3rd July 2008

Sky chief backs Sky Media group's debut single

No prizes for guessing what'll top Jeremy Darroch's most-played list on his iPod this summer. The Sky chief has given a big thumbs up to our very own Sky Media band, End of Days, and their debut single Who can say?

"It really is a stunning track. I just can't get it out of my head," said Jeremy.

The new single which was written and recorded in a London recording studio was one of 24 produced as part of personal development plans. Sky Media's departmental objectives were focused on developing teamwork, engagement and empowerment, while fostering more creativity, and the recording event was seen as a good way of developing all these areas.

In all, 24 teams from Sky Media recorded a single. In many cases the individuals involved had never met one another before, and their knowledge and experience of the music industry was limited. They were guided through the process by Alchemy Personal and Organisational Development (APOD). They recorded their single in one day, using the morning to brainstorm and write the lyrics, and then recording in the afternoon. The teams will be judged on how many votes their singles have received on You Tube, as well as by the HR and Marketing teams, who will assess their teamwork, marketing strategy and creativity.

Worthwhile experience

The seven members of the group End of Days Saj Nazir, Eldred Rodgers, Thomas Mutter, Samit Patel, James Rice, Helen Richard and Alison Campbell said the recording day had been a great experience.

James Rice, one of the team members, said: "We've all had the best day's fun we could remember and we've learnt something too: that given enthusiasm and room to be creative, a bunch of individuals can meet up at the start of a day and get the very best out of each other, being supportive and focusing on one thing making the best track we could. In truth, we're actually elated with what we produced. It wasn't half bad, and while tricky to categorise as any musical genre, we could all imagine listening to it on the radio albeit some obscure pirate station in the North Sea!"