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Undertone Networks, Teambuilding, Roosevelt Hotel, NYC
March 15, 2011
Right from the outset, the Undertone Network staff went crazy, with members jumping on stage and dancing with the band when they first walked in the room! The group of 140 were divided into teams of twenty and paired with a Song Division musician each, whose credits included John Lennon, David Bowie, Billy Joel, Norah Jones, Moby, George, Henry Rollins Band, Trans Siberian Orchestra and the Broadway show ‘Rock of Ages’.
After an hour of songwriting, which included choosing musical styles, themes, chords and lyrics, the bands were ready to perform. The winning song, ‘Lots of late nights’, had everyone singing and waving their hands in the air:
Click on the image below to see the winning song:
Click here to read press coverage from Media Post.
Click here to see video footage of the 7 songs written by Undertone Networks.
Here are some photos from the event. See more at http://www.facebook.com/SongDivision in the ‘Undertone’ album.
PwC Canada’s National Tax Conference – Conference Energiser, Toronto
March 10, 2011
To the surprise and delight of the attendees, Song Division helped finish off PwC Canada’s National Tax Conference with some real rock n roll! The 650 delegates wrote and performed their very own song in just 30 minutes with the help of the Song Division band, whose members have played with Billy Joel, Helix, Staggered Crossing, K’OS and The Trans Siberian Orchestra.
Everybody then danced the night away as the band played hits from the last four decades, kicking things off with the very appropriate ‘Tax Man’ by The Beatles.
“The Song Division team were extremely professional throughout the whole planning process, from the initial RFP through to the end of the event. They offered great insight on how best to position the team building experience within the event and were able to operate on site under very tight rehearsal timelines. Everyone had an amazing experience and I highly recommend Song Division to anyone who is looking for an effective and exciting conference energiser.” Julie Calvert, CMP, CMM Manager, Event Management Services, PwC Canada
CMP Conclave – Conference Energizer, Baltimore
January 19, 2011
A big thanks to the Convention Industry Council (CIC) for inviting Song Division to energize the CMP Conclave this year in Baltimore, USA. Tapping into the many talents of the Certified Meeting Planners, the 450 conference attendees celebrated the 25th birthday of the CMP by writing a rocking song with the fabulous chorus “Certifiable for quarter of a century, we’re CMP’s!” in just 45 minutes. The Song Division band included Earl Slick (John Lennon, David Bowie), Dave Z (Joan Jett) and Angus Clark (Trans Siberian Orchestra).
Watch the video below to see footage from the event and what the CMP’s had to say about their experience! Scroll down for photos. Which you will also find on http://www.facebook.com/SongDivision where you can TAG your friends and become a fan of Song Division!
Thank you to www.scavonephoto.com for the photos!
Marie Claire Teambuilding in NYC
January 12, 2011
Marie Claire rocked it out with Song Division for their recent sales meeting in the iconic Hearst Tower in NYC. The groups were equipped with some of Song Division’s coolest (and hottest) musicians that have played with the likes of Lauryn Hill, Jewel, Billy Squier, Carole King and Bono. Racy and raunchy rock lyrics, slow and sexy sounds and an upbeat ‘hand jive’ were created by the group in just an hour and judged by a panel of their top advertisers. What a way to mix business with more business!
“The staff of Marie Claire recently experienced Song Division and we had the time of our lives!! I was pleasantly surprised by the hidden musical talent in our group, and had a great time writing original songs, performing, and team building with our fabulous staff!” Nancy Cardone, VP & Publisher, Marie Claire
Click below to see Song Division featured in the October issue of Marie Claire magazine and on MarieClariePromotions.com and RunwayRealway.com!
Click here to see a montage of the 4 songs created by Marie Claire:
Here are some photos from the day:
Berlin Conference Energiser
December 20, 2010
Medtronic (a world leader in medical technology and inventor of the pace maker) called on Song Division to energise their 3 day conference at the Kempinski Hotel, Berlin. Kicking off the conference at 8.30am, the 30 minute songwriting session involved 165 people from sales, marketing, finance and doctors from across Europe.
Backed by Song Division’s German band who have played with AIR, Seal, Chaka Khan, The Temptations & Wynton Marsalis the participants were either on stage or standing at their seats singing along to the very funky song they’d just written. The music came from a Medtronic volunteer, a finance manager who surprised his colleagues with his musical talent, and the lyrics came from the talented crowd! The band then played a rocking party set that evening at the amazing Puro Sky Lounge, in the penthouse of the Mercedes Tower overlooking Berlin.
