YEARS BEFORE PETER Stroud set his sights on playing the guitar for a living, his father gave him a few non-musical pointers that would prove invaluable. “He told me, no matter what you do in life, be a good listener,” Stroud says. “That always stayed with me, the idea that you don’t always have to say something just because you can, and you don’t always have to be the first person to talk. Learn to read the room. Try to understand the people you’re dealing with.”
For Stroud, communication skills are as important as musical chops, especially when it comes to his long-running role in Sheryl Crow’s touring band as both guitarist and musical director.
“Sheryl is a dear friend, so we have that kind of relationship,” he explains. “On the other hand, she’s also my
