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Meet The NYC Music Teacher Who Inspired Disney-Pixar’s “Soul”

Have you watched Disney-Pixar’s newest movie “Soul” yet on Disney+? This movie, as we learned, was inspired by Dr. Peter Archer a retired teacher of 34 years.

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Credit: ABC7

In “Soul,” a music teacher from Queens named Joe Gardner is brought to life by animators from Pixar and the unique voice of Jamie Foxx.

He plays a fictional character, but he is based on a very real teacher.

Dr. Archer taught at Nathaniel Hawthorne Middle School 74 in Bayside for decades, inspiring generations of students, but he was surprised to get an e-mail from Pete Docter, the director of “Soul,” inviting him to the Pixar campus in Northern California.

“Pete repeatedly asked us, ‘Did I get this right? Is this correct?'” he said.

Members of Docter’s team traveled to Dr. Archer’s classroom to take photos and measurements, and the result is a real-life depiction.

“It’s very close actually,” Dr. Archer said. “They did a fantastic job.”

The veteran educator’s influence didn’t stop there.

“My passion as a musician is just to play, same as Joe Gardner,” he said. “And I think I found my spark, my love, if you will, my love for education, by accident.”

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In “Soul” much is made of trying to help others find their spark.

“That’s what resonated with me so deeply,” Dr. Archer said.

It resonated so deeply because he felt that Gardner’s arc was his arc.

“It was such a joy teaching all those years,” he said. “And for this to have happened was the perfect coda.”

Dr. Archer said the response from his former students has been “overwhelming and positive,” and some of those former students have kids of their own now and wrote him to express their gratitude and say he was the perfect choice to bring “Soul” to life.

Source: ABC7

About Jennifer Retzlaff

My name is Jennifer Retzlaff and I became a lifelong Disney fan during my first trip to Walt Disney World in 6th grade. From that moment, Disney became a big part of my life. I live in Iowa with my husband and two kids who are growing up too quickly for my liking. I started introducing my love for Disney early to my family with a Disney honeymoon and then trips when our youngest of 18 months. Since then, our family has been to Walt Disney World over five times and we continue to plan and dream for the next trip. I love the magic that Disney brings to people through the theme parks, cruises, adventures and movies they create. As a teacher, I try to bring that magic into my classroom to help kids believe that “If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It.” I recently reached a dream of mine as I joined Magic Vacation Planner as a personal travel advisor. With this team, I can now help others plan magical vacations. As a passionate writer, I also have my own blog at magicalvacationsbyjen which is also where you can follow me on instagram for trip reviews along with tips and tricks for your next magical vacation.