Judges 2010

Some of the who’s who of the capital region’s music industry get involved as judges at RE/MAX Victoria Idol. Singers competing in Victoria Idol have the chance to be heard by the people who matter in the local music business!

ADAM SAWATSKY
He has established himself as an accomplished artist and broadcaster. He started out as a professional film and theatre actor who has performed on every major stage in the city. He's also worked as a graphic designer for Victoria's alternative theatre companies and a theatre critic for CBC Radio. You’re ‘A’ News entertainment reporter.

 

APRIL GISLASON
New York City born and Southern California raised, this exceptional vocalist has over 2000 jingles to her credit she has collaborated with some of the leading talents of our generation, including Bryan Adams, David Foster, Boz Scaggs, Valdy, Mike Reno and Paul Dean (Loverboy). She’s a vocal coach, guitar instructor and a dynamic vocalist and entertainer.

 

BRIAN HODGE
Recently relocated from South Africa, this international recording artist from the band “The Lemmings” who are now based in Los Angeles has toured extensively in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Europe and just recorded their fourth album “Imperceptible Shift in the Light” which is due for release on to the North American market this fall. He has produced international events in over 20 countries around the world including live concerts, product launches and has directed commercials and music videos for some of the world’s top acts. He has worked for a local staging company in South Africa who provided tour logistics and staging for artists like Bryan Adams, Elton John and Michael W. Smith, just to name a few.

 

BJ COOK
This singer/songwriter with her then husband David Foster formed the band Skylark with their #1 hit Wild Flower, wrote with, Michael McDonald, and with Music Icon Dominc Troiano. Her daughter Amy Foster whose book Autumn Leaves is due to come out any day wrote four #1 hits including Home and Everything for Michael Buble.

 

CRAIG FRASER
This Producer and Engineer at Oakstone Sound, has always had a knack for hearing parts that belong in a given production before they appear in the final product and craft unique and memorable hooks.

He has spent over 10 years as the lead singer, guitarist and principal songwriter in the band “Fan Tan Alley” who had a number 1 hit called “Hey Yesterday” and also shared the stage with Wide Mouth Mason, Big Sugar and Spirit of the West. Bringing the essential real-world industry experience to the table, he has mastered not only the technical side of engineering and producing, but also is able to use his instinct and naturally sharp ear to produce great material in any creative situation.

 

RACHELLE GISLASON
This lady has opened for Nelly Furtado at GM Place and at the McPherson Playhouse. She was the first international artist to perform for 40,000 + people for Iceland‘s Independence day. She’s a Singer, songwriter, multi instrumentalist, piano and vocal teacher, and is currently finishing recording her debut album at Bryan Adam’s studio in Vancouver, ‘The Warehouse.”

 

ERICK THOMPSON
Erick began his media career as a film extra, photographer and camera operator while attending high school in Calgary. Highlights of his career have included working with ABC-TV during the 1988 Olympic Winter Games, hosting Future Zone for Rogers Television and moderating political forums during federal and provincial elections. In Nanaimo he wrote a weekly music column for a local newspaper. He is currently a reporter and anchor for ‘A’ News, and fill-in talk show host for C-FAX radio.

MAGGIE COX
Maggie was born and raised in Vancouver. In grade nine she started volunteering at her high school's TV station and hasn't stopped talking since. She worked for a couple of years in media in Vancouver and then moved to Kamloops to work on-air at 98.3 CIFM and then CFJCTV before making the move back to the west coast to join 'A' Vancouver Island in 2008.

 

IAN BATTLE
Ian is a West Coast Music Award-winning and Juno-nominated producer, engineer, composer, arranger and performer. He studied jazz at Malaspina University-College and ran and co-owned Discovery Studios. He has performed and recorded with Carolyn Neapole, Yellow Belly, The Cultivators and Thin King, among others, and shared the stage with Head Stones, Holly McNarland, Matthew Good, Econoline Crush, Spirit of the West and Bay City Rollers. In his spare time he works at 'A' Vancouver Island as a master control operator

 

MELINDA WHITAKER
This mahogany-voiced session singer has been heard on jingles from GWG jeans to Wrigley’s chewing gum. In a career spanning decades, Melinda has logged literally thousands of hours in recording and television studios in which she has made a second home and has opened for the legendary Ray Brown Trio at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. In 2008, she has performed as guest jazz vocalist in the Victoria Symphony Orchestra Beltone Pops Series, “Amour!” with New York Conductor Adam Glaser. Her CD “The Touch of Your Lips” sprang from a sojourn in Costa Rica where she was inspired by Latin music and culture.