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.
Sweetwater has launched the Mesa/Boogie Build Your Boogie visual configurator, developed in close collaboration with Mesa/Boogie to bring an unprecedented level of customization and inspiration to the online gear experience. From finishes to furniture, the tool integrates a wide range of options with visuals designed to reflect each choice as closely as possible. While other retailers may offer static representations, this configurator stands apart for its depth, flexibility, and attention to detail. It was built entirely in-house by Sweetwater’s engineering teams to handle the complexity that comes with truly personalized amp builds. At its core, this is about creative momentum. As musicians, the right piece of gear can spark something new. Giving customers a way to explore, visualize, and connect with their ideal setups helps turn that spark into something real, with more models and options already on the way.
At Sweetwater, giving back is something we do together. Our annual giving vote is underway, inviting employees to help direct additional support to three nonprofit partners that are making a real difference in the music community: Free Guitars 4 Kids, United Sound, and MusiCares. Since launching this program, we have contributed to six organizations, and last year more than 2,000 votes were cast across the company. Each vote helps shape how our contributions are shared, supporting everything from access to instruments and inclusive music education to critical health and human services for those behind the music. We look forward to celebrating the results and the impact these organizations continue to make in the lives of musicians everywhere.
Being a good neighbor means showing up in ways that matter to the communities around us. In Arizona, our team has been doing that through the Sweetwater Student Showcase series at the Music Instrument Museum, giving student musicians the chance to perform during Signature Event weekends. From the Gilbert Town Fiddlers during Experience Ireland to the Orquesta Juvenil Latino Caribeña during Celebrate Latin Jazz, these moments created real impact for students and audiences alike. This work reflects one of our core philanthropy pillars, helping to create more musicians, and is part of a broader effort by our Arizona Fulfillment Center team to stay engaged locally. We’re proud of the many ways our team continues to invest in students, music, and our communities. Learn more about the Music Instrument Museum at https://mim.org/.
We recently partnered with Music Will to launch the National Instrument Fund to help 34 under-resourced schools start or expand music programs with the instruments they need. Nearly 4 million students in the US lack access to music education, with access to instruments being one of the biggest barriers. More than 300 schools applied for this fund, underscoring both the scale of the need and the opportunity to do more. Guitars, drums, keyboards, and sound systems will be delivered to classrooms across the country in the coming weeks, giving more students the chance to explore music, build confidence, and develop skills that carry far beyond the classroom. This work continues to build on a shared commitment to helping create more musicians and expanding access to music education nationwide.
It was a pleasure connecting with so many artists, producers, and industry professionals at ASUPROX. Thanks to our friends at inMusic, we were able to help hundreds of students and creators get hands on with some of the best tools in music and audio production. Hosted by Arizona State University, ASUPROX brings together music, technology, innovation, and business in a way that feels both immediate and forward-looking. It is a space where emerging talent and established leaders can connect around what is shaping the future of the industry. Built on the belief that proximity is power, the conference creates real access to ideas, tools, and relationships that move careers forward. We are proud to be part of it and to support the next generation of music makers.
