Prepare to Pivot 23-10 with Peter Bottros & Cal Weary

3:19PM Nov 28, 2023

Speakers:

Jeffrey Schiffman

Andrew Barnes

Peter Bottros

Cal Weary

Keywords:

arts

peter

music

kids

community

job

passion

work

coming

college

taught

barnes

diamond

amazing

deepest emotions

people

art

shine

stage

living

prepared to pivot is a series of conversations with Dr. Andrew Barnes, Dean of the School of the Arts, communications and Global Studies at your college of Pennsylvania. Dean Barnes talks with leaders in the college YCP alums and members of the York community about the importance of the liberal arts in preparing students to build careers where essential skills like critical and creative thinking, effective communications, and analytical reasoning make all the difference. And now here's Dean bar.

sigh This is Andy Barnes, and welcome to prepare to pivot. today. I'm really excited. I have two guests today, Cal wiry, who is the CEO of wiry arts group here in New York, and Peter Boutrous, who is the founder of shine Music Foundation. And I'm super happy to have him because we're going to talk about the benefits of art in music education, to the community. So welcome callin Peter. Thanks for coming on the private guests. Thank you. I just wanted to start. Just give us your story. Peter, I've heard your story about 6 million times because it's a great story. And everyone likes to hear it. So just give me a kind of certain version of your story of who you are, why you're here. What's the shine Music Foundation all about?

Sure. Thanks for having us. So I'm originally from Egypt came here when I was 10 years old, we moved to New York, Pennsylvania, and went to Central York High School, and then graduated, then went to Penn State York. Music was a big passion of mine, started my first big concert in 2016. And then after that, pretty much became a nonprofit foundation, providing free music to inner city kids. So we've been doing this for probably almost 10 years now. And it's been an amazing experience.

And you have a new building that you have in downtown New York. Where's that? And what if people wanted to kind of see where you are? Where is that

we are right on? It's clear. And it's on to east market street. And we're looking to open in the next two or three months or so cool. And

where are you now before we're, if people wanted to get in contact with you, how can they get in contact.

So right now we're at four Oh, wait less Market Street, which is the union Lutheran Church. And they can always contact me through Facebook, we share all of our news and classes and concerts, and everything we do with our kids and community on Facebook, Peter Botros. Cool, and

I'm happy to be sitting on your your education partner, one of your subcommittee's for your board, which is a thrill for me to do. So I think the work you're doing is pretty amazing. And it's essential work to be done in the community. So Kelly, you you've been around a while, but ever right forever you are. And you have a great radio voice. Oh, thank you. So tell me about your group, your your.

So our group. So I'll preface to say that I haven't gone to your college graduate. That's great. I grew up on this campus. So your Country Day School graduate, started your Country Day School age for nursery and basically grew up on this campus. So it's wonderful to be back to do something like this special buddy Peter here. It's significant to bring that up because the training that was received and the respect for the arts that we had at your Country Day School really was a precursor to what I do with my life. I spent a lot of a lot of days in this radio studio, a lot of days in the library here and other places on campus where I learned about media and learned about, you know, music and the things that I love my company different from Peters Peters as a nonprofit. This is the perfect relationship that we have. He's a nonprofit, I'm a for profit company, and primarily we work with is performing arts in all of its forms. We direct musicals and plays both licensed and original, and create. We work in schools. Currently our major contracts are with York Academy and York, Georgia Tech, otherwise known as York High School Technology. And in Harrisburg, we have the cavalry school, the arts. So we do multiple things for each one of these schools. Basically, ala carte with they don't have we bring in. So it's really important to state that working with a for profit and nonprofit allows us to kind of cover all the bases. And our main objective is to do art for art's sake. It's not necessarily art, trying to perpetuate some other thing. It's art because art builds us. Well. Yeah,

