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From YouTube: Moments with Melinda: Interview with Silas Hagerty
Description
From Melinda Moulton:
Silas Hagerty - Founder and Director of Smooth Feather Youth
Silas started Smooth Feather Youth in 2017 and since that point has been collaborating with many inspiring filmmakers, musicians and graphic artists and outdoor enthusiasts to create a wide variety of programming for youth. In 2012, Silas moved back to his home state of Maine and bought the old theater in Kezar Falls which has been a passion of his to restore. This 1880s theater is now a venue for all our youth programming and also a location for many events we host for the entire community.
For more information visit: smoothfeather.org
10/6/2022
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This video belongs to http://www.cctv.org and published with permission under Creative Commons License CCTV Center for Media & Democracy Programming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
A
A
A
Thank
you
so
much
for
being
with
me,
but
let
me
tell
my
viewers
who
you
are
Silas.
Is
the
executive
director
of
smooth
feather
youth,
which
he
founded
in
2017,
smooth,
feather
youth
is
a
non-profit
that
supports
positive
change
and
Collective
creativity
for
youth
through
film,
so
Silas
I
researched
you
on
the
web
and
spent
several
hours
and
I've
known
you
for
a
long
time
too,
I've
known
you
for
probably
10
years.
We
go
way
back,
but
there's
a
tremendous
amount
of
important
work
that
you've
done
during
your
relatively
short
life.
A
B
I
feel
like
my
boss
is
like
being
quiet
in
the
morning
and
so
call
it
meditation,
but
like
it's
just
the
idea
of
getting
quiet,
closing
my
eyes,
setting
an
alarm
sitting
down
and
then
me
kind
of
checking
in
with
something
bigger
than
me
and
saying
like
a
lot
of
times,
my
wife
will
say
what
are
you
doing
today,
I'm
like
well
I,
haven't,
sat
yet
so
we'll
see
and
then
I'll
sit
and
then
I
feel
like
that's
kind
of
where
both
my
direction
and
inspiration
comes
from.
Is
that
silence?
B
A
B
Yeah
so
I'm
sitting
in
an
old
theater
right
now,
that
is
in
my
hometown
of
Keyser
Falls
Maine,
it's
in
Southwestern,
Maine
and
yeah
I
grew
up
here,
small
little
quiet
Middletown
that
the
mill
is
kind
of
closed
now,
but
growing
up.
Sports
were
a
huge
thing
for
me:
soccer
skiing
tracks
so
like
very
active
in
that
way.
That's
what
got
me
to
University
of
Vermont
was
the
draw
to
play
soccer
there
and
then
so.
B
Yeah
I
think
my
childhood
was
it's
kind
of
cool
that
I'm
back
in
my
hometown
now,
but
I
live
30
minutes
from
here,
but
where
I
bought
this
whole
theater
is
in
my
hometown,
where
I
would
go
to
school
and
I
still
know
a
ton
of
people
here,
and
it
was
kind
of
that
pull
at
one
point.
In
my
life
in,
like
my
late
20s
to
kind
of
stop
moving
so
much
I
was
traveling
all
over
the
world,
doing
a
lot
of
different
things
and
I
kind
of
got.
A
B
Well,
I
think
that
I
was
just
taught
I
mean
my
parents
for
sure
I
guess
I'll
start
with
my
dad,
because
I
was
just
talking
to
him
the
other
night
about
this,
that
you
know.
He
really
instilled
this
kind
of
belief
that
he
could
do
anything
he
wanted
and,
like
you
could
do
anything
he
wanted
I
remember
just
a
couple
nights
ago,
I
was
talking
like
yeah.
B
You
remember
how
you
know
at
UVM
I
had
this
crazy
idea
that
I
was
going
to
bring
you
to
the
band
to
UVM,
for
something
I.
Just
remember
having
this
like
dream
that
I
wanted
to
do
that,
and
it
never
happened
because
you
know
bringing
YouTube
to
a
college.
Campus
is
a
difficult
and
extensive
task,
but
just
this
idea
that
I
that
I
believe
that
I
could
do
it
and
I'm
sure
I
could
have
eventually
done
it
and
I
still
believe
that
that
could
happen.
B
But
my
dad
really
kind
of
instilled
that
early
on,
like
you
can
do
anything
you
want
so
I
think
that
was
a
very
powerful
early
kind
of
role,
modeling
messaging
early
on
yeah.
You
want
to
do
it
like
just
go
for
it
and
then
my
mom
I
think
was
more
reserved
like
in
the
sense
that
she
was
I.
Think
helped
me
a
little
bit
like
my
dad.
Would
maybe
heat
me
up
and
be
like
you
can
do
anything
and
then
I
tell
my
mom
was
like
cooling
me
off
like
I.
