Meet The Queens Music Teacher Who Helped Shape Pixar's 'Soul'

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — From the curving track of the 7 train in Long Island City to the jazz clubs of Greenwich Village, the new Pixar movie "Soul" offers New Yorkers plenty of familiar scenes.

Queens families may also find that its protagonist, middle school band teacher and aspiring jazz pianist Dr. Joe Gardner, feels like a real person — and, if so, that was intentional.

Gardner's character was shaped with the help of Dr. Peter Archer, a middle school band teacher in Bayside and a professional trumpet player.

Archer was chosen as one of several music consultants who weighed in on the movie's characters, animations and script.

Archer, a Brooklyn native, received a bachelor's degree in trumpet performance and a master's degree music education from Queens College. He earned his doctorate from Boston University, with his dissertation focusing on the Aaron Copeland School of Music.

He inadvertently launched his teaching career thanks to a music education internship at M.S. 158 Marie Curie in Bayside during his time at Queens College. In 1986, was hired to teach music at M.S. 74 Nathaniel Hawthorne. He stayed there for 34 years and retired in June.

Archer also plays trumpet professionally, both in New York and abroad. He lives in Laurelton, Queens.

Bayside Patch spoke to Archer this week about what it was like to serve as a music consultant for "Soul" and what he hopes audiences take away from the movie.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

How did you first get involved with the movie? What was your reaction when you were asked to participate?

I was surprised and shocked. They apparently did a search, and they found me. I was approached mid-2018 by Pixar to come on board as a consultant. The entire experience with the project, with the team — director Pete Docter, [producer] Dana Murray, [director and writer] Kemp Powers — and sharing with the other consultants and traveling to Pixar to help shape the movie, it’s been educational. It’s been rewarding and a humbling experience.

How was it educational?

What was very nice to me as an educator and a person who loves to learn, Pete [Docter] gave us a PowerPoint presentation on how Pixar goes about making their films. Just to learn the various stages, what they go through, the steps, I thought was very powerful and I appreciated very much to get that insight. They gave me a tour of the place. I learned so much just to see it. We were actually able to see the steps unfold.

What exactly did it mean to be a consultant on the film? What did you share with them?

Pete Docter's famous question was, “Did I get this right?” I was giving advice. I was giving ideas. We were trying to make things realistic and help shape the movie.

For example, there was a scene at the club [the Half Note]. Initially, the piano that Joe was performing on, the keys were facing the wall. It was [musician] Herbie Hancock who pointed out that the piano needed to be shifted so that the audience can actually see the fingers on the keys.

Do you remember some pieces of advice or feedback you specifically shared?

With regards to the ending, it was very important to me that the audience see a reconnection with the kids in some way. Joe had a reflective moment. He had that moment where he reflected on what was important. What I mentioned to Pete Docter is that I thought it was very important that we somehow have a reconnection with the kids toward the end.

How does it feel to know what an impact you had on how this movie unfolded and how it turned out?

With this pandemic, and there’s so much negativity — just given the state of the world, I think this message was so important. This was not planned; the original release date was in June. That Disney was able to release this at this time, it’s something that was needed. I felt so good that, in spite of the difficulties of the day, that this message, this powerful message, was presented to the world.

What was your reaction when you saw the movie?

It was great. It was mixed, of course, it was emotional. I was very pleased. I was like, wow, look, this middle school teacher is being portrayed in a major Pixar film. It was a great feeling. My reaction was joy. I was so elated that something to make people feel good, make people reflect on where they are, to make people think about what’s important.

The movie shows a sort of tension between Joe Gardner’s passion for teaching band and his dream of becoming a professional jazz musician. What did you think of that depiction? Did that resonate with you?

Absolutely. That’s me. That’s my story, essentially. My passion was to become a professional trumpet player. I was a performing major at Queens College. My instrument was trumpet — that was my major. There was nothing in my mind in terms of pursuing a teaching career. I practiced every day for four, five hours. I did my recitals, my juries. From there, the next plan was to audition for major symphony orchestras. I just wanted to play, just like Joe. There was nothing in my mind that would make me want to teach. It happened — not by accident — but there was an offer at the time, the college had a music education internship program. The program required that you had to report to a middle school three days a week and the college paid for tuition. They planted me at Marie Curie, M.S. 158, in Bayside, and my advisor there was Anthony Soma, a band teacher who I credit for my teaching career and who has been a mentor. I had no idea that I would teach kids. I had this thing in my mind that they would not listen, and it was quite the opposite there. Just to see the enthusiasm, the willingness to learn, that whole thing blew me away. Instead of coming in three days a week, I came in every day. I started a brass ensemble, which met before school. I took over the orchestra classes, the band classes. I found my spark. [laughs] It was so fulfilling. I had no idea I would love teaching kids. The internship was two years. The second year I was hired at M.S. 74 and I stayed there for 34 years.

Another big part of the film is representation and diversity and the diversity of New York. What did that mean to you?

The entire team had a very important part in that. It was very important to show New York as it is. It was realistic in so many ways. You saw the 7 train in Long Island City. You saw the street lights. You saw the cultural aspect, with the Half Note there in the Village. It was important to me that that came through and that people would relate. There was a sense of authenticity. I thought it was portrayed so well, and it really enhanced the movie. It was very important to me that it got it right in terms of showing our city as it really is.

What do you hope families take away from watching the movie?

We should pursue things — we should have goals, absolutely — but there’s a greater purpose in life. We should not neglect the simple things, the daily living. We should appreciate small things. The regular living is important. We can have this thing in our mind — this preconceived idea, life goal — but it may not turn that way at all. You could later on find out, oh, there’s something else that I’m good. We should appreciate small things and not make our goals consume us to the point where we lose ourselves, we lose our humanity. I think that’s very important, especially with what’s going on now. We need to live and appreciate life, because it goes by so fast.

We just need to reflect. I think this pandemic has taught us a lot of things in terms of the value of life. Look how many people we lost. Life is precious. We should embrace it, try to be fulfilled, but not neglect the fact that we are to help others. That’s something we should pass on to our kids. We should live for the moment and appreciate the small things.