Links to Deutsche Welle press coverage:
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5715141,00.html
Audio version: Click ‘listen to the report’
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5705323,00.html
Conference Energiser For Global Confectionary Brand, Sydney
September 24, 2010
Song Division recently provided the conference energiser at a global confectionary brand’s annual conference in Sydney. Yum!
In 1.5 hours, Song Division had 250 employees thinking about ice-cream in a completely different light! Using both large and small group work, everyone mixed sweetness with creativity to produce a seriously more-ish song.
The CEO loved the song so much that he asked for a rough mix immediately after the session to weave into his presentation pitched at his global colleagues.
Like turning water into wine, Song Division helped this leading brand make ice-cream even sexier to the ears, eyes and taste buds of it’s most important resource – it’s employees!
Sales Kick-offs for Fortune 500
April 22, 2010
Song Division provided the team building and entertainment at four sales kick-off’s across the USA for Fortune 500 company Pitney Bowes. Groups sizes ranged from 150 to 350. The Song Division musician’s credits included David Bowie, James Brown, Michael Jackson and Lenny Kravitz.
Read what the organizers had to say in two industry publications: “Event Solutions Magazine – For Successful Events, Meetings and Incentives”, and “Successful Meetings Magazine”.
MPI’s European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC)
April 18, 2010
Song Division provided the conference energizer and closing party entertainment at the European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC) this year in Malaga, Spain. Attendees included Europe’s leading meeting planners and suppliers. After lunch on the first day, attendees had 30 minutes to write and perform a completely original song about their experience in Malaga and the future of the events industry with the help of the Song Division band, consisting of musicians that have played with the likes of Queen, The Who and Lionel Richie.
The amazing Song Division band also doubles as one of the world’s premier party bands, The FABBA Girls. They are so good Rod Stewart had them play his wedding! Donned with white sparkling ABBA outfits they took the stage at the gala dinner closing party in Malaga’s historic bullring, where the dance floor was rushed by 400 people before the first words of the song were sung. Thanks EMEC and all the attendees!
“I would like to thank the entire Song Division crew for an awesome job done!
The conference has been a big success and you have played an important part in this. I would like to thank you all for your help, enthusiasm and support. It was a sheer joy to see you guys perform on stage. You truly master this.
You guys are really able to connect with an audience instantly and I was impressed by what could be done in such short amount of time. And did you see how quick the dance floor was filled on final night? I don’t think it even took 7 seconds to get everyone out of their seats and on to the dance floor dancing the night away on Abba tunes!
We have some preliminary scores in for the conference energizer on Monday March 1st and they are really good. So far the satisfaction with this session is 5.3 out of 6. I will make sure to send you the final results, but the scores so far are great.”
Miranda van Brück
Knowledge Manager
Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
Here are some industry blogs and press on the event:
1) M&IT Magazine UK:
2) Paul Bridle – the leadership methodologist:
Click here to read Paul’s blog on the Song Division’s conference energizer at EMEC
3) Tweets
” max schreuder created basic chord progression onstage w/ songdivision for emec” “16 Mpi singers on stage cocreating a song – make it and they will come” “…song now being recorded live onstage!” Ruud W Janseen“Thanks to the guys at Song Division” Paul Bridle
4) Photos from the songwriting
Uploaded by Rudd W Janseen to Twitter
5) Photos from the evening entertainment with the Song Division band
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- M&IT Magazine UK blog about Song Division’s conference energizer at the 2010 European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC) in Spain
Switzerland Tourism
April 17, 2010
Switzerland Tourism called on Song Division to educate some of their top clients in the UK on the various regions of Switzerland through a ‘rocking’ event. Forty clients along with industry journalists entered Metropolis Studios in Chiswick, London where Queen, The Verve and Amy Winehouse have recorded (and yes, where Kate Moss got busted!)
Armed with the Song Division band, featuring musicians that have played with Rihanna, Joe Cocker and Christina Aguilera, the participants formed four groups of ten and each wrote a fabulous song about key destinations within Switzerland. The winning song was given the full recording treatment and the winning team won a trip to ‘The Blue Balls Music Festival’ in Lucerne!
