Local resident Dennis Han's students know him as their music teacher. But Canadians may soon get to know him as the keyboardist for an up-and-coming rock band. The Apollo Effect, of which Han is a member, has made it to the final round of a national rock music competition, the Great Canadian Band Challenge, sponsored by the Hard Rock Caf? and my30seconds.com.
The competition started with 150 acts. In the second round -- which qualified The Apollo Effect for the finals, broadcast live online Sept. 27 and Sept. 28 -- TAE came second out of the five surviving bands.
"It's a fairly mainstream style," says Han, describing their music. He cites influences such as Our Lady Peace, The Killers, U2 and Oasis.
The classically-trained pianist got his degree in music from the University of Guelph, and he teaches at two local private schools: Orangeville Christian school and Manchester Montessori school. But his night gig has seen him onstage at some of Toronto's best-known rock venues, such as the Horseshoe, Lee's Palace, the El Mocambo and the Opera House.
The competition will be taking place at the Yonge and Dundas Hard Rock. Han figures they have the hometown advantage; they've played there before, while some of the other bands are flying in from other provinces.
The winning act gets $25,000, a six-city Canadian tour with a major Canadian artist -- yet to be revealed -- and a distribution deal. This works out nicely for TAE -- they've been in the studio working on their first full album.
The winning band will be picked by a combination of judges, the on-site Hard Rock audience, and online votes. To watch and cast a ballot, check out my30seconds.com. For more on TAE, log on to theapolloeffect.com.