Fun facts about Budsjam
A Bose Tradition
- Started in 1992 by Bud, in his basement, as an informal jam / hang-out with fellow Bose musicians. An overwhelming success!
- Recognizing that there were a lot of musicians in the company that don't ever get a chance to perform for a live audience, Bud saw this as an opportunity to encourage folks to join up with colleagues, enjoy the comradery and teamwork of a band setting, and perform together on a big stage
- Each year, 18 acts acts perform on the main stage for 20 minutes each, bringing musicians together from all over the company to perform together. It's not unusual to have bands forming with varied departments, such as: member of the Facilities group, a Chief Engineer, Marketing lead, Software Engineer, or Researcher
Expanding the Community
- In 2023 we established a more organized acoustic room including a posted schedule where performances alternate every 30 minutes, bringing more diversity into the event.
- Many parent / child acts have performed
- Musical styles have included: classical, jazz, soul, classic rock, surf, heavy metal, rockabilly, bluegrass, a performance by an all-bass orchestra, including washtub bass, and even a digeridoo!
- One year, a band of employees' children was formed, being mentored by more-senior musicians from the company
- We have had international groups perform from around the many Bose offices around the world, including Japan, Malaysia, and Europe
Venues, Live and Virtual
- Various venues have included:
- Outdoors at the Hudson Elks pavilion
- Indoors at the Elks
- The Sheraton Tara ballroom
- The Hudson Riverview Club
- Currently being held at the Verve Hotel
- We went virtual for two years during the height of the pandemic, with bands from across the globe submitting videos for a YouTube live broadcast
- The event regularly draws hundreds of people, who come out to support their friends, families, and colleagues
- It's always a large topic of conversation around the lunch tables for days after the event!