Anyone know where FIRST gets all that music for the competitions? Some of that techno they play is pretty sweet. There needs to be some kind of FIRST music database so everyone can get some of that. I think that would be pretty cool.
I think that the sponsering team(s) just makes a bunch of mix cds and uses a computer and speakers to play it…however, I’m not sure, so I’d still ask around. 
FIRST hires a DJ - I believe the same DJ company plays all the events. I think they have a list of acceptable music they can play or some guidelines.
Teams, commitees, sponsors, etc have very little, or nothing, to do with the music choices.
This is correct. There is a (very short) list of songs that are allowed to be played at competitions, although many times the DJ’s don’t follow this list.
I’m working to get the official playlist from FIRST, and writing a whitepaper on DJing FIRST events. Stay tuned…
Yeah, I’ve heard some pretty borderline songs over some of the webcasts. I mean, I don’t have a problem with the uncensored version of Devil Went Down to Georgia, but some listeners might. And that’s the least questionable of the questionable songs I heard.
Also, someone needs to inform the DJs not to waste all their good songs at pointless times. At GLR, the DJ played the YMCA like three times on Saturday cause no one was paying attention the first two times.
Note: I have some small experience DJing smaller robotics competitions, and I’ve been avoiding being drafted as the LSR DJ for several years now.
Also note: Why the heck can’t anyone play the real Cotton-Eyed Joe? It’s a heck of a lot more fun to dance to.
ok, i’ve been dying to know this. What is the name of the FIRST “Theme Song”. You know, the one they always play immediately after opening ceremonies as the first match of the day starts?
if i hear shake it by salt-n-pepper one more time my head will explode. i think I’ve heard YMCA over 4 times during the Florida regional. it was getting very redundant. However i Do firmly support the fact that the drivers drive much better with Crappy techno music playing.
Several Parents and Mentors on our team feel much the same way. This is a multi generational, uplifting event. Why do we have to listen to suggestive stuff like “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy”. There’s lots of music out there that would be great to hear. I often listen to the independent Grand Rapids public radio station WYCE Radio and quite a bit of their music would be nice to hear. Mixing in fast tempo Celtic, world beat, jazz or other stuff would be much better than the repetition.
At Midwest, they played alot of the same techno music. Personally, I am not a fan of techno music except for like that new song thats out right now by Cascada-Every Time We Touch, but yeah i was getting really annoyed haha. Its not like I wanted to request songs or anything but yeah.
-Court-
I noticed from watching the webcasts of the Midwest Regional and the Boilermaker Regional that the BMR had a lot more R&B style music. I don’t really like that sort of stuff, so I muted that one and listened to the techno at the MWR 
I’m not sure if it’s the “theme song” per se, but I do know at all the regionals I work at I meet with the MC and the DJ before opening ceremonies, and after the ceremonies when the teams are finalizing position of their robots and the crew gets the field in order we have “Get it Started” by the Black Eyed Peas…it really gets the crowd pumped for competition.
It’s not that one. No words so far as i know. Maybe it’s different depending on the DJ, but it’s always been the same at Silicon Valley. It’s some sort of techno song.
Hey Evan,
You can blame me for that one - we play additional “intro” music in the background to jazz up the team introductions before the first match of the day and the playoff matches. The one you are thinking of is “Sirius” by the Alan Parsons Project - more comonly known as the Chicago Bulls Intro theme, as they and many other teams use it for the introductions of their players. As you know, it’s one of about 15 intro songs we use for the playoff matches at the regionals out here. It seems really popular with the teams out here, so it might start being done at more FIRST events in the future - we’ll see.
Hope that helps.
I agree with the questionable material issue. I personally don’t mind hearing the uncensored Gwen Stefani and others songs, but playing them at a competition that is mostly school sponsored teams and all ages…that’s a problem to me.
A huge majority of people at Boilermaker were young kids. I didn’t think it was a good idea playing songs with the S word, or songs about doing it in the backseat of a car (two songs played talked about that).
I REALLY liked that they played a few Arcade Fire songs. That made my day. The Muse songs also rocked and the old Green Day songs.
I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if most DJs didn’t know there is a real version of Cotton-Eye Joe 
At any rate, how many remixes of it ARE there…I’ve got at least 5 on my computer (along with the original of course)
There nothing more exciting than being inducton during the QF hearing Sweet Home Alabama!
The music at BAE was pretty good, barring when the drive team stood in front of the subwoofers waiting for the quarterfinals. They played a nice mix of stuff, largly crowd pumping techno in the eliminations, although there was plenty of rock during the qualifiers. Very little rap that I recall 
. Crazy frog was played. Twice.
PS. If anyone can tell me what the title of the song played in semifinal 1.2 at BAE was I would greatly appreciate it.
I make sure that I request songs from the dj that keep the crowds energy going…such favorites as “Welcome to the Jungle” “Rock and Roll all Night” “Rock You Like a Hurricane” "Shook Me all Night Long’ those are a few of my favorites.
No Limit by 2 Unlimited.