I think that's the important part that it's, you know, art people sometimes look at art and think of us it's kind of a nice fun thing. It's an entertaining thing to do, but it has some real good beneficial consequences to community, especially to kids in community. I mean we have lots Have a report about what it lots of survey studies about what it does to a student's social skills, guess what it does to their learning skills, especially if a student is coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, they don't have a lot of support. Art can really, really does a lot to advance what they, what they can do, and it helps them in their further education, they're more likely to go to college to finish school. So it's a good thing, and I'm going to talk about that, talk about the benefits of art. But I just wanna remind everyone that this is Andy Barnes, and you're listening to prepare to pivot on W VYC. And my guest today are Calgary and Peter butchers, Peter, I know I get your name wrong, everyone's on. But I try my friend. So talk to me about what are some of the outcomes you guys see, in your when you're working with students? When you're working with community members? What do you do you encounter sort of transformational moments in some of these in these kids lives? And can you give us a couple of stories about those, those transformational moments,

we've seen some major impact in the last couple years, I've had kids, you know, since they were eight years old, and now they're 1516 years old, playing full on concerts with me on some of the biggest stages here in New York. So being able to see that growth in them, has been my biggest reward, to be honest with you. And we just have so many stories throughout the years. But you know, what's really cool about the art is it really brings people together, physically, whether it's an art gallery, museum, concert halls, and also like culturally to, you know, brings all different types of diverse groups, for one common goal. And, you know, what's really awesome about music is like, it's a way for us to share our story. And that's kind of what I've been doing here. When I came to this country, I was able to share my story through music through the piano. And it really, you know, promotes expression and creativity. And it's a way for us to really articulate our deepest emotions. You know, one of my favorite quotes is, if, when, when, when, when, when words fail, music speaks. And for me, a lot of people know, I'm not a guy of many words, but like, I'm not a guy. When it comes to music, and being on a piano, I can really express my deepest emotions.

You've talked about before, and when I've heard your story that there is some of the kids you work with, that they get up on stage, and they have that moment kind of in the limelight, when maybe most of their life, they didn't have that kind of light shined on them. Right, yeah, then you give them that moment. And then there's this, this kind of recognition that what they're doing is special. So what they're doing is seen when a lot of times these kids are not seen. I think that's pretty awesome. Yeah, I think that's pretty amazing. It's really amazing

to see what goes on with the shows. And after the shows our last concert was at the JCC. And after the show, literally people came up and took pictures with them. Some even some of our kids even signed autographs, you know. So my job is to really create opportunities for them, to be onstage and to be heard and to be a voice and to express their feelings. That's what music is all about. Being able to share your feelings, your story, what you're going through,

and what a great validation now you can share your feelings, and people aren't going to shut you down for aren't going to criticize you for it, people are going to applaud you for it. The more you kind of open up the more you kind of share when you when it comes to arts when it comes to music, the more you reveal of yourself and are vulnerable. Yeah, that's what people appreciate. And to have that appreciation teaches someone a to have these feelings is okay to do this as okay. And I think that's kind of that's kind of amazing, something Cal you so you work a lot with universities and college or some we work with,

I mean, everybody all ages. But I would say that the majority of my work has been with high schoolers and middle schoolers, high school and middle schoolers. Early in my career. I was always the guy who ended up with the youngest group of kids because I just think gravitate towards me. And

what happens your personality you might be magnetic personality,

you know, it's true teddy bear. But what happens is all those kids get older, right? Yeah. And what I've experienced because I've been doing this for so long as now I have the children and the grandchildren of people who I originally taught, which sounds crazy because

