The Grizzly Peak is running out of mountains to climb. The
soulful UCLA band has recently been named as one of 10
semifinalists for mtvU’s second annual “Best Music on
Campus” contest. MtvU and Universal Records are offering the
winner, who will be announced in early May, a $25,000 prize that
includes an exploratory record deal and a music video to be played
on the network.
MtvU is MTV’s university network, with a reach of over 700
colleges and 6.5 million students, according to general manager
Stephen Friedman. The network, which launched in January 2004, is
an attempt to appeal to the more expansive musical tastes of
college students.
“It’s the very nature of college,” said
Friedman. “You’re really open to a whole new level of
music, and you’re meeting people from all over the country
who are going to bring their own tastes and passions. If you look
at some of the great bands, some of the great art, it’s come
from college students.”
To that end comes The Grizzly Peak, a band comprised entirely of
UCLA students. Academically, the band members have chosen to focus
on the arts, with the exception of lead guitarist Will Hauser, a
third-year psychology and anthropology student.
“(It’s) to fill time when I’m not playing
music,” said Hauser of his academic interests.
The rest of the band consists of two jazz students, an
ethnomusicology student and a world arts and cultures student,
which reflects the band’s focus on music and performance.
Drummer Stefan Litrownik, who founded the group along with
singer/guitarist Adam Stern, literally stumbled upon the mtvU
contest.
“There was a flyer up on campus, on the floor of
Schoenberg Hall. We submitted it and didn’t think about
it,” said Litrownik.
The band uploaded an MP3 of its original demo “Love
Song” to enter the competition. The next thing they knew, the
field of almost 300 bands had been narrowed down to 10, and mtvU
needed the group to sign waivers allowing the network to play its
song. Along with The Grizzly Peak, the semifinalists include
USC’s Kiltergrey.
“We’re the only one from UCLA, so we’re trying
to bring it home for the Bruins,” said Stern.
The Grizzly Peak isn’t just trying to win big. The jazzy
group has been heavily involved with social action, participating
in World AIDS Day last December and a recent “Students Taking
Action Now: Darfur” event. Stern is an ambassador for the
UCLA AIDS Institute.
“It’s been important to me as a sexually active male
and as a person in today’s society,” Stern said.
“We’re really about trying to establish community at
UCLA and Los Angeles.”
While the winner of the mtvU contest won’t be announced
for a few more weeks, The Grizzly Peak is determined to make it
onto a major label whether it wins or loses. The band is completing
work on a new demo and has already been in contact with Sony. Music
is the band’s first priority, so if it gets signed, it
intends to leave UCLA to pursue a career.
But no matter what happens to The Grizzly Peak, one thing is
certain ““ “I will die with a degree from UCLA,”
Hauser said.