Click on the video below to see highlights from the four songs:
“Our guests and Swiss partners were somewhat sceptical when introduced to the concept and faced the challenge of composing and singing a song. However, as the evening and the session progressed, all guests and partners involved, threw themselves into it and by the end of it were singing away with no care in the world and all agreed it was an unforgettable experience.
Thanks to Song Division we were able to give clients a truly memorable and event and they managed to adapt their case to our needs, in this case having 4 different teams writing a song each, competing for the ‘best song’ prize and get their song recorded in the winning tune ‘Which land? Switzerland!!’ might not be going for the Swiss entry Eurovision, however that did not matter one bit, and together with a truly talented band it just rocked, and everyone went away humming the song and had Switzerland going around in their head for days! I can most certainly recommend the services of Song Division, a very professional team, who will deliver creative concepts no matter what surroundings or group size. Keep on Rocking!!” Urs Treuthardt, Manager Meetings & Incentives, Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau (UK Office)
Links to press & photos of the event
Aussie BBQ for “Disadvantaged Young People” Initiative
March 22, 2010
A massive thanks to everyone who came to Song Division’s inaugural “Aussie BBQ”!
The aim was to raise awareness and funds for our songwriting workshops for disadvantaged young people. 140 of you enjoyed the spectacular weather, with the amazing Song Division musicians providing the outdoor entertainment, a jumping castle for the kids, barefoot bowls and stunning views of Sydney from the Waverton Bowling Club.
It was such huge success we’re going to make it annual event! Looks like it will be in January. More information on the initiative for disadvantaged young people to follow shortly.
Experiential Marketing At Toronto’s Premier Recording Studio
February 10, 2010
Song Division had the pleasure of running it’s third event with the fabulous team from VisitBritain. This time it was in the legendary MetalWorks Studios in Toronto, where Prince recorded “Musicology”.
30 of the Canada’s top travel executives and journalists wrote and recorded a rocking track in just three hours about Britain as part of a national marketing campaign. They were helped along by the amazing Song Division band, consisting of Earl Slick (Bowie, Lennon), Sterling Campbell (Bowie, B52′s, Duran Duran, Iggy Pop) and our US Music Director Angus Clark (Trans Siberian Orchestra). Check out video from the event:
VisitBritain previously used Song Division in a similar campaign for the US market, along with an event at the US Travel Associations annual conference, held at the amazing Banff Springs Fairmont, where 400 people wrote a song for the industry charity “Tourism Cares” in just twenty minutes! Below are links to more details on both events, including video clips:
USA Marketing Campaign:http://www.songdivision.com/services/experiential-marketing/ Song for Charity:
http://www.songdivision.com/news/tourism-cares-charity-anthe/
Song Written For Charity
December 15, 2009
Date: December 9th 2009
Venue: The iconic Fairmont Banff Springs in the Canadian Rockies
Event: United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA)
VisitBritain brought in Song Division to get their 600 guests at the USTOA conference to write a song about the industry charity “TOURISM CARES”, in just 20 minutes!
The Song Division band consisted of Earl Slick (Bowie, Lennon), Mark Hudson (Aerosmith, Ringo Starr), Gerry Leonard (Bowie, Rufus Wainwright) and Doug Yowell (Suzanne Vega).
Following the 20 minute interactive songwriting session, the band rocked the crowd with a set of classic British rock.
Check out the song (written in just 20 minutes by the conference guests) and footage from the event:
VisitBritain has also used Song Division for two highly successful experiental marketing campaigns in Canada and the US, resulting in over 35,000 hits to industry websites. See links below for more details, including video:
USA Marketing Campaign:http://www.songdivision.com/services/experiential-marketing/ Canadian Marketing Campaign:
http://www.songdivision.com/news/visitbritain-toronto/
Barnsey helps kids with cerebral palsy
September 29, 2009
Australian musical royalty joined in the fun at a Song Division session with kids from the Spastic Centre and their mentors from ING this week.
Jimmy Barnes and his daughter Elly-May surprised the kids when they turned up at the legendary Alberts Recording Studios in Sydney, to help record the song they had written with the help of the Song Division team.
The ING mentor program matches ING employees with young people with cerebral palsy. Over the course of a year, they help coach the kids personally and professionally and above all else, develop a friendship.
