Stop 186: No Stopping Them Now
Barbara Pecirep '03 and Zachary Hurd '03 became musical collaborators as Wheaton seniors. The singer-songwriter team now performs widely in venues throughout New York and New England. In an exclusive NEWS@wheaton interview, the pair spoke of their origins at Wheaton that led to the release of their new CD, Parallel Lines.
NEWS@wheaton: Where did your group get its name?
Barbara: We call ourselves Stop 186 because that is the name of the bus we rode into New York City from Englewood, New Jersey, during January break of our senior year, when we did what we called a "performance internship."
NEWS: A performance internship. Sounds intriguing. What's that?
Barbara: We stayed with our good friend Lucy Abramson '03 and commuted from her house to the open mics that we researched and scheduled every night for a week in Brooklyn and Manhattan. It was a memorable experience because it was freezing at the bus stop and the bus wasn't exactly always on time. That "performance internship" sparked our interest and helped us decide to really pursue our music!
NEWS: What are your primary musical influences?
Barbara: Mine include pop, rock, soul, R & B and jazz; some of my favorite artists are Lauryn Hill, Etta James, Alana Davis, India Arie, Dido, Stan Getz, the Beatles, Elton John and Billy Joel.
Zach: I've been influenced by pop, folk, hip-hop, rock and the blues, and some of my favorites are James Taylor, Coldplay, Jack Johnson, Bruce Hornsby, Incubus, Outkast and Steel Pulse.
NEWS: I understand your legendary duo was formed at Wheaton.
Barbara: Yes, we have been friends since freshman year. Zach lived in McIntire that year (1999-2000), and I lived in Young. We had mutual friends and similar interests that brought us together. Although we both were involved in numerous activities at Wheaton, we managed to maintain our friendship the whole time. In the beginning of senior year, when things couldn't have been crazier--deciding next steps, final performances, final projects, etc.--we collaborated on a passion we both share, music. It was both the worst timing and the best.
NEWS: The best? Was that because your friends at Wheaton--and your undergraduate experiences--helped you get started?
Barbara: Oh, yes! The story of how quickly things took off seems unreal. As president of the Wheatones, I had acquired project management skills. Our friend Sheila Kiely '03, an art major, took some photographs of us. We also recorded a demo with someone we'd met through Matt Talbot '03, a fellow Wheaton musician.... Both of us learned the importance of networking and gathered all of our resources in and out of school. By graduation, we had established a following at Wheaton, playing the Lyons Den and Loft regularly. As the demo circulated among friends, family, and strangers, we started getting some serious attention. The Thursday after graduation, we were booked to play the Bitter End in New York, and we haven't stopped since.
NEWS: What's next?
Zach: The CD [with guitar and vocals] is a stripped-down version of our music. In the future, we hope to add a fuller sound with the help of a producer.
Barbara: Both of us are on a mission to make this music our career. Our accomplishments in a year's time are really quite exciting. The support of the Wheaton community has contributed greatly to our success and has certainly encouraged us to pursue our dreams.
NEWS: One last question.... May I have your autograph?
Contact Stop 186 at their Web site