Peak Performance Project

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The Peak Performance Project was a seven-year, $5.2 million music initiative funded by the Jim Pattison Group, to provide financial support to emerging Canadian artists in the Vancouver and Calgary markets. [1] The $100,000 prize for the winner was one of the largest prize packages for a music competition in Canadian music history. [2]

Contents

History

The Peak Performance Project launched in 2009 by Vancouver's 102.7 The PEAK. [2] The project wrapped up in 2015, and in the past featured over 100 artists from throughout British Columbia. The seven year Alberta PEAK Performance Project was launched in April 2014 on 95.3 The PEAK Calgary. In BC, the project is administered by the Music BC Industry Association. In Alberta, the Alberta Music Industry Association handles administration. In 2016 the Alberta format switched over to a country format, aligning itself with new station Wild 95.3 New Country.

Several notable and successful Canadian acts from a wide variety of genres have taken part in the project throughout its history, including Said The Whale, Dear Rouge, Tourist Company, The Belle Game, Jordan Klassen, Rykka, Current Swell, and We Are the City.

Purpose

The purpose of the PEAK Performance Project is to assist emerging artists from British Columbia and Alberta through education, development, and promotion. The project also aims to contribute to the larger music community by building musical links between the two provinces. Each project runs separately from the other, sharing only Bootcamp time together. At the end of each project cycle, the top three bands are awarded $100,000 for 1st, $75,000 for 2nd, and $50,000 for 3rd place respectively.

Timeline

The project typically launched in the spring of each year, with applications being open for a month. Applications consisted of two digital files of an artist's music, the artist's bio, an essay written by the artist on why they should be included, a live video of the band performing, and the band's current press photo. A panel of industry professionals picked the selected bands (usually 12 or 20 per province) out of a pool of hundreds of entries, and the results were announced in June of each year at a kick-off concert that featured past Peak Performance "Alumni" bands performing.

Once accepted, each band was awarded a $3,000–$5,000 (depending on the year) "Basecamp" award. The first challenge put to the bands was to spend the money in a way that immediately addressed a need in the band's career. Throughout the duration of each year's project, each band had their music featured on 102.7 The Peak in Vancouver (for BC bands), and on 95.3 The Peak in Calgary (for Alberta bands). To kick off the project officially, and introduce the bands to the public, the project featured the bands at a local festival. Throughout the summer months, the bands were given a series of challenges related to various aspects of a DIY music career and developing sections of the band's business in terms of merchandise, social media profiles, press awareness, philanthropic efforts, marketing strategies, budgeting, and self-development. In August, all bands were sent to a "Bootcamp" where they interacted with industry specialists, took courses and workshops from tutors and trainers, and performed live for experienced live coaches. [3]

During September and October, the project put on a series of "showcases", each featuring a handful of the bands. These shows were open to the public, but also were watched by a panel of judges who gave each band a "live score" that went towards their overall mark. Public voting opened in the last week of October, and each band's percentage of the vote also went towards their overall mark. At the end of October, the bands turned in a final report which summarized the results of their aforementioned challenges, as well as a marketing and budgeting plan based on their potential winnings. A panel of judges reviewed these, and this was also factored in to each band's score.

Early in November, the top three bands were announced in no particular order during a live broadcast on 102.7 The Peak. In previous years, there was a $10,000 and $5,000 4th and 5th place prize, and these artists would be announced during this broadcast as well. The order of the winning bands was revealed after each finalist band performed at the Commodore Ballroom at a wrap up event in late November.

Past participants

Below are the bands that have participated in past years, in alphabetical order, along with their hometown. Bands that placed are listed first, in order of placement. If a band did not place in the top three, they were allowed to apply for the next year's project.

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

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References

  1. ↑ Sandra Thomas, "New radio station takes the air; Trevor Linden supports 'Britney Spears-free' station". Vancouver Courier , November 19, 2008.
  2. 1 2 Sandra Sperounes, "Falling stars, bruised egos". Edmonton Journal , November 30, 2009.
  3. 1 2 Randy Shore, "Project helps put performers on top; Acts get a shot at $275,000 development money". Vancouver Sun , June 24, 2009.
  4. ↑ "We Are The City wins best band contest". Kelowna Capital News, January 25, 2010.
  5. 1 2 François Marchand, "Peak performers; After months of competition, Bend Sinister, We Are the City and The Left are named top three". Vancouver Sun , December 15, 2009.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Boot camp artists reach for the peak; Peak Performance Project participants ramp up their acts for public showcase series". Vancouver Sun , October 15, 2009.
  7. ↑ Mike Devlin, "Teen has already logged a brilliant career". Victoria Times-Colonist , November 24, 2009.
  8. ↑ "Danny Echo in Top 20 finalists for Peak Performance Project". Williams Lake Tribune, December 24, 2009.
  9. ↑ "Local band among Peak Performance Project finalists". Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News , August 18, 2009.
  10. ↑ John Kurucz, "Off-beat act gains mainstream recognition". Coquitlam Now , July 22, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Victoria musician working hard for big break". Oak Bay News, July 21, 2009.
  12. ↑ Kristin Froeneman, "Band wants to reach peak". The Morning Star , July 7, 2009.
  13. ↑ Timothy Schafer, "Looking for Collective votes; Nelson band Wassabi Collective one of the top finalists in the Peak Performance project and now they need your votes". Nelson Daily News , November 10, 2009.
  14. ↑ Pyper Geddes, "Kyprios gets to the top of the PEAK Performance Project". Kelowna Capital News, November 23, 2010.
  15. 1 2 3 4 François Marchand, "Peak Performance Project Top 5 revealed; Said the Whale, Kyprios, Vince Vaccaro to appear in final showdown on Nov. 18". Vancouver Sun , November 2, 2010.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 Amy Smart, "Wealth of talent rewarded; Victoria's Current Swell finishes first in competition for emerging B.C. musicians". Victoria Times-Colonist , November 19, 2011.
  17. ↑ François Marchand, "Vancouver pop duo first female-fronted group to win the top prize in B.C. music competition; Dear Rouge earns Peak Performance Project gold". Vancouver Sun , November 23, 2012.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Stuart Derdeyn, "Dear Rouge, Fricot, Klassen Top 3 acts in PEAK contest". The Province , November 2, 2012.
  19. ↑ François Marchand, "Rykka picked as winner of Peak Performance Project". Vancouver Sun , November 22, 2013.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Tom Harrison, "Three finalists to battle for the top; Radio Contest". The Province , November 19, 2013.
  21. 1 2 3 Sheila Reynolds, "Surrey's Good For Grapes takes $100K prize in music contest". The Surrey Leader , November 21, 2014.
  22. 1 2 3 "Peak Performance hits final crescendo; Project a wrap". The Province , November 24, 2015.
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