it makes you old 80

years old myself No, but I really am experienced that. And because especially in this community, because of being a part of the schools that I'm that my company is a part of. I am getting to see not only those generational opportunities for families to be a part of the arts, but also to be working in the arts, not just men, nothing wrong with just experiencing it. But I have people who my company is based on subcontractors that are former students of mine who have gone off, done training, been in shows and have come home, and now are giving their gift back to current students. And that's the most amazing part for me. A few years back, I had the opportunity to stand on stage with a young man who was directing his first musical. And I brought up the person who taught him and that person I had taught, so he was faced nice generation, okay, but even next step, the person who taught me was also. So in the in the arts, you know, especially when we have those family arts organ, like where we've created our family. We own that stage, we had literally the guy who taught me, the guy I taught, and the guy he taught. And the guy, the guy who was directing that show that day, was working also with the guy who for other projects, but the guy who taught me because it's a full circle dance if this family, right, yeah, the artist made that circle. And we often say when we did these little speeches, apparently, I can't wait till the day that one of your kids is up here like this with this guy, or this lady and can say, hey, that person taught me then still works with cow, you know, still working on some crazy project. And I think, you know, we become edified by the work that they do. I'm made Young, I'm made current by the work that I'm still able to do with these, you know, teenagers and 20 Somethings. And my programs have gotten older with the people as they've gotten older. So we have some stuff that's more adult than we do now. Because they grow up, they get past the point where they're the cute little kids and we love them. That's amazing that we have those opportunities to work with them. But then they get older, and we don't want them to age out of the arts, the whole idea is for them to have the art to be a part of their life forever. We need them to be patriarchs of the arts, because even the ones who don't go forward into into it being their career, we want them to still be giving to it still experiencing it, still living it well into their twilight years. It's the one thing like, it's the one thing that like when you're playing music, or acting on stage, dance can be kind of rough after a while. And dance can be rough. But there are still some we still do it being shows and musicals and putting together projects, they can keep doing that and keep supporting that, as a philanthropist says, as sponsors for those things for the rest of their lives. There's there was a study that was done that said, for every $1 million put into the hearts of the community $23 million comes back to that community. It's a threshold, you can't just put $1 and get $23 back. But reaching that threshold in the wholeness ways, whether it's monetarily or whether it's culturally, it requires a community that hasn't space forward to the arts. Not it's back turned?

Well, you know, I think this is this is interesting. This is important, because so many people, especially in community and business world, see the arts as this sort of add on thing, not a serious thing is that yeah, we go to this and it's nice, but they never think about the performers, they need to think about the people who are doing this for a living. And when I see when we were talking about the arts, and even the liberal arts in colleges, there's a lot of pressure these days, because it's not a serious thing. Your kid can't go to school to major in music or theater literature, because it's not serious, right, you're not going to get a job with that. And that's kind of what we're fighting against these these sort of political headwinds as it were, then we have to be kind of warrior saying, No, that's not true. You can go in and find your passion. If you want to go to college, or if you want to pursue music, or if you want to pursue theater, you can get a job you can still perform. But the idea is that you really need to follow your passion. Find what you're passionate about, and kind of ignore or fight against that sort of social pressure that you have to get a degree in business, you have to get a job and in order to be sort of counted as successful, but you have to have a meaningful job. And when these are very meaningful jobs, and people don't and our communities don't necessarily appreciate that, I realized that I

think my viewpoint would be that every single time someone says that I go, What is everyone working for me working for that? Which entertains that I try that which feeds them? So every business person, everybody who's working these other jobs? What are they spending every time they have one, I'm gonna go I'm gonna see a musical. We're going to watch my favorite musician play at the jazz club. You're spending your money on us that you've made somewhere else, so we're viable,

totally viable. Yeah. They're telling me this is again, this is Andy Barnes and you're listening to prepare to pivot on WV yc. My guest today are Cal wiry and Peter Boutrous. I want to sort of how do we you guys are doing really fantastic job because you are really on the front line. means of, of pushing for the arts of arguing for the arts of giving kids and what can what you can to say giving sort of generational understanding and appreciation for the arts. And it must be tough out there. Tell me about that, that sort of the struggle on how you how you sort of are fighting against or pushing against maybe is a better word that that kind of struggle.

So I'm gonna I'm gonna, like, because Peter didn't say it, but I'm gonna say it this way. Yes, I'm older than Peter. And I've been through some other things that are different. And I'm watching him kind of navigate some waters that I've been through, previous to him. And one of the things that I really feel blessed by having him as a friend and and also an ally, and a partner in this is that sometimes my older eyes will look at something and say, Oh, I know what they're going to tell you. And this is how they always handle it. If you do it this way, blah, blah. Whereas Peter might be like, Well, come on, I'm going to try it this way. And I think maybe it's the time for it now. Maybe 10 years ago, when I did this thing. It wasn't the right time. Maybe it's right now and he keeps me from being from being cynical,

right?

