What’s better than working with some talented Leaders? Listening to them play some great music! Two of our Employees from Customer Relations/Rapid Rewards, Jerry Davis, Assistant Manager, and Jeff Skaggs, Operations Team Leader, are the driving force behind the band Floyd and the Writebacks.
The entire group has performed a number of times at Southwest Airlines headquarters for other Employees, and they were recently chosen to play as part of the Summer Sunday Concert Series at the Southwest Porch at Klyde Warren Park in downtown Dallas! In keeping with their desire to feature solo artists or duos only, the invitation to the band was limited to two people. As a result, “Floyd” and the rest of the group took the day off, so Jerry and Jeff (not to be confused with Jerry Jeff, for you country music fans…) appeared simply as The Writeb
Naturally, part of demonstrating Southwest Hospitality is being supportive of your Cohearts, so on Sunday afternoon, September 4, nearly two dozen Southwest Employees, from several Departments, spent part of Labor Day weekend “relaxing on the Porch” downtown. It was a hot and steamy afternoon, so sitting in the shade of the Southwest Porch, where they conveniently serve a nice variety of ice cold beverages, was a treat in itself. However, the real draw was the musical talent of our friends. Since we work for the ontime airline, Jerry and Jeff started promptly at 2 p.m. as scheduled. At first, the audience of Southwest Employees outnumbered the rest of the Customers at the Southwest Porch. Very quickly, though, that changed as the sounds of The Writebacks filled the air around Klyde Warren Park, drawing folks from elsewhere in the park, along with pedestrians walking by on the sidewalks.
The dynamic duo from Customer Relations played with Heart and passion for 90 minutes (minus a short ten-minute break), showcasing their instrumental and vocal skills. A big part of the feeling of Family at Southwest Airlines is fostered by shared experiences, and those can be both in and out of the workplace. In this instance, job titles and workgroup borders were forgotten as Friends gathered to enjoy some great music and each other’s company. And, based on the enthusiastic reaction of the crowd, everyone, especially the Southwest Employees, thoroughly enjoyed themselves and the music of The Writebacks! Although neither Jerry nor Jeff seem anxious to give up their day jobs (nor would we want them to!), the exposure they’ve gained by this Sunday afternoon gig is already leading to bigger and better things. Jerry told me the entire group has already been booked to appear at Klyde Warren’s large Muse Family Performance Pavilion adjacent to the Southwest Porch in October. Could a Grammy-award winning album be far behind?