In 2023, embrace the power of music to connect and inspire us with these 10+ music team building activities. Don’t worry – you don’t need to sing or even play an instrument to get in on many of these ideas! From creating a shared playlist to learning about the history of music to attending a virtual concert, these energetic ideas hit the right note even for camera-shy folks. For those who love to shine on camera, there are plenty of ideas here to show off your talents as well.
In this list, you’ll find:
- musical team building activities
- interactive ideas for virtual teams to build corporate culture
- innovative team building methods for adding energy to meetings
- harmonious ways to add fun to work video calls
- ways to keep your virtual team connected through music
1. Book a Music Evolution Virtual Team Building Experience – One of Our Favorite Musical Team Building Activities!
The interactive Music Evolution team-building session is Unexpected Virtual Tours’ most popular event! During the 1.5-hour experience, your team will participate in fun musical challenges. You’ll also trace the history of music with vibrant and knowledgeable guides. Plus, a Nashville-based virtual tour guide will give your team a live look at the Ryman Auditorium, home of the Grand Ole Opry.
Each participant will receive a Treat Box to enjoy during the session. Those kazoos and snacks will enhance the musical team building experience.
Pro-tip: many diversity and inclusion teams pick this event because it ties Black music history seamlessly into the fun experience. Learn more and book your session!
2. Host a Virtual Karaoke Party
In-person karaoke might still be a no-go, but virtual karaoke can be a lot of fun. YouTube has a seemingly endless catalog of karaoke songs for everyone to pick from to sing your heart out to. You can also play around with video call backgrounds to make it appear as though you’re singing on stage or at a karaoke bar. Or, if your song is themed, you can match your background with your song – for example, singing Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville” with a tropical beach Zoom background.
Ready to host your own virtual karaoke party? Get the step-by-step instructions with Wired’s guide: How to Throw a Karaoke Party on Zoom.
3. Give Team Meetings a Musical Start
Looking for a way to get everyone excited for weekly virtual meetings? Take turns having each team member play 30 seconds or a minute of a favorite song at the start of each video call. You’ll learn a little more about your colleagues while connecting and sharing with each other. Plus, allowing for a moment of fun and levity to songs at the start of a meeting can help everyone release some energy before buckling down for business. Encourage your team members to dance, groove, or even sing along if they’d like!
Pro tip: during each team meeting, have the person who played their music pick the coworker who will share a song the next week. For some inspiration, check out the 75 Best Baseball Walk-Up Songs of All Time.
4. Put on a Virtual Talent Show – One of Our Favorite Online Team Building Activities for Music Lovers!
Is your team full of secretly talented musicians? You never know who might’ve rocked the clarinet in middle school, or which of your accountants plays in a jam band on the weekends. Allow everyone’s talents to shine with a virtual talent show. Give each person 5 minutes to showcase their world-class musical skills. To encourage everyone’s best performance, let your remote team vote on a winner who will get to take the rest of the afternoon off!
Get creative with these 14 Fun Virtual Talent Show Ideas. For example, you could host activities like a “New Talent Show”, where everyone performs a “talent” they’ve never tried before, like songs, beat boxing or break dancing!
5. Create a Team Playlist
Back when songs on mix CDs (and mixtapes!) were all the rage, it was common for a group of friends to each pick a song to add to a mix. The end result was an eclectic playlist that reflected everyone’s unique personality. Bring this nostalgic idea back with a team playlist. With this classic idea, everyone can pick a favorite song and add it to a shared Spotify list. Or, if you’d rather not connect personal Spotify accounts with your coworkers, you can create a new team account and ask everyone to email you their song pick.
Learn how to create a Collaborative Playlist on Spotify with these instructions.
6. Host a Family-Friendly Musical Event
During the pandemic, many of us have gotten to know our coworkers’ children and pets a little better when they show up in video calls. If your company has a parents’ group or lots of employees with young children, consider hosting a family-friendly virtual music event. With a virtual music class geared toward little ones, everyone can move and groove together! Plus, this event will allow you to build corporate culture in just the same way that a traditional corporate family picnic might.
