Peak Performance Project

The Peak Performance Project launched in 2009 by Vancouver's 102.7 The PEAK. 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.

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 3 bands are awarded $100,000 for 1st, $75,000 for 2nd, and $50,000 for 3rd place respectively.[1]

The project typically launches in the spring of each year, with applications being open for a month.[2] Applications consist of 2 MP3's 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.[3] A panel of industry professionals will pick the selected bands (usually 12 or 20 per province) out of a pool of hundreds of entries, and the results are announced in June of each year at a kick-off concert that features past Peak Performance "Alumni" bands performing.[4]

Once accepted, each band is awarded a $3000–$5000 (depending on the year) "Basecamp" award. The first challenge put to the bands is to spend the money in a way that immediately addresses a need in the band's career. Throughout the duration of each year's project, each band has 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 features the bands at a local festival.[5] Throughout the summer months, the bands are given a series of challenges. These challenges relate 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 are sent to a "Bootcamp" where they interact with industry specialists, take courses and workshops from tutors and trainers, and perform live for experienced live coaches.[6]

During September and October, the project puts on a series of "Showcases", each featuring a handful of the bands. These shows are open to the public, but also are watched by a panel of judges who give each band a "live score" that goes towards their overall mark. Public voting opens in the last week of October, and each band's percentage of the vote also goes towards their overall mark. At the end of October, the bands turn in a final report which summarizes the results of their aforementioned challenges, as well as a marketing and budgeting plan based on their potential winnings. A panel of judges review these, and this is factored in to each band's score.[7]

Early in November, the Top 3 bands will be announced in no particular order during a live broadcast on 102.7 The Peak. In previous years, there was a $10,000 and $5000 4th and 5th place prize, and these artists would be announced during this broadcast as well. The order of the winning bands is revealed after each finalist band performs at the Commodore Ballroom at a wrap up event in late November.[8]

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.[9] If a band does not place in the Top 3, they are still allowed to apply for next year's project.