REAL PEOPLE

SYNC Inc. - How About A Hand! 1975

The Story of Peter “Sync” Bruno



Peter Bruno, better known by his stage name Peter Sync, is one of the many unsung voices of the 1970s—a musician whose only known recording, How About a Hand!, has been rediscovered nearly 50 years after its creation. The album offers a rare glimpse into the life of a talented yet troubled artist who never had the chance to fully share his music with the world, yet whose work carries a profound emotional weight that lingers long after the final note fades.

(Peter & his brother Spencer)

Born in 1950 in New York, Peter grew up in a musically inclined household where his early exposure to music fostered a deep and lifelong connection to sound. His first instrument was the accordion, but it was the piano that truly captured his imagination. Peter’s transition from accordion to piano marked the beginning of his journey into the rock and pop music of the 1960s, which would shape his artistic identity. By the time he graduated high school in 1968, Peter was already immersed in the local music scene, playing in bands and writing his own songs. His love for The Beatles, particularly the experimental richness of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The White Album, had a profound influence on his musical style, shaping his compositions with complex structures and emotional depth.

In the early 1970s, Peter took a bold step toward his musical dreams and moved to Los Angeles, hoping to break into the competitive industry. But his time in L.A. was tragically short-lived. Within a month, Peter’s escalating psychotic episodes—triggered in part by his experimentation with mescaline, LSD, and heroin—overcame him. Recognizing that his son needed support, Peter’s father brought him back to New York, cutting short the dream of becoming a rock star. Still, Peter’s creative drive never waned. Instead of retreating into despair, he channeled his energy into writing and recording music from the quiet confines of his family home.

(early days of Peter playing the accordion)

Between 1972 and 1975, Peter wrote and recorded the five tracks that would eventually comprise How About a Hand!. These recordings, made at quiet famous Minot Studios (White Plains, N.Y.), were a reflection of his inner world—a place where he sought solace in music amidst the turbulence of his mind.

It was in this isolated space that Peter’s older brother, Spencer Bruno, a professional musician and Music Director of the Lester Lanin Orchestra, stepped in to help bring the project to life. Spencer recruited a select group of top-tier New York session musicians, including a trumpeter from the Ray Charles Orchestra, while contributing his own saxophone and clarinet to the mix. Despite the involvement of these accomplished musicians, the album’s arrangements were entirely Peter’s work, meticulously written out, with no room for improvisation. This attention to detail highlights Peter’s deep sense of control over his artistic vision—an attempt to preserve his identity through music in a world that often felt beyond his grasp.