Firms That Rocku
Corporations and the Big Four are helping staff channel their inner superstar in the latest bid to foster employee engagement
by Lisa van de Geyn photos by Stephen Parry
the lights are dimmed and red and white spotlights beckon. Looking cool and relaxed in a pair of blue jeans and a black tee, 46-year-old D’Ugo grabs his guitar to play alongside the band’s singers, keyboardist, bassist and drummer. Their six-song set, which includes covers of K-OS’s “Sunday Morning” and Metric’s “Breathing Underwater,” has the crowd pumped — they’re dancing, singing and clapping to the beat. And when D’Ugo nails the legendary Eddie Van Halen guitar solo in Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” the volume cranks up to 11 with fans hooting and hollering. Given the musicians’ electric sound and stage presence, you’d think performing
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is their full-time gig. But it’s not. D’Ugo — the kick-butt, take-no-prisoners guitarist extraordinaire — is an accountant and senior manager at Deloitte in Toronto. In fact, this motley crew of CPAs, HR reps, risk service consultants and recruiters all work for the Big Four firm, and came together to rock out in what executives see as a valuable employee engagement-building venture. Operated by Toronto-based League of Rock, the program offers staff the opportu-
nity to join a band, get coached by professional musicians and put on a concert at local venues aſter a couple months of rehearsals. More importantly, it provides an outlet for creative-minded employees to bond with coworkers, network with col- leagues in other departments and take pride in representing their firm. Founded in 2007 by entrepreneur Terry Moshenberg and veteran drummer Topher Stott, League of Rock is a unique concept that’s gaining popularity with organizations
APRIL 2015 | CPA MAGAZINE | 27
NTHONY D’UGO, LEAD GUITARIST in the Toronto-based rock band Half Way to Disco, is kicking back on a red velour bench waiting to take the stage for an intimate concert on the second floor of the Hard Rock Café in the heart of Toronto. By the time the group’s set rolls around it’s just aſter 10 p.m. The house is packed, the beer is flowing,
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