Learn to Salsa dance with Edie, The Salsa FREAK!!

Dear Edie, I was at the ’03 SF Congress this last weekend and I believe I’ve had my fill of bad horrible terrible MP3 music used on performer’s routines.
Here’s what I have to say about it…maybe you could post this so anyone coming up will take your thoughts into consideration when selecting the source of their music!
BTW, I have never heard any of your routines reflect this MP3’age of routine music, yours is always top-notch!
Thanks, -Max Noxon, L.A.

BAD EVIL HORRIBLE MP3 music – By Max Moxon – LA

OK I am going to take this on single handedly.
I was sitting outside the main doors at the [SF Congress]; I kept hearing the most horrible music during the routines. Many of the couples keep mixing their music with MP3’s – the audience can hear this. For me, it makes the overall showmanship of the routine “cheap.” Considering how hard you guys work on these routines, I couldn’t imaging making one of the key elements so shabby. I was inspired to write this because of the question about [famous dancer]’ use of “[famous song]” in his routine. He used one of the worst “ripped” MP3’s of this song.

One of the advents of the Internet is the ability to rip and download and share and do whatever to your music; hence the propagation of MP3’s. This is great in nearly every way, but anyone with a slight ear for music can hear the horrible digitization of the sounds. These CD’s get ripped to MP3’s, burned to CD and ripped to MP3 – back and forth, back and forth. After a while you get this tinny, hollow sound. Even the best music is destroyed by it.

Yuck. I’ve had enough.
I implore anyone putting a routine together to go and spend $17 on a new CD.
Find the correct song with excellent quality.
Remember, people have to listen to the music as well as watch you dance. If you were to find this fabulous outfit blanketed in sequins (just go with me on this example whatever your position is on sequins), but nearly ½ of them were missing would you wear it? I think not.

There are hundreds of ways to get a song without having to spend $17…but take a look around – the music of the really professional teams is superb. They realize the quality of the audio is key to the performance – not just the song used. I have never seen any of the top teams use an MP3.

Enough for now.

Congrats to everyone at the SFO Congress…it was really a blast this weekend – If only I could’ve dance more than 45min. total…I’ll make it up this week!

Bravo Max… Bravo!!!
– Edie