Teighlyr from Royal Custom Music has been creating some of the most pioneering cheerleading mixes of the last decade. As one of cheer’s biggest personalities, his creative process has culminated in a dynamic catalogue of high-energy and audacious music. Pulling inspiration from club queens and the megaverse of competitive drag, he has spent the past few seasons moving toward a more aggressive and bold sound that has become among the most transformative in the world of cheer music. If you have a vision for your mix and your team, he can make it a reality. Teighlyr was kind enough to sit down with us and talk about his perspective, inspiration, and the future of cheerleading music.
How long have you been producing music?
I started producing just for my own cheerleading program I worked at back in 2007. I slowly started doing a little more work for some high schools I coached and choreographed for and then was approached by some friends of other gyms to work for them as well. As my individual client list grew, I also started working for my friend Mike at CheerMixALot. From there, I started attending New Level Music training seminars and was signed into the NLM program in 2012.
What do you think is the key to making an epic cheer track?
I think the most important part of creating an epic mix is for the mix to fit the program and the team’s vision. I spend a lot of time reaching out to clients – whether they are new clients to me or returning – and trying to get an idea of what they would like for their team. Every team and every program is different and the wants, desires, and needs for each team can always change. The most important part of this job is making a track that the clients will love. The kids have to be able to get into the mix so they can perform their absolute best to it, and the coaches have to be able to listen to it 1,000+ times and not get tired of it. That’s my primary focus. I want the kids and coaches to love what they hear.
How do you create so many memorable mixes each year?
I do my best to try and keep up with the current trends (even as I progressively age past the point of being cool anymore) by asking the kids I coach and my clients what they want to hear. Whether it be vocal trends, song trends, sounds, social media, etc. – I think that cheerleading mixes should adapt and change to fit the desires of the clients and the industry in general. I also get a lot of inspiration from my artists who I write with, take notes from, and hear different styles from. It’s important to know that what Royal Custom Music produces is hardly a one person job. I am so thankful for the vocal artists, audio engineers, and many music producer friends that help keep my mixes fun, fresh, and different from team-to-team and season-to-season.
Do you produce music outside of cheerleading?
I have had the opportunity to work with many artists in the drag industry on multiple projects such as Alyssa Edwards (vocal recording, tracking, mastering) and Kahannah Montrese (writing ‘Scores’ along with co-writer and fellow New Level Music Producer, Eric). I’ve also scored live performances for Dallas-based artists on tour.
What do you think lies in the future for cheerleading music?
The great part about the future of cheerleading music is that I believe it’s fully open to the interpretation of the industry itself. I know as years have passed and we have grown more accustomed to fully original mixes, that we will see that trend continue to grow and develop providing more musical opportunities for local artists to be celebrated in cheerleading routines. It also provides a natural outlet for artists, writers, and producers to shine in their varying crafts.
What have you been listening to, recently?
I spend a large amount of my time not listening to anything. If I am not working at my gym or in a workout class, I am most likely driving in silence or only listening to reference tracks for original content that I am working on with my production team. The HIIT classes I attend typically have remixes of top charting 90’s and 00’s music as well as newer artists that are now drawing from those older styles – which is pretty much right in my pocket in terms of music that I gravitate towards. I also have developed an interest in EDM and festival-style music, as that sound has become prevalent in the industry.
Are you affiliated with any other music production projects?
I have worked with Equality Records on music production, which is a company that is also owned by Global Mix’s Eric Rodriguez.
What advice do you have for programs looking to push the envelope with their music?
I think the most important thing to do is to remember that your program is allowed to have its own sound. And all of your teams are allowed to be different. And no one should have a certain standard set on what cheerleading music should or shouldn’t sound like. If you want an over-the-top theme – go for it! If you want to try something that hasn’t been done for it, reach out to your producer and see what it would take to make that vision happen for you. If you like the way something sounds for a different program and you want to know how to translate that to your program and your team – open up the communication lines with your production company early in the season and see how they can make your dream a reality.
I think that cheerleading music is both a product and a service and should be treated with a common respect of communication and paired ideals. Some of my favorite mixes that I’ve made for clients were a result of shared concepts and ideas – and some of my previous mixes that I wasn’t in love with came from a lack of information or originality. It’s just as much of a group effort between the producer and the client about the team as it is about the production ability if you want to have a solid final product.
Thank you to Teighlyr for sitting down and talking with us at CheerleadingMix. His music has been transforming the cheer community, and he has made some of the most memorable mixes of 2022. Check out the hot track he created for Rain Athletics Eclipse during the 2021-2022 season:
Remember that ground-breaking cheer music producers like Teighlyr are contributing to the powerful cheerleading mixes found at CheerleadingMix.com. If you do not have the budget for custom cheer music, jump into the effortless tools and easy interface at Cheerleading Mix to leverage the innovative work of some of the most talented producers in the game, and create the perfect cheer mix for your squad.