For the past 4 years, Song Division has run a songwriting and recording session to help celebrate and express the success of the program.
But the absolute highlight of the year it seems was having Jimmy sing their very own song! Jimmy and Elly-May (who also has cerebral palsy) were the perfect guests to celebrate the night and the song.
Two Awards
September 23, 2009
One award for VisitBritain’s Song Division-based experiential marketing campaign, and another for Song Division Australia.
VisitBritain’s Magellan Award
We are very proud to announce our client VisitBritain has won a prestigious Magellan Award from Travel Weekly for their Song Division-based experiential marketing campaign in the USA.
Full details of the campaign are at www.songdivision.com/services/experiential-marketing/
And award details are at www.travelweeklyawards.com/winners/
Song Division Australia
Our amazing Austrlian team have just picked up runner-up in the “Event Entertainer Of The Year” category at the 2009 illustrious BT Publishing E-Awards! There will be a feature on the team in the next edition of MICE Magazine which we’ll be sure to post.
Red Door Family Shelter
September 21, 2009
Every November, some of Canada’s best musicians perform at The Open Door Festival Music Festival to raises funds for Toronto’s Red Door Family Shelter. What better way to raise awareness for the festival than helping particapants from the shelter write their very own song with the help of Song Division and wonderful singer-songwriter Sara Kamin!
Around thirty young children, teenagers, parents and shelter workers wrote all the music and lyrics to a beautiful song about what the Red Door Family Shelter means to them.
Click on the image below to see footage from the day:
See the amazing work the Red Door Family Shelter doeshttp www.reddoorshelter.ca
Check out the details for the Open Door Festival, November 18th at www.opendoorfestival.com
Hear the angelic voice and songs of Sara Kamin at www.myspace.com/sarakamin
800 Faculty Write A Hit
September 20, 2009
Sheridan College, Toronto
Who says rock n rollers don’t like getting up early? Our Canadian band were soundchecking at 6.30am at the Missassauga Convention Center – led by Angus Clark (Trans Siberian Orchestra) their credits included Nelly Furtado, Norah Jones, The Temptations, The Philosopher Kings, Snow and Lionel Ritchie. As Angus likes to say, “they can make anyone sound good”.
And they had a talented group to work with – the 800 faculty and staff from Sheridan College. The mission? To write and record a song based on the new marketing slogan “Shine Brighter” in just 50 minutes. Using Song Division’s globally proven process for involving everyone (yes, all 800 people) in writing the music and lyrics to a totally original song, Sheridan recorded their very own hit before the second coffee of the morning.
David Bowie & Sponge Bob Squarepants?
May 13, 2009
British Tourist Board (VisitBritain) called on Song Division to spread the word throughout North America that now is a great time to ‘Visit Britain’ as the dollar is strong. 20 of the top tour operators from around the US along with travel industry journalists headed into the famous Legacy Studios in Manhattan, whose projects were nominated for 19 Grammys in 2008 alone.
The Song Division band consisted of our US music director Angus Clark (Trans Siberian Orchestra), Earl Slick (David Bowie, John Lennon), Mark Husdon (Aerosmith, Ringo Star) and Jason Gianni (Trans Siberian Orchestra and drummer on the Sponge Bob Squarepants theme – this credit received the most racaus reception of the day).
The participants wrote, performed and recorded a very rocking track called “Gotta Go To Britain” in just three hours. The event was filmed and is the centerpiece of a major PR campaign resulting in over 35,000 hits to the industry website in the first week of the campaign alone.
“Song Division enabled VisitBritain to extend our product marketing message to the vast travel industry community across the USA with a fabulously innovative approach. Professionally facilitated and executed, Song Division provided the perfect platform to deliver an energetic, creative and interactive campaign enabling me to bring industry leaders to the forefront and be the ‘voice’ of expertise within our B2B community.
This is a fresh and innovative approach to destination marketing and, in my opinion, an ideal solution for any B2B marketing. Thanks for expert guidance and creativity.” Carl Walsh, VisitBritain, Regional Director – Travel Trade, Business Visits & Events (Americas)
Click on the images below to see footage
2,700 people & an American Idol Star
May 13, 2009
Song Division helped 2,700 people write an original song in just 25 minutes in Miami as a conference energizer for a global pharmaceutical company. American Idol Star Michael Johns was guest vocalist. Take a look at the footage: