Q&A with Teren Shaffer

Melody Wu

Many of us know OCSA’s CEO and President, Teren Shaffer, for his contributions to our academic and artistic home. However, we took the time to get to know him a little more personally, and we wanted to share our favorite insights from our conversation with Shaffer!

Where did you grow up?

“I was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley and in the city of Northridge—so in Los Angeles County.”

Do you have any favorite childhood memories?

“Before education, my professional background was in classical music. And the thing that inspired me growing up was my dad…My favorite childhood memories were learning how to play piano sitting in his lap, and he was my earliest inspiration to pursue a career in the arts.”

What musical artists do you like?

“I’m a huge fan of the music of Bruckner, Mahler, Brahms, Bach and Schumann…but I’m also a huge fan of the music of the 70s and 60s. I could spend all day listening to Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Earth, Wind and Fire, Elton John and so many others. Also, if you don’t know Jacob Collier—check him out—incredible current artist.”

What do you do in your free time?

“Most of my free time is really valued family time…I enjoy golfing when I have time, and I love being outside, biking and taking our dog for long walks or hikes.”

What character from a movie or musical do you resonate with the most?

“The movie character I’m inspired by is Forrest Gump. Despite life’s curveballs and challenges, he teaches important lessons about perseverance, doing what you love, listening and finding valuable perspective in others, not taking yourself too seriously and remaining optimistic.”

What is your number one goal in life?

“The thing I think most about is how to help guide my kids to be good human beings—how to ensure that they are empathetic, caring and kind.”

Do you and your family have any quirky family traditions?

“We love to have a huge Halloween party every year…[My kids] insist that every year we dress up as a group Halloween costume. So one year, it was Aladdin, and one year, it was Super Mario Brothers.”

Have you heard the rumor that you want to start an OCSA Olympic swim team?

“The only water activity I did competitively was…rowing (crew). I did that in college for a few years…But no, I have no idea where that came from. It’s bizarre to me.”

What is your favorite movie?

“A movie that I loved as a kid and still love today is “The Sandlot.” Other movies that I always enjoy too are “Jaws,” “Schindler’s List” and “Back to the Future.” I also love watching every Disney and Pixar movie with my kids. They just love those films so much, and we enjoy watching [them] together as a family.”

What kind of books do you read?

“Mostly books on leadership, problem solving and creative thinking. I’m reading a book right now called “The Hard Thing About Hard Things.””

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in life?

“Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.”

Who is your role model?

“My mom is incredibly bright, she’s one of the smartest people I know…She continues to, for me, lead by example. She’s always incredibly dedicated to her work and is kind and thoughtful with the people she works with. [She exemplifies] a leader that really leads by example, works hard and acts with humility and integrity.”

Do you have any future plans for OCSA?

“I am very excited about the Arts and Enterprise conservatory. It is very new, and I am looking forward to seeing that program grow with the opportunities it will provide for students. It’s like OCSA’s version of an arts administration and arts business program. Also, Digital Media was rebranded into the Design and Media Conservatory and the idea is, over the next few years, to build additional tracks to prepare students in new pathways. I would also like to see us work towards implementing an artist-in-residence program where we have a full-time artist each semester to work collaboratively with students from different conservatories.”

Are you a Swifty?

“My wife likes Taylor Swift, and my kids are obsessed so by extension, I guess I am familiar! I am not a Swifty personally. It’s fine but it’s not really my thing. No Eras Tour for me.”

Clearly, there is a lot more to learn about the people running our school. Everyone has their own unique story to tell, and here at Evolution, we hope to continue uncovering the stories of intriguing individuals.