific music producer. I've been using Eddie for about 4-5 years and have loved everything from him. I am just referring in general to some attitudes in this industry. - I'd also like to add, the way some employees and employers interact in this industry is completely unprofessional, ie yelling screaming etc.)

 

[chyeeaaa69]

Let me say how glad I am that all these other mixers are showing up. I can't imagine being JR and having so many mixes to do in such a short amount of time. Having people expect me to drop everything and finish a mix. JR does, as a rough estimate, probably 1/4 of the mixes I hear these days (now I tend to not listen to music outside of teams I'm watching, but that's still quite a few teams), and that is A LOT. Not to mention the mixes he does that I personally don't listen to/videos I don't watch. Props to him for being able to do what he does with even a few slip ups. I understand the whole "in a normal company this would not fly," but I also realize that almost no other music mixer, actually probably NO ONE else in the business of making cheerleading music takes on the work load JR does.

 

[Cheerfan1234]

I am just referring in general to some attitudes in this industry. - I'd also like to add, the way some employees and employers interact in this industry is completely unprofessional, ie yelling screaming etc.)

It seems like you're getting a tad of topic from music and music producers, but sure....In a competitive business like cheerleading, employees and employers yell at each other from time to time. There is a lot at stake and people get heated. You see that in the traditional workforce, too; it's not necessarily unprofessional. I can, however, back you that there are a lot of negative attitudes in this industry that hinder its progression and don't involve "yelling and screaming" at all:

Owners and/or directors blacklisting choreographers or music producers if they do work for another gym in the same state or in the same division...

Using one's high notch on the totem pole to politically grandstand for the good of his/her own organization and not the rest of the industry...

The list could go on, but for another time and a different thread.

 

[coachTSC]

Team JR aaf.

 

[Hungry]

I really, really want to reply to every single sentence you posted, but

. Great at their service; bad at customer service.

You said it all right there.

 

[icheer8796]

I am so disappointed in our music producer. I won't mention any names. But what happened was we sent in the counts for our 2 teams (super small gym) long long ago. And every week it got closer and closer to competition and we would be asking the guy "Do you have our music yet? Now? Now?!" This week the youth team's music was finally sent in to us. But it was only a "rough draft" and had NO voiceovers and was one 8 count to long. :mad: The problem is that the youth team competes THIS weekend. With them being so long, we didn't want to add a whole 8 count to their routine and give them only 1 day to practice it because we knew that that would be a disaster. So now at the end of their routine they have to hold their ending pose for a whole 8 count until the music ends. :confused: As for our senior team, we ended up deciding not to compete this weekend because they had no music prepared for us at all. This music was not cheap either! For what we paid we expected good quality music and for it to be finished before we compete. I am genuinely disappointed. Typically when you pay for something, you expect that it arrives on time. Such a shame that it isn't true and kids have to be the one who are punished for the lack of adult work ethics. :(

 

[coach12]

What JR does now because he is so insanely busy is at the beginning of the season, as you sign up with him, he puts you in his schedule on a certain day - & tells you when u need to get the 8-count sheets in for and when you are scheduled to get your music. he has done that the last few years and we have always gotten our music on the exact time that he said. it all depends on how quick you sign up with him as to when you will get your music. one of our teams in one of our other gyms signed on later than the rest of us and they couldnt get on the schedule til the first week of November. but they knew that before they decided to sign up with him.
So based on our experiences with him, and we have been with him for quite a few years now, he has been nothing but wonderful for us. And besides the fact that he really is a genuinely nice guy - probably one of the nicest people out in this crazy cheer world of ours.

 

[HCKayla]

Team JR! @coach12 and @FamousRudags 100% agree!

 

[ctwings]

After a very long wait (around 3months) my team finally got music today. They still have to add v/o and the dance but at this point I'm happy I have something. And we compete next weekend so I have all the girls praying that the final product is done by their last practice

 

[CoachTamara]

With all the horror stories, let me just say THANK YOU to @Level5Mom. Music was quick, changes are fast, and she is nice as can be! My parents and kids love it, and it was the one thing I haven't worried about this season!

 

[FamousMatty]

Hungry-you are entitled to your frustration.....I am not posting this as a battle against your post but maybe I can shed some light on this. No one is perfect----and I agree and understand everyone's frustrations with some DJ's. JR is one of my best friends---He may have had a couple (very few) mess ups (who doesn't).....but if you compare how few mess ups he has had with as many mixes he does and compare them to other DJs.....His ratio is outstanding probably the best in the industry. NO ONE will ever have a 100% satisfaction ratio, but I bet JR is pretty close. Not to mention if he has a problem----I can promise you the mix you get is worth the wait.

