'Strat 5' from Healthways Wins Ninth Annual FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands

Leaving the conference room to take the stage, “Strat 5” from Healthways was crowned the national winner of the ninth annual FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands presented by NAMM and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, on Oct. 3. The band competed against seven other corporate bands from across the country selected in regional semi-final events in Los Angeles and Nashville, Tenn.

“Playing music has been proven to relieve stress and increase workplace morale,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM, and life-long drummer. “NAMM applauds these progressive companies and employee musicians, and it would be good if every company encouraged its staff members to play music.”

FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands is a partnership between NAMM (the trade association of the international music products industry), FORTUNE magazine, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. The event is also generously supported by Gibson Guitar. The national competition celebrates the positive effects of making music, which has been shown to increase employee morale and productivity in the workplace. Event proceeds benefit the Rock Hall’s educational programs.

Founded in 1995, Strat 5 is comprised of seven Healthways employees. Headquartered near Nashville, Healthways is located in the heart of the music scene and regularly performs in the area.

The additional seven FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Band finalists were selected from a total of 34 entries battling in regional competitions across the country. These bands include: “Aeroroot” from Frontier Natural Products (Norway, Iowa), “Manage This” from Symantec (Lindon, Utah), “Roland’s Stones” from Chevron (Pascagoula, MS), “The S.A.P.’s” from Johnson & Johnson (Morristown, NJ), “Slump” from Oceanside Glasstile (Carlsbad, Calif.), “The St. Jude’s Mighty Electric Band” from St. Jude’s Hospital (Memphis, Tenn.), “The Weasels” from The Sunflower Group (Overland, Kan.).

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, Inc. 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.

The Museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Wednesdays, the Museum is open until 9 p.m. Museum admission is $22 for adults, $18 for adult residents of Greater Cleveland, $17 for seniors (65+), $13 for youth (9-12), children under 8 and Museum Members are always free, for information or to join the membership program call 216.515.8425. For general inquiries, please call 216.781.ROCK or visit www.rockhall.com. The Museum is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

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.