The Music Class offers free online musical resources such as interactive songs, music-themed printable coloring pages, and educational videos. Or, sign up for an interactive class.
7. Explore Hispanic History through Music
With Unexpected Virtual Tours’ Hispanic Heritage Month virtual team building event, your team can explore how Latin music has influenced the songs we listen to today.
Discover America’s untold stories of Latinx entrepreneurs, creators, and musicians! From the introduction of the guitar to modern pop icons, Latinx artists have strongly influenced music throughout history and today. During this experience, your team will participate in virtual field trips to important cultural sites. Additionally, you’ll engage in friendly competition through songs, trivia and other challenges.
Learn more and book your Hispanic Heritage Month team building session! Hispanic Heritage Month is from Sept 15-Oct 15 each year.
8. Host a Tiny Desk Concert – One of Our Favorite Music Team Building Activities!
Have you seen NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series? In these videos, well-known and up-and-coming musicians perform their music, many of them with unusual or toy instruments. Your team can play your own virtual tiny desk concert featuring full-size or toy instruments – the more unusual, the better! Pick a simple song that everyone knows, and spend a video call practicing creating music together. You’ll grow your teamwork and communication skills while having fun together.
Tap into your creativity with these 26 homemade instrument ideas. Create a DIY bell tambourine, a Pringles container drum, shakers, and more!
9. Participate in a Virtual Songwriting Session
Led by Grammy award-winning hit songwriters, this experience from Kidbilly Music will guide your team through the process of creating and recording an inspiring song. The experience begins with an entertaining musical and spoken introduction. Then, your team will work with a songwriter facilitator during a guided session. You’ll create lyrics, then melody. Finally, you’ll perform and record songs. Everyone will have the opportunity to sing, play percussion, and more – but there’s no pressure to perform. A fantastic way to improve team building.
Learn more and book your virtual songwriting session.
10. Attend a Virtual Concert
Attending a virtual concert is more than just watching a video of someone playing music – it can be a full experience. For example, attend a virtual symphony performance with your team. You can ship a box of charcuterie to everyone, and encourage people to dress up if they’d like. Whether you choose a jazz or punk rock performance, virtual concerts allow employees from all over the world to experience the connective power of music. Plus, a virtual concert is one of the inclusive music team building activities. It removes some of the physical barriers for those with mobility challenges or distance barriers.
Tech-savvy companies can even attend a concert in virtual reality. Learn why Rolling Stone says VR might just be the future of concert-going.
11. Turn Frustrations into Musical Moments
Over the last year, many people have grappled with significant challenges. Rather than holding onto feelings of despair, frustration, anger, or overwhelm, why not channel them into music? Get everyone on a video call where each person will gather household items and instruments – for example, a guitar or harmonica – or simply a trash can or spaghetti pot. Release your feelings by making a whole bunch of noise! This interactive songwriting event will get everyone happy.
Pro-tip: to prevent musical chaos, you can mute everyone on the call, and give everyone 3 minutes to make as much noise as possible. Or, take 30-second turns going off of mute. Bang, crash, strum, play, and wail to your heart’s content!
12. Log Into an Interactive Dueling Piano Show
Have you ever been to a dueling piano bar? It’s a fun, laid-back way to watch multiple musicians perform songs together in friendly competition. The pianists often take song requests from audience members. Plus, they encourage participation as well as singing along to the music. In this virtual dueling piano experience, the piano bar goes virtual! Your employees will love engaging with this live, interactive dueling piano experience.
Learn more and book an interactive dueling piano session here.
13. Organize a Group Meditation Session with Soothing Songs & Ambient Music
When combined with meditation or a mindfulness exercise, calming songs and music can help transport us into a state of ease and flow. A virtual meditation session with soothing songs can help workers break out of their routine and provide a powerful experience. Check with your local yoga studio or meditation center to see whether an instructor can offer a guided virtual experience for your group. Even something as simple as closing your eyes and breathing on a group call can be an exercise in vulnerability and trust.
If you’d rather go the DIY route, choose a simple breathing exercise to guide your group through, combined with a relaxing meditation playlist.
Nurture innovation with these musical team building ideas, and you’ll be well on your way to creating harmony in your organization.
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