I was looking for different cantankerous, old cantankerous old man Who Moved My Cheese. Now, no, I don't want to be that guy I want to. So he keeps reminding me of the fact that amazing things can happen. You've done it before we can do it again, together, maybe we can finally do it the way we want it to. I do believe that in this town, there are those moments where people think they'll count you out when it comes to anything that you do. Because you because maybe they just think you're not doing. My company works more than I ever did before. But sometimes you don't know. Because we are behind the scenes, we are literally the production people. And that's the way we're supposed to be. You know, and I'm not making an excuse for it. But I love being able to work with shine. And, and we are scooping shine. You know, we share a lot of the same people, both artists and instructors. And it works for us. There's not a competition there. There is collaboration, we change that C word that you know. And some people don't necessarily get that. But if if I was going to see the toughest thing is really working in a community that sometimes, like you said, looks at the arts as an add on when it's not an adult. Right. It is the slide marriage. That's right. That's right. It is the primary primary, it is the number one thing, and what is the number one thing and you really live your life that way. It's weird for some people who wanted it. I have so many former students who are in their 30s. Now who are coming back, I have one young lady who drives back here from DC every weekend to help run shows. She's on Zoom calls with kids helping with their vocals, she graduated from Howard University, amazing vocalist, amazing director. And she comes back because this is her life's blood, she does something else for a living the pays are very well. And she spends her money on getting back and forth here. Because this is who she really is. I

think there's lots of people out there who you know, when they were young, or when they were in college told you can't do that, right. And so they held this kind of passion inside them and they got their business degrees, they got their accounting degrees is great. I have an accounting degree, it's not so cool, but but at least there's that it's really those professors, those people they meet that plant that seed that allows them when they're in their 30s, or the 40s ago, yeah, that's still there, I still want to engage that artistic part of me. And I remember that professor, that person who planted that seed, and I can sort of kind of go back and realize that, Peter, I think I'm glad and by what you're doing, because one of my biggest frustrations in this town in country is that there's a lot of money that goes towards businesses a lot of money to to endow businesses and, and those sorts of pre professional ready to work kind of jobs, but you're attracting a lot of tension. And a lot of people are looking at you in foundations and people with money. You're looking at you and going yeah, this is something important to do, then that makes me feel good because it you know, I can be cynical as well and think that it's all business all everyone just gives the business. What about the arts? And you're turning heads. And I think that for this community is pretty amazing.

Yeah, I know, we talked about passion and your passion will make your voice. And this is something that we're extremely passionate about. And we're going to do whatever it takes to make it happen. You know, I've been doing this for years now. Of course not as long as Cal but

it's an age thing again, man. That's right. Yeah.

Like for me, I'm not afraid of nose I'm not afraid of. I'm always thinking, Well, if this doesn't work, I'm gonna try something else. That doesn't work. I'm going to you know, rearrange things, do it a different way. But I'm going to find a way regardless, and it's so it's really important for me Need to really teach those kids, you have to find your passion, you have to find something that you truly love. Because if I didn't love what I was doing, trust me, I would have gave up a long time ago. Right? Right. York is not the easiest to create something this big. And but it was my passion. It's, it's, it's all I know, it's in me. You know, one of my biggest regrets is not going to college or music. Because of what you said earlier, my parents did not think that was a career. So, you know, I went to school for business, we own few businesses here, which has been a big help for me to work on my dreams work on my passions. And now to a point where, you know, thank God, people are now kind of, while we kind of see something here, yeah, we want to step in, and help. And for me, that that has been like, the biggest reward, you know, seeing people like yourself, being interested to help us out. I mean, that's huge man. So I do appreciate that. And just other community leaders and being able to talk to them and share ideas with them, and for them to really, you know, help us out. Yeah, has been a huge help. And, you know, for me, you have to see it, believe it in you eventually achieve it, that's always been my big thing, even before I started, I just knew was gonna be this really big thing. And I was willing to really work hard towards it. I don't care how long it took, how much time how much resources, I was willing to literally spend my last penny to make to make this work. And don't do that. We'll just never show it. You know, a lot of people see all the good stuff that happens, but looks at the sweat and tears. There's sweat and tears behind it. There's like, Man, why is it? Why did Why is this not working? I'm doing everything I can. But again, it was my passion that really kept

