By: Jay Broderick - On October 10, 2024, I headed to the TD Music Hall (located at the corner of Shuter and Victoria St., within the same building as the iconic Massey Hall), to cover one of Canada's newest events, Canada's Teen Jam. The idea behind it? To build a network of talented young musicians throughout the country, and to provide the opportunity to show their talents on the big stage, and to help build their brand awareness.
Here at LoudTO, we love to bring awareness to our local talent. The thoughts of bringing some visibility to the next generation of musical talent was a no brainer for us. Let me tell you... that October show was superb. It never actually dawned on me that this much talent was festering under the radar, waiting to explode. And the age of these musicians? I was blown away, and I don't say that lightly!
This is a business model that has exploded for Mark Higgins and his team. In fact, the number of submissions they receive from young stars across the country is astounding. So much so, that there is now an America's Teen Jam, and 2025 will see Higgins take his program across Canada. It has also prompted a second finalist show here in Toronto on February 27, at the same venue we attended in October, the TD Music Hall.
Coming from a musical family (Mark's father was a jazz player), Mark picked up music at an early age. By the age of 8, Mark was playing on stage with his band 'Mark and the Swinging Stars', and a love for music was born. So much so, that music became a part of his everyday life. After playing live for the next 20 years, Mark eventually went on to create his own music agency, and then ultimately created the hugely successful Big Music Fest.
As an independent producer of the Southern Ontario based festival, Higgins was able to score some massive bands to put on the bill for the festival that ran from 2008 through 2015. Through his networking, the final Big Music Fest saw headlining act Soundgarden and guests Janes Addiction, Monster Truck, and new Canadian rockers The Glorious Sons. A huge feat for an independent festival producer. "I paid a little more, but I got the audience" Higgins says. "Unfortunately, you can't do that now. I saw it coming to an end."
"So during COVID" Higgins goes on, "I thought, what could I do to kick back. That's when Canada's Teen Jam was born, but I didn't launch it until well after. It's about a year, 18 months old now, but it's just crazy. I've had over 560 submissions. We're going across Canada this summer, and now we have the American market."
Needless to say, the undertaking is substantial. And Higgins has a small team. "I'm at a position where I can dedicate all my time to this. My daughter's the host, and I have Vickie Campbell as the director, and I have Maddie Morrison who's an associate as well. So we have a small team, but it's a great team." With Higgins' daughter Sammy Jo on the team, the family element is maintained. As the show's Host/Producer, Sammy Jo and Mark's second daughter Joy have been in the throws of the music business since they were kids, hanging out backstage with their father since they were little. "None of them are musicians. I thought one of them might be, right? But they grew up around that, and that's been our life" Higgins says about the family being involved in music.
As the name suggests, Canada's Teen Jam is 100% focused on teen talent. "Teens are where you start to rise with your talent" explains Mark. "The energy happens in your teen years. Very seldom does it happen in your early twenties. In your early twenties is really when you start to, or you should be starting, to smoke. With this program, you have to be pretty damn good to be on it."
Keeping with the family element, the producers of Canada's and America's Teen Jam are beyond amazed by the interest, and outpouring of support from the participant's families. Mark adds "It really touches with the teens, and families." And it's important to Mark Higgins that they keep the families involved. Nobody is left out in the dark. "I talk, oh, jeez, once a week with all the finalists and a number of moms and dads with their kids. We do a lot of FaceTime. There's a lot of questions that the parents ask. When you see the moms and the dads, I mean, somebody should document this, because some of them is so touching."
A major player in Canada's Teen Jam is sponsor United Van Lines Canada. "We have several sponsors, TD and all kinds of stuff you'll see on our website, but none more important than they've been. They've been there at the very initial stage. And they get what we're doing."
As I mentioned, the October finals were amazing. The talent on hand that night was unreal. But Round 2 promises to be even better. "Well, it actually is surpassing. Except for one person, everybody out of the 7 are doing their original works, and that's quite something. So that's the triple threat. You know? Singing, songwriting, and performing and playing an instrument." Higgins adds "So what you're going to see is some pretty special original works, man. There's so much talent."
I can't even comprehend, because the October finalists were that good. Remember, these are teenaged musicians. If it's just as good, then that's well worth the price of admission. But if this next batch is going to blow them away? WOW!!!
With our neighbours south of the border, will there be a Canada vs. USA? "Well, yes. Of course. That's the whole thing, Jay. And we're gonna blow them away." But it won't be a cake walk! Mark closes our discussion by adding "When we were in Phoenix in December, I did see quite a bit of super talent down there."
Based on what I've personally seen, and what founder Mark Higgin's promises is in store for us, the future of music is well in hand!
Canada's Teen Jam Online
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