PLEASE DONT STOP THE MUSIC.

The benefits of music are widely reported; reduction of stress and anxiety, mood bosting and increasing memory and attention are just a few of the benefits. Studies have also shown that listening to music at work boosts productivity by 15% - which is why we at Top Banana find it so important to have some background tunes on throughout the day. That being said, many of you will know those people that get in to work, pop their headphones on and don’t surface until lunchtime. This is great for them, but what about everyone else? Maybe we want to engage with them, maybe we’d like what they’re listening to, maybe we wouldn’t and they’re doing us a favour... Either way – the office playlist can be a minefield.

“Who’s the DJ” “Who’s got control” “What is this playlist?” “TUNE” “Can you turn it down a bit, I’m on a call” “Can you turn it up a bit” “I really like this track, who is it” “What on earth is this s**t”

These are just some of the phrases and comments that spring to mind when I think back to being in the office (anyone remember that place?). Since we’ve had communal speakers it’s very rare that there is silence, and if there is, it doesn’t take long for someone to pipe up and put a playlist on - either to add a calming tone to the day or give us something to have a little dance to (which often finds its way on to someone’s Insta story).

It’s easy to get stuck in a groove with music, you know what you like, and you know what you don’t. More often than not you reach for your go to playlists, stations and artists when turning on the tunes, but the office playlist is often a great place to open your mind to music and find something new that you might just love.

Don’t tell any of my fellow Bananas but working from home means I’m kind of missing the eclectic selection that makes its way out of the speakers on a daily basis. What I’m not missing though is the cat like renditions of Mariah Carey on a Throwback Thursday or being caught dancing like a loon and ending up on ‘the gram’.

As we settle into a temporary new normal, where a conversation in the kitchen has turned in to a catch up over Teams, we’ve also turned our attention back to what’s coming out of the speakers and have put together our very own Top Banana WFH playlist to both listen to and connect us as we work remotely. I can’t say I’m not going to skip a few tracks… but I’m definitely going to enjoy listening to music I probably wouldn’t have picked myself as I settle in to WFH life for the foreseeable future.

Never forget, at a time when it could be quite easy to go radio ga ga, music really does make the people come together! Please don’t stop the music, because what the world needs now is love and maybe this is the time that we teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. So say thank you for the music and don’t forget to shake it out – even at home.