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Did you know there’s a world-class outdoor concert venue at Sweetwater? The Sweetwater Performance Pavilion sits right here on our campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it’s exactly what it sounds like: professional production infrastructure, lighting and sound, guest hospitality, and a calendar of nationally recognized artists — all on the same grounds where our team shows up every day. The Performance Pavilion is a natural extension of what Sweetwater has always believed, that music dreams are worth investing in and that the people who work here deserve to be surrounded by their passion. Employees receive 25% off up to four tickets per show, which makes the Pavilion a genuine workplace perk on top of everything else it represents.
Sweetwater’s YouTube channel has officially crossed the one million subscriber mark! This milestone belongs entirely to the community that has been watching, learning, and growing with us for more than 17 years. To celebrate, Sweetwater brought together some of its most iconic content creators for an all-star performance of Rush’s classic “Tom Sawyer,” plus a roundtable discussion that takes a look back at the moments and memories that made this channel what it is today. Thank you for every view, every comment, and every share that helped us build something truly special.
Sweetwater is proud to announce a new milestone, ranking number four overall in the 2026 Top 100 North America Inspiring Workplaces Awards. Sweetwater is the highest-ranked retailer on this year's list and the best-ranked company in Indiana, climbing five spots from ninth place in 2025. Sweetwater also earned four special recognition awards covering culture and purpose, employee experience, inclusion, and wellbeing. “This ranking reflects something we think about every day,” said Sweetwater CEO Mike Clem. “A great customer experience starts with a great employee experience.” Sweetwater approaches employee health intentionally across five key areas, including mental, physical, financial, social, and professional health. That means free on-campus mental health counseling, a fully equipped fitness center, an on-site medical clinic, monthly financial education sessions, education reimbursement with deferred payment options, and company-wide events that bring the whole Sweetwater family together. None of this happens by accident. It happens because the people here are committed to building something special together every single day.
We recently hosted another session of our Food for Thought Lunch and Learn series, bringing employees together for a panel discussion centered on professional growth and what it means to live the Sweetwater Difference. The session, titled “From Skill to Success: Learning Through the 5 Imperatives,” featured a panel of Sweetwater team members from across the organization who shared how mastering their individual skills helped them navigate their careers, tackle real challenges, and make meaningful impacts. The discussion was grounded in the five values that define how Sweetwater operates: Wow the Customer, Get Things Done, Obsess over Details, Drive Continuous Improvement, and Develop the Future. Watching colleagues share their stories with a full room of peers was a reminder that career growth rarely happens in a straight line. It happens when people invest in their craft, stay curious, and lean into the values that guide the work every day.
Sweetwater CIO Jason Johnson is featured in a new piece from CIO on why cloud strategies have never been more complex or more critical. Jason puts it plainly: "The conversation has shifted from 'should we?' to 'how do we get better at it?' That's where I spend most of my time." As AI accelerates cloud demand and providers keep expanding their catalogs, Jason calls today's environment "genuinely one of the more complex times to be managing cloud." Keeping up isn't just a technical challenge; it's a strategic one. For Sweetwater, that means a clear-eyed focus on the second phase of cloud maturity: moving beyond migration and modernization toward optimization, governance, AI enablement, and operational sustainability, with every workload placed where it makes the most sense.
As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, we are reflecting on a month centered around supporting the wellbeing of our employees and the broader music community. This month, Sweetwater was honored to receive the 2026 Gold Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health from Mental Health America, recognizing our ongoing commitment to creating a supportive, people-first workplace culture. Throughout May, employees participated in a variety of internal wellness initiatives and activities focused on mental health, connection, balance, and personal wellbeing, including our fourth annual Be Well Expo. This year’s event featured more than 50 community partners and vendors, interactive experiences, wellness resources, screenings, demonstrations, chair massages, giveaways, and more than $8,000 in prizes. The Expo also created meaningful opportunities for employees to connect with local nonprofits, volunteer organizations, and resources that support wellbeing both inside and outside the workplace. We were also proud to support MusiCares Mindful May in New Orleans, helping to create space for music professionals to focus on restoration, resilience, and mental wellness through meaningful programming and community support. Mental health is not a one-month conversation. Continuing to create environments where people feel supported, heard, and cared for remains deeply important to us all.
The recent Sweetwater National Band Expo brought together musicians, students, parents, and educators from across the country for an unforgettable experience centered around growth and opportunity through music. From piccolo to tuba, attendees explored an incredible range of step-up woodwind and brass instruments side by side, connected directly with manufacturer representatives, and took advantage of special pricing and financing offers designed to make advanced instruments more accessible. We’re grateful to the many manufacturers, representatives, and Music for All leaders who helped make the event so meaningful for everyone who attended.
In a recent conversation with Thirty Minute Mentors host Adam Mendler, a nationally recognized leadership expert, Sweetwater Chief People & Culture Officer Jeff Ostermann shared perspectives on leadership, workplace conflict, and building cultures rooted in trust and communication. One idea stood out: conflict is not the problem, avoiding it is. Strong organizations create space for honest conversations, accountability, empathy, and active listening long before challenges become larger issues.
Music gives so much to all of us. Mindful May 2026 is all about giving something back to the people who make it happen. This May, we’re proud to team up with MusiCares to host Mindful May 2026 in New Orleans, bringing music professionals together for a day focused on wellbeing, connection, and a little much-needed recharging during Mental Health Awareness Month. Think yoga, meditation, massage therapy, tea ceremonies, mental health resources, custom ear-mold fittings, and honest conversations about resilience, healing, and the power of music to help us through hard seasons. We’re grateful to support an event that reminds the music community that taking care of yourself matters, too.
“Sweetwater’s mission is to make musical dreams come true. But without music education, there’s no dream to pursue, and that’s why we love partnering with Music Will and the educators who create that initial spark.” — Mike Clem, Sweetwater CEO Access to instruments can change the trajectory of a student’s life. Through our partnership with Music Will and the National Instrument Fund, instruments are reaching schools and classrooms where they are needed most, helping programs grow, empowering teachers to say yes, and giving students the opportunity to discover who they are through music. Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not, and when those two things finally meet, the impact extends far beyond the classroom into families, communities, and futures. Soon, instruments and music gear, from electric and acoustic guitars to drums, keyboards, and sound systems, will be delivered to 34 schools in more than 20 different states, helping launch new programs and expand existing ones where more students are ready to participate. We are grateful to support the educators who show up every day to create that first spark and the young musicians who are just beginning to discover what is possible through music.