As far as other DJ's----I am not dogging anyone but just because someone is good at music doesn't make them good at business or organization. This is the case with most DJ's. Great at their service; bad at customer service. You have to understand what a DJ goes thru. Favors, last minute emergency mixes for loyal clients, etc. They have to turn their facebook, email, and phone off sometimes just to be able to mix because it rings all day, texts all day, emails all day, etc. It distracts them from mixing. Not to mention some clients have no barriers---they call early in the morning, late at night and don't respect private time. They assume the mix comes with a 24/7 technical support package. Choreographers charge 3-5 times what DJs charge and they are one and done. No tech support after the sale....why is this a double standard for a DJ. If you change your routine make it fit your current music. Or call the choreographer to do it and see how that goes. Heck--I mix music (over 150 mixes a year) and I have JR do one of my mixes each year. I have NEVER asked him for an edit nor did I change the music myself. I have had to make adjustments to the routines----but I made them stay with in the guidelines of the music he did. So don't tell me it can't be done.

Let me explain from a Music Mixers stand point. I and I'm sure most other DJ's, get over 100 emails or texts, or facebook messages A DAY. It is easy to lose or over look a few, some get lost in the shuffle. Doing your mix is a scheduled time frame. If you go with a Bigger Name DJ you know he has many clients. You can bank on after your mix is done it will be hard to get an edit done. As a mixer, I cant justify doing an edit for someone over a team who doesn't have music yet. Just like choreography---if you change your routine the choreographer doesnt fly back in that week to make the changes for you. Edits are a pain in the butt for DJ's. Its not their fault you changed your routine. Just like booking your mix (subject to availability) you need to get back at the end of the line again for your edits. Your edit doesnt push everyone else who booked their music mix a month in advance back. Problem with Great DJ's is their schedule fills up for the year in June. It leaves no time.

With all that being said.....I recommend you ask your DJ to have one specific day a week for edits. Every week they have one day where they do all edits for the week. That way you know your edit can be on that one day in the upcoming week. This will create a opportunity to make edits easier for you as the client. I hope this helps you guys get better service from your DJ's and meet your teams deadlines. Also a few praises and a call or email after the season is over to say hello or thank you goes a long way too. Again---this isnt meant to cause drama-----just to help everyone understand why some DJ's do what they do.

Randy
www.8countmusic.com
www.acxcheer.com
www.ucfcheer.com

I would agree with most of this, except for the part about changing your routine to fit the music as opposed to asking for edits. If the music producer offers a package where you PAY for edits especially if it is listed as "unlimited" edits, I don't believe you should have to fit your changes to music. A service was listed, offered, and paid for. It should not be my responsibility to make sure any changes in skill fit music if I paid to not have to do that. That is what a majority of our issue was last year. The original mixes were great, most lacking sound effects though. When edits were needed they were never received. Most of our lower levels competed with incorrect sound effects or none at all, and one of our worlds teams went to worlds with a coach edited mix. Again the mixes were great, however we ended up paying for a service for most teams, that was never received. I don't think thats our fault for asking for an edit.

SN: Was not knocking you at all I do a agree with 99% of your post. Kudos to you to be able to make a High Scoring routine from day 1 or being able to make adjustments on your own that adjust difficulty but still stay to your mix, I could not do that.

 

[cheerccc]

we have had a really bad experience. we ordered the most expensive mix from a company. they made a mistake and gave us the not so elite mix. they say they only do those for levels 4-5 but i think if we are willing to pay, then we should get the same quality. so once they figured out they made a mistake with the mixes they told me that my music selction was not one that they are use to (that I liked on their website) and that was why it was not the quality mixes we got. The music did not flow and they said we had poor song selection (kiddie mix). In the original email I stated that if a song does not flow or work in a section then by all means use what ever. So they knew I was unhappy and offered to redo them. I know my music is now on the back burner to other teams but I emailed to ask for an aprox. date for the new music and no response! =(

 

[magical mom]

Still no response from our highly popular music producer for 6 of our teams. Bad customer service!!! I just dont understand, be honest and say you cant commit. The rest of our music done by a different company for the other 17 teams are great and were on time. He even had to do 2 of the 6 teams overnight to pick up the slack from the person who decided to drop the ball. Make sure you all do your homework and choose someone who has great references no matter how good the music is.

 

[ctwings]

We compete on Sunday....one team is missing the dance and still no music for the other team :( and this is someone we have used for 4 of the 5 years we've been open