B
Remember
when
I
did
well
on
track,
she'd
be
like
yeah,
but
you
know
there's
like
other
guys
in
the
next
state
that
could
totally
beat
you.
So
don't
like
always
remember
that,
like
kind
of
like
there
was
this
Balancing
Act
going
on
of
my
mom,
always
kind
of
in
a
good
way
kind
of
grounding
me
a
little.
A
B
Yeah
so
smooth
feather,
Productions
was
kind
of
born
in,
like
the
early
2000s,
well
yeah
early
to
mid
2000s
after
University
of
Vermont
worked
in
New
York
did
a
lot
of
traveling
doing
films
and
then
decided
I
wanted
to
create
my
own
production
company
making
films
for
a
lot
of
organizations,
a
lot
of
bands.
You
know
that
kind
of
stuff,
and
then
there
was
like.
B
B
A
B
So
Dakota
38
started
when
I
went
to
a
sweat
lodge
on
the
coast
of
Maine
and
I
had
made
a
film
as
my
senior
thesis
at
the
University
of
Vermont,
that
dealt
with
a
young
man
who
committed
suicide,
and
there
was
a
bunch
of
footage
of
him
right
before
he'd
pass
and
his
parents
who
I'd
never
met
said
hey,
can
can
I
invite
you
to
a
sweat
lodge
in
Maine.
They
were
also
living
in
Maine,
Jeff
and
Andrea
galuza.
B
B
Americans
were
so
for
him
to
say:
I
want
to
ask
for
forgiveness
for
our
part
in
it,
for
the
things
that
we
did
in
those
you
know
times,
it
was
like
whoa
what
an
opener,
so
that's
called
Dakota
38
and,
like
I
said,
that
was
a
long,
life-changing
journey
of
living
out
there
doing
that,
and
then
the
model
was
different
in
that
we
just
no
one
got
paid
for
it
and
we
gifted
that
free
of
charge
to
to
the
world.
So
it's
on
YouTube,
you
can
watch
it
Dakota,
38
and.
A
B
A
A
B
No,
it's
a
great
question
and
it's
always
kind
of
evolving
but
yeah
for
for
right.
Before
making
Dakota
38
I
met
a
really
inspiring
friend
named
napoon
Mehta,
and
he
has
an
amazing
organization
called
service
space
and
I'm
connected
to
so
many
great
friends
out
there,
and
he
was
the
one
who
really
started
the
seed
early
on
of,
like
your
films
are
powerful.
Man
like
why?
B
Don't
you
just
give
them
away
and
and
I
kind
of
was
living
in
an
expensive
apartment
in
New
York
at
the
time
and
was
kind
of
working
my
way
up
through
the
film
world,
and
then
he
just
inspired
me
to
hit
the
road.
So
for
two
years,
I
made
a
bunch
of
films
where
I
just
met
up
with
people.
That
inspired
me
and
then
said:
hey,
let's
make
a
film.
So
like
my
buddy
Zach
Weinstein,
who
had
just
broken
his
back
he's
a
quadriplegic.
B
We
went
and
hung
out
in
his
dorm
room
and
made
a
film
for
other
quadriplegics.
So
that's
just
one
example
of
the
films
that
we
made
so
that
Journey
has
still
carried
on
with
our
non-profit.
We
still
are
totally
all
the
events
are
free
at
the
theater,
with
Smith
feather
youth
that
we
hope
here
from
the
film
schools.
That's
all
free.
And
then
we
have
this
awesome
patreon
program
which
people
may
be
familiar
with.
B
But
it's
like
a
subscription
based
like
someone
chips
in
five
bucks
a
month
for
us
and
they
get
a
T-shirt
and
they
get
to
support
us
and-
and
it's
been
amazing,
to
have
that
kind
of
a
model
sustain
us
and
allow
us
to
kind
of
keep
offering
the
programs
that
we're
offering
so
kind
of
like
focus
on
the
service
and
trust
that
it'll
be
supported.
And
that
seems
to
have
worked,
which
is
exciting.
It.
A
B
Yeah
so
I
think
the
first
thing
I
think
of
when
you
say
that
is
summer.
Before
last,
there
was
a
young
student
in
a
class.
We
go
into
the
high
school
and
we
kind
of
do
a
writing
workshop
for
our
summer
film
school
that
we
do
and
that's
a
way
to
connect
with
young
people
that
might
be
interested
in
making
a
movie,
and
we
make
a
movie
in
one
week.
B
They
have
no
experience,
they
come
to
the
theater
one
week
they
make
a
movie
and
then
they
project,
you
know,
show
it
to
the
whole
town
on
a
big
screen
and
the
theaters
packed,
and
they
have
a
role
called
red
carpet
rolled
out
and
we're
blasting,
music
and
fog
machines.
