Rock Off home | Rock Off rules | Registration

Maine Academy of Modern Music and Portland Music Foundation revive Rock Off

Competition for best high-school band in Maine to continue thanks to local non-profits

The Maine Academy of Modern Music, in partnership with the Portland Music Foundation and Maine Today, are proud to announce the 2010 Maine Academy of Modern Music Rock Off. The event originally created by Louis Phillipe's Reindeer Records as the Reindeer Rock Off, was feared dead after 25 years when Phillipe decided to retire from its production after the 2009 event. However, the Rock Off will continue in April of 2010, thanks to the efforts of the Maine Academy of Modern Music and the Portland Music Foundation, two 501c3 non-profits dedicated to fostering the success of bands and musicians across Maine.

MaineToday.com, Empire Dine and Dance, 103 Ultra Lounge in Orono, and Port City Music Hall all will also lend their talents to the effort, which will result in one high-school band taking home $1,000 in cash and professional prizes.

The Rock Off is designed to provide young, career-minded musicians with an educational platform through which to gain performance and business experience, professional acumen, industry exposure, and promotional and career networking opportunities. Created in 1983 by Phillipe's Reindeer Records, during its 25-year history the competition has provided hundreds of local bands with opportunities to further their music career goals and has provided crucial support for a number of acts that have gone on to regional and national acclaim, including: Aces Wild - winner 1991 - which became Rustic Overtones, who secured record deal with Arista; Jeremiah Freed - winner 1999 - which went on to secure a contract with Universal Records; and Pozer - finalists in 2001 - which became Sparks the Rescue, winners of the 2009 "I want my music on MTV" competition.

The 2010 Rock Off will take place in April and May, as high-school bands from across the state will be invited to complete an online application and submit an original demo CD, with a deadline of March 17. For each band that enters the competition, MaineToday will create a web page with band photos, information and music. The preliminary rounds of the competition will take place during the day at the 103 Ultra Lounge in Orono on April 3 and Empire Dine and Dance in Portland on April 10 and 11.

During these preliminary rounds, professionals in the local club, radio, print media and recording studio industries will serve as judges for the competition. The panel of judges will select five bands to participate in the finals at Port City Music Hall in Portland on May 1 with local favorites Paranoid Social Club making a special appearance. In addition to the five bands selected by the panel of judges, the general public will be invited to participate in the event by voting for their favorite band in an online poll on the MaineToday web site. One "wild card" band, chosen through this poll, will proceed to the finals along with the five selected by the judges.

The Rock Off winners will be recognized with the title "Best Young Band in Maine, 2010," and will receive $1,000 in cash as well as a prize package that includes an array of professional services such photography, logo design, recording studio time, radio time and a professionally written band profile. The winners will also be invited to tour the legendary Gateway Mastering Studios, a world class recording studio based in Portland. Finally, the winning group will also receive the coveted opening spot for Paranoid Social Club at Port City Music Hall the night of the finals.

All entrants will receive public exposure, opportunities to perform at professional music venues, and a constructive critique of its performance and presentation, with recommendations for achieving its future goals.