me going. That I would say that, you know that adversity? You know, what is it they say a pressure makes diamonds, irritation makes pearls. I always, always think about that. Because there's also another process part of the process to I mean, during the process of the pressure, before you become the diamond. And we're actually slightly after the diamond still not formed into the shape that we recognize the diamond cutter, I see what a diamond is, if you're not trade, you could see it diamond as a diamond, a huge one. And it would just look like a piece of broken glass. The job that we have right now, when it comes to the kids is seeing those diamonds and pearls in their roughest form, they've already the pressures have been applied to them, where they live, the irritations been applied to them, we're seeing them in their roughest form. And by applying what we have for them, it's shaving away those other little pieces. And even to get crazy with that. It's good metaphor keep going. There's pieces that fall off to the side that are still diamond, they're still they're still they're just, you know, they were getting rid of some of the stuff that makes you knew who you are to make you into the better you Yeah, and that is performing on stage literally doing that. Yeah, coming out of the pandemic, we could before we could say we have all these underprivileged kids in multiple places and rural areas and inner city, whatever. That same feeling was poured on even our privileged kids when we when personal connection was taken away from us. So with that happening, you have this kind of equalizing ground that comes that everybody needs connection, and arts are the best way I know, of creating that connection. It's true, they are it, there's something for every single person there. You know, whether it is if you're a science guy, there's science in the arts, if you're a if you're a math guy, there's math in the buildings, and music there's there's math, right. But if you are into history, or English, it's their lyrics and, and why we do what we do on the stage or why we do what we do when we write a song. And so I really do believe that like, those, those things that are there, people are now like opening their eyes to things that are happening with shine. We've always had a lot of folks who back that were yards group, right now they're saying, hey, come help us fix these problems we're having from being separated from each other.

So try it, I think I think that's everyone sort of are looking to the arts and humanities now after going through the pandemic because they lost something there. And they're looking for that sort of bit of humanity that kind of was lost during the pandemic, and where are they finding you? They're coming back to the arts, they're coming back to the liberal arts because we do allow self expression and also self examination. Who are we? It allows us to even ask those questions when your business person you know, you ask it when you're liberal arts or an arts person, who are you what are those really important questions as a person and in a community? I like this analogy that we know that artists, we are really resilient. We are tough people because we have to deal with a lot of rejection. But I like the fact that Khaled just speak to you on this, that we are the elders. Now, Peter, you are not, you're still young. And it's our job to kind of shine that and say, Hey, this is what you can become. This is what all that struggle is all about. I think that's, that's pretty noble. It's pretty noticed noble that both of you are doing

anything worthwhile in life. It's not easy.

That's right. That's true. One

thing I learned coming to this country, and we worked our butts off, right, and you know, we're reaping some of the rewards from it. But I teach my kids that all the time. You know, for me, music is cool. We love teaching music. We love doing performances. But I think I'm more excited about mentorship, more excited about changing their mindset, getting them in the right places. Give them hope, you know, all I had in this country was hope. So that's all we had here. But that was our driving force, you know, to make things happen.

It's true. You don't see many lazy artists. I mean, they're out there. But if they're successful, they aren't lazy or hustle and every their hustle and everything they're working. They're hustling. They're figuring out they're redoing they're trying to Yeah, they're hustling no

matter how we're you get arts groups can help you find your shine and the foundation schema.

That's an amazing foundation. Hey, thank you. I should work together YouTube. Cal Peter, thank you very much for doing this with me. I really appreciate it. And really, I appreciate the work you do and keep doing it.

Thank you so much. Thank you.

This program is produced in the studio's of WV YC FM, the voice of your college and produced by W VYC. Radio Station Manager Jeffrey Schiffman. join Dean Barnes monthly for these ongoing conversations about essential skills in the liberal arts.