It’s known as Blue Frog Studios and has been a fixture in the community since opening its doors in February 2010. Kelly Breaks remembers it well, as he was setting up the studio and saw one of the Olympic Flames torchbearers passing by. Known for its world-class sound and lighting system and a 4K audio and video facility that can comfortably accommodate an 80-piece orchestra, Blue Frog stands as a beacon in recording technology. Despite its international acclaim, what was it that made White Rock the ideal location? There was an amazing recording studio there called ‘Rock Beach,’ which I had done work in as a music producer, says Breaks.

I got word that the studio had closed down, so I approached the owners and made a deal to take it over. It seemed like a natural, as I was born in White Rock and grew up there. It is such a picturesque, artsy town by the sea, similar to other West Coast beach towns like Carmel, California. It seemed like a perfect spot for musicians to create and thrive. And that it has. From its original mandate as a recording venue, it has since morphed into a full-on recording and concert space. The 5000-square-foot facility intimately accommodates and seats 100 studio audience members for a unique, up-close, and personal experience. When we first opened, we were a 100% recording facility, he adds. In the fall of 2010, we heard that Grammy Award-winner Dan Hill (‘Sometimes When We Touch’) was heading to the West Coast. We booked Dan to come in and do this cool singer-songwriter concert within the studio, and talk about the back stories of what was behind his hit songs.

We printed up some tickets, and poof, they were sold out in a day, so we asked Dan if he could do a second show the next night. We knew that we were on to something so we started doing monthly shows, then twice monthly, and then weekly. Now, the live shows are 80% of our business. No longer a hidden gem, Blue Frog Studios have earned accolades internationally for their myriad performances.

There have been so many highlights over the years, says Breaks. From Grammy and JUNO Award stars to emerging new artists that we see as they start their music careers

Dan Hill was a highlight, Randy Bachman, Alfi e Zappacosta, Jim Byrnes, 54-40, Maria Muldaur (‘Midnight At the Oasis’), Juice Newton (‘Angel of the Morning’) the list goes on and on. I love getting to know them and seeing that they are mostly just ordinary people who are out there following their passion for music. Blue Frog Studios offers amazing concert sound, both live and online, and it’s the latter that has taken off in terms of growth.

In April 2014 we did our very first global live-streaming concert in conjunction with World Earth Day with Jeff erson Starship. It was a lot of work but it showed us the future, where we could have a live show audience and simultaneously stream to the comfort of our home. We’ve done hundreds of streamed shows since on our Blue Frog TV channel.