|
From Wall Street to Rock Music As if the excitement of the fast-paced securities industry were not enough, Peter Veru '85, a member of the University's board of regents, is making a name for himself as a rock musician. Pete, who has been working on Wall Street for 14 years, is enjoying the self-titled debut album of his band, Feathermerchants, on Innocent 12th St. Records, a label he created. So far, the record has been released on the Internet only (Amazon, CDNOW, cdUniverse). It will be available in stores in February in a distribution deal with Rykodisc. Three of the songs from the album are available for digital download on MP3, AMP3, Riffage.com and IUMA.com. Upon its release, "Feathermerchants" was the 17th most-added record, nationally, on the College Music Journal charts. One song, "Water and Dreams," was selected for the soundtrack of the independent feature film Above Freezing, starring Mike O'Malley (who had a short-lived comedy series on NBC this fall), and received the Audience Choice Award at the Seattle International Film Festival.
Pete didn't begin playing music until he bought a $150 Washburn guitar at age 29. He now owns 130 instruments in the guitar family. Moreover, he's become obsessed with fulfilling his lifelong dream of being a musician. He commented on his recent odyssey to a group of Barney School of Business students attending last year's Veru Symposium, which he created and funded in honor of his father, T.D. Veru. Telling them that he had picked up the guitar only five years earlier, Pete noted that he was glad he waited until his career was in high gear and he had the financial resources to enter the music business on his own terms. Currently managing director of high-yield sales and training for TD Securities (USA) Inc., a subsidiary of Toronto Dominion Bank, Pete previously was with Bear Stearns. The band is planning to celebrate its debut album with a performance at the University in December, the details of which are still being worked out. Pete's roommate at the University, Drew Glackin, plays bass and lap steel guitar on the album. Guitarist Jim Chapdelaine and drummer Jon Peckman are also veterans of the Hartford music scene and look forward to returning to their roots. |
Pete says Feathermerchants offers a world-music take on modern rock, noting that the band features twin guitar/bouzouki instrumentation and female co-lead singers. The band's chief songwriter, Pete plays the bouzouki in Greek and Turkish styles, giving the music a decidedly Middle Eastern flavor. The track "Runaway" features wailing vocal backup by the Moroccan gnawa singer Hassan Hakmoun.
