Wall Street's Would-Be Rockers Jam like No One's Business; Semi-Finalists include Chesapeake Energy, Deloitte Consulting LLP, GE Aviation, Johnson & Johnson, and More

NEW YORK, May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, 16 blue-chip bands were named amongst Wall Street's best in the 10th Annual Fortune Battle of the Corporate Bands, all advancing to the regional qualifying rounds of the worldwide amateur music competition. Each corporate-sponsored band will compete for one of eight coveted spots in the finals, which will take place at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, October 1-2.

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Established in 2001, the Fortune Battle of the Corporate Bands is the first live-music competition of its kind, providing amateur, company-sponsored bands the opportunity to rock their passion – making music. The event is a partnership between Fortune, NAMM (the not-for-profit trade association of the international music products industry), and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, joined together to celebrate the benefits of music making and the positive effects that music has on employee morale and productivity in the international business world.

"Companies value creative, happy employees and having a band at work says so much about their office culture," noted Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM, and life-long drummer. "What many employers might not know is that playing music has been linked with significant health and wellness benefits including reducing stress and anxiety, improving productivity and reducing job burnout and turnover. Who knew that playing in a band, and being cooler than your competitors who don't have a company band, could also be good for the bottom line!"

Sponsored by their respective companies, the 16 bands were chosen from more than 30 qualified entries from around the world, and will compete in one of two regional playoffs – the first, in Las Vegas at Wasted Space in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on May 22, and in Nashville at B.B. King's on June 19.

"Now in our 10th year, this unique competition continues to uncover the budding rock star ambitions in the international business community," said Steve Dobo, director of sponsorship and promotions for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. "It is just awesome to see this incredibly talented bunch of musicians doing what they truly love. They have a passion for making music and that really shines through in this year's group."

The following bands/companies have been invited to perform at the regional qualifying events:

May 22 – Las Vegas, at Wasted Space in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

1. "D7" from Allied World Assurance Company
2. "Anvil" from Anvil Cases
3. "Shale Play" from Chesapeake Energy
4. "Unrestricted Entity" from Deloitte Consulting LLP
5. "Aeroroot" from Frontier Natural Products Co-op
6. "The Nuisance" from Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP
7. "The Straightaways" from Northwestern Mutual
8. "The Repeat Offenders" from Spencer Gifts

June 19 – Nashville, at B.B. King's

1. "Pale Dale & the Dealmakers" from BTI Systems
2. "DaVita Blues All Stars" from DaVita
3. "Title 14" from GE Aviation
4. "The Invacare Band" from Invacare Corporation
5. "Underpaid" from itelligence Inc.
6. "The SAPs" from Johnson and Johnson
7. "Role Playaz" from McKinney
8. "Raw Material" from PPG Industries

All proceeds from the Fortune Battle of the Corporate Bands competition will benefit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's education programs. With the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's increased focus on bringing music into the classroom, the Museum's educational offerings have now become one of the most celebrated and award-winning activities of its kind emanating from a fine arts museum in the nation. The Museum hosts a variety of award-winning programs including year-round concerts and the Hall of Fame series featuring evenings with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees. In addition, there are education programs for everyone from toddlers to college students, to teachers and adults.

Along with NAMM and Rock Hall, the Fortune Battle of the Corporate Bands is sponsored by Gibson and Air Products.

About NAMM

The National Association of Music Merchants, commonly called NAMM in reference to the organization's popular NAMM trade shows, is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $17 billion global musical instruments and products industry. NAMM's activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of more than 9,000 Member companies. For more information about NAMM, interested parties can visit www.namm.org or call 800-767-NAMM (6266).

About Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is the nonprofit organization that exists to educate visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock and roll music. It carries out this mission both through its operation of a world-class museum that collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets this art form and through its library and archives as well as its educational programs.

About Fortune

Fortune is a global leader in business journalism with a worldwide circulation of more than 1 million and a readership of nearly 5 million, with major franchises including the Fortune 500 and the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For. Fortune Live Media extends the brand's mission into live settings, hosting a wide range of annual conferences, including the Fortune Global Forum. Fortune magazine's online home is CNNMoney.com, the most visited and utilized business destination website.

SOURCE NAMM

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