Chords of connections: Plainville colleagues find harmony through lunchtime jam sessions

Thermo Fisher Scientific colleagues Katie Krause and Patrick Schepis had a casual conversation recently that hit just the right note. As they chatted in the hallway at the viral vector manufacturing facility in Plainville, Mass., they discovered a common interest: a love for guitar. The very next day they brought their instruments to work and had an informal lunchtime jam session.

A crowd of colleagues soon gathered around them. Katie, a site project coordinator, and Patrick, a systems infrastructure engineer, were taken back some began to ask if they could join the session. Nearly a dozen colleagues brought their instruments the following week, mostly guitars and even a saxophone, and it was the start of an all-out, colleague jam session from then on. 

 

After finding their rhythm, the musicians rehearsed a few songs, including "Wonderwall" by Oasis and "Country Roads" by John Denver. Their weekly sessions, which they call "JamBams," has helped bring an inspiring and harmonious spirit throughout the workplace.

 

"Providing colleagues with a platform at work to showcase their hobbies and connect with others who have similar interests enhances the atmosphere in Plainville,” said Kevin Joshi, guitarist and staff program manager. “In my opinion, it fosters a friendly and fun culture and makes it more than just a ‘workplace.’" 

Building bridges through music

These colleague-led jam sessions provide more than just an enjoyable way for the colleagues and their audience to spend over lunch. "We have roughly 300 colleagues at the Plainville site, and many of us are often in our own silos,” Katie said “The JamBam sessions have been a wonderful way to make connections beyond colleagues we work with regularly and bond over something that brings us all so much joy – music."

Colleagues are also finding that their musical meetups are enhancing their work experience.

 

"I’ve been with the company for about seven months and I mostly interact with those that either sit in my area or that I have worked on projects with,” said guitarist and bassist Rick Rose, validation engineer. “After the few sessions, I am interacting with more colleagues than I previously had before. It's been great to meet so many new people." 

 

While the initial gatherings were made up of skilled musicians, the group encourages colleagues of all skill levels to join – including those with no experience. "Jamming, by definition, is a collaborative experience. The more the merrier," Kevin said.

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