Sweetwater

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. The full video is live now on the Sweetwater YouTube channel. Check it out at https://lnkd.in/e5QVpuMR. #WeAreSweetwater #FullTimeDream

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. See more at https://lnkd.in/ex5n6b9F. #WeAreSweetwater #FullTimeDream #InspiringWorkplaces

Sweetwater had the pleasure of welcoming one of rock’s most respected drummers for an evening that beautifully captured what makes this campus so special.   Presented by Drum Workshop, Inc. (DW Drums), Avenged Sevenfold drummer Brooks Wackerman brought his exciting new solo project, MISSOULA, to the Sweetwater Performance Theatre for an exclusive listening party and drum clinic, giving guests at the sold-out event a genuine first listen to unreleased music from his upcoming album before it reaches the rest of the world.   Brooks generously walked the room through the stories behind the music, broke down his grooves and arrangements, and delivered a warm and intimate clinic that put attendees right inside the mind of a master at work. It was an evening packed with incredible chops and genuine conversation.   This is what the Sweetwater campus experience is all about. It’s a welcoming destination where music happens, artists share the next chapter of their story for the first time, and our community gets to be part of something truly memorable.   #WeAreSweetwater #FullTimeDream #BrooksWackerman #MISSOULA #DWDrums

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. What is one core value or principle from your organization that has shaped the way you approach your career? #WeAreSweetwater #FullTimeDream #SweetwaterDifference #Culture

Sweetwater CIO Jason Johnson is featured in a new story from CIO Online and reporter Esther Shein exploring why cloud strategies have never been more complex or more critical than they are today.   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 with more services and more SKUs than ever, Jason describes the current environment as “genuinely one of the more complex times to be managing cloud.” Keeping up isn’t just a technical challenge; it’s a strategic one.   At Sweetwater, that means a clear-eyed focus on the second phase of cloud maturity: moving beyond migration and modernization and toward optimization, governance, AI enablement, and operational sustainability. Every workload is placed where it makes the most sense, with customer-facing systems positioned as close to the end user as possible.   Read more at https://lnkd.in/gBKEf8aT.   #WeAreSweetwater #FullTimeDream #CloudStrategy #CIO

Members of our Sweetwater team gathered at the Performance Pavilion right here on campus for a Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne Wall Panel Build and an experience that reminded us why community matters so much. Seeing teammates trade in their laptops and headsets for hard hats and hammers was uplifting. People who collaborate every day in the office showed up to build something real, something that will one day be part of a place a family calls home. It’s a powerful reminder of what we can achieve for others when we work hard together. To everyone who volunteered, thank you. Your time and effort mean more than you know. And a big thank-you to the managers who encouraged their teams to participate. That kind of support makes all the difference. We are grateful to Habitat for Humanity for continuing to give us ways to show up for our neighbors. We can’t wait to do it again! #WeAreSweetwater #FullTimeDream #HabitatForHumanity #HabitatGFW #GivingBack #CommunityImpact

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. #WeAreSweetwater #FullTimeDream

We were honored to support the MusiCares Mindful May event in New Orleans alongside an incredible community of artists, advocates, wellness professionals, and music industry leaders committed to caring for those who dedicate their lives to creating and supporting music. From yoga, meditation, massage therapy, and sound baths to meaningful conversations around resilience, healing, and mental health, the event created space for music professionals to pause, reconnect, and feel supported in an industry that rarely slows down. A heartfelt thank you to MusiCares, PJ Morton, and everyone who helped make the event such a meaningful experience. Supporting the wellbeing of musicians, creators, crews, and industry professionals is not a one-month conversation. It is ongoing work, and we are grateful to stand alongside organizations helping lead that effort year-round. #WeAreSweetwater #FullTimeDream

The recent Sweetwater National Band Expo brought together musicians, students, parents, and educators from across the country for a truly special event centered around music, growth, and opportunity. Seeing so many people explore an incredible range of step-up woodwind and brass instruments side by side, from piccolo to tuba, created an experience that felt both exciting and deeply personal. Students and performers had the chance to ask questions, compare instruments firsthand, connect directly with manufacturer representatives, and take advantage of special event pricing and financing offers designed to help make advanced instruments more accessible. We were also grateful to welcome members of the Music for All leadership team, who spent time supporting the event and sharing information about the Director Academy at the Bands of America Summer Camp. Most of all, we’re thankful to the many manufacturers and representatives who helped create such a meaningful experience for everyone who attended. Better Sax Pickett Brass and Blackburn Trumpets Buffet Crampon Conn Selmer Di Zhao Flutes Eastman Music Company Fox Products Corporation KHS America P. Mauriat Pearl Flutes Henri SELMER Paris Stomvi USA-usa Yamaha Corporation-corporation #WeAreSweetwater #FullTimeDream

In a recent conversation with Thirty Minute Mentors podcast host Adam Mendler, a nationally recognized authority on leadership, Sweetwater Chief People & Culture Officer Jeff Ostermann shared insightful perspectives on leadership, workplace conflict, and the importance of building cultures rooted in trust and communication. One idea that stood out is that conflict itself is not the problem: avoiding it is. Healthy organizations create space for honest conversations, active listening, accountability, and empathy long before challenges grow into larger issues. Great leadership is rarely about having all the answers. More often, it comes down to consistency, humility, and the ability to bring people together around shared purpose. At Sweetwater, culture has always been about people first. Creating an environment where employees feel heard, respected, and supported is foundational to strong teams, meaningful work, and long-term growth. Read the full interview at https://lnkd.in/eC76UANV. #WeAreSweetwater #FullTimeDream #Leadership #Culture