Are investment professionals ready to rock?
Nancy Moynan hopes so. The owner of InConcert, a Toronto-based firm that specializes in team-building activities for businesses, Ms. Moynan began her career as a music teacher.
She used music to help children improve their self-esteem, encourage team building, and develop an appreciation for music. For the past 18 months, she has been doing the same thing for business groups.
InConcert has been invited to numerous corporate events in that time. Their clients have included the Toronto Stock Exchange; Lipton Monarch, a division of Unilever Canada Ltd.; Canadian Bank of Imperial Commerce; and Toronto Dominion Bank.
Ms. Moynan and her team of musical directors break large groups down into smaller "rock bands."
"Within five minutes of them being in the room," she said, "they are playing in a rock band" - even though most program participants have little or no musical experience. The first song that all groups learn is Katrina & The Waves' "Walking on Sunshine."
Although groups can be intimidated at the thought of having to learn to play instruments, most bands can learn their songs in five to eight minutes, Ms. Moynan said.
Each band develops a name, an image and a playlist. As participants work on sound and rhythm, InConcert tries to subtly impresses upon them how learning to make music together and building confidence relates to their professional lives.
The two-hour program ends with the bands performing for one another. Songs selected have ranged from rock classics such as Bachman Turner Overdrive's "Taking Care of Business" and The Topnotes' "Twist and Shout" to newer material such as Chumbawamba's "Tubthumping."
A Toronto portfolio manager who preferred not to be identified said that even though she had never played guitar before, she learned to play two songs in 40 minutes at an InConcert activity.
Her firm, which manages about C$29.5 billion (U.S.$18.9 billion) in institutional assets, is considering hiring InConcert for future activities.