It's
like
it's
awesome,
it's
a
really,
really
powerful
thing
so
to
kind
of
recruit
the
T,
the
teens.
For
that
we
go
to
the
local
high
school
and-
and
we
asked
a
question
to
kind
of
kick
things
off.
B
If
you
really
knew
me,
you
would
know
blank.
It's
a
very
I
love
that
question,
because
you
can
take
it
as
deep
or,
as
you
know,
surface
level
as
you
want
to
go.
So
they
all
write
for
10
minutes.
If
you
really
knew
me,
you
know
blank
and
one
of
the
young
people
that
we
were
working
with
rights
and
I
say:
does
anyone
want
to
share
and
she
her
name
is
Olivia
and
Olivia
says
yeah
I'd
like
to
share
so
I
said:
okay,
she
seemed
really
shy.
B
B
This
is
so
amazing
that
she's
like
grab
the
mic
and
she's
like
yeah.
This
is
what
this
experience
meant
to
me,
and
so
I've
been
really
inspired
by,
like
the
the
healing,
like
the
transformational
power
of
the
Arts
of
film
I,
mean
the
film
dealt
with
a
lot
of
issues
that
she
struggles
with
in
her
life.
So
it
was
like
this.
Film
is
therapy
art
as
therapy
so
and
healing
it
was
just
really
really
cool
to
see
that.
B
B
Remember
this
I
have
a
a
friend,
Ray
Ricci
who
says
that,
in
order
for
any
culture
or
Animal
Kingdom
to
thrive,
you
need
like
three
generations
to
be
thriving
and
anytime.
You
don't
have
those
three
generations
together,
it's
not
really
thriving,
so
we're
focusing
on
serving
youth,
but
it's
really.
It
doesn't
feel
like
it's
youth
instructor
when
you're
in
that
Circle.
B
A
And
and
in
in
2011,
you
did
purchase
the
theater
in
Keyser
Falls,
Maine
yeah,
with
support
from
your
family
and
friends,
and
you
restored
it
and
you
use
it
as
your
home
base
you're
sitting
there
right
now
today
tell
us
about
this
journey
and
and
it's
the
base
for
your
non-profit,
smooth
failure.
So.
B
Theater
I'm,
like
I,
didn't
even
know
that
it
was
a
theater
because
it
was
kind
of
emborted
up
and
it
turned
into
a
furniture,
warehouse
and
so
I,
then
inspired
by
that
went
to
meet
the
older
gentleman
Phil
Welch
in
my
town,
who
owned
the
theater,
talked
to
him
all
about
like
what
it
was
like
to
run
the
theater
for
many
many
years,
and
he
at
one
point
I
said:
would
you
ever
consider
selling
it
he's
like
no
I?
Don't
think
I
could
do
that.
B
You
know
have
concerts
that
kind
of
stuff
and
have
it
be
a
space
for
the
community
to
come
out
to,
and
she
just
was
incredible.
You
know
like
gave
it
to
me
at
a
ridiculous
price
and
made
made
sure
I
could
do
it
and
she
believed
in
it,
and
she
still
does
I
hope,
and
you
know
it's
so
great
to
have
her
at
events
and
I'll
often
put
her
on
the
spot
and
say:
hey:
can
you
get
up
on
stage?
B
You
know
helping
out.
So
all
of
these
Patron
supporters
that
have
been
a
part
of
kind
of
making.
This
all
possible
have,
you
know,
showed
up
and
helped
us
to
make
the
theater
what
it
is
and
so
I
think
that
sense
of
ownership
from
so
many
different
people
like
yeah
I,
painted
that
wall.
You
know
when
you
walk
into
the
theater
it
has
that
feeling
of
it
being.
B
A
B
Yeah,
so
that's
a
that's
a
film
that
we
made
this
past
February.
That's
the
latest
one
that's
been
released
since
then.
We've
made
a
film
over
the
summer,
so
our
latest
movie
is
called
as
we
are,
but
I
could
also
talk
about
the
Queen
of
Hearts.
If
you
have
other
questions
about
it,
but
whichever
one
you
want
me
to
talk
about
talk.
B
So
it's
going
to
be
released
on
our
website
very
soon,
it's
called
as
we
are,
and
it's
yeah
it's
an
incredibly
incredibly
powerful
short
film
and
kind
of
when
I
asked
the
young
director
Tyler
Muse,
you
know.
What
would
you
like
to
have
happen
is
kind
of
a
question
that
I
started
to
ask
him
instead
of
saying.
B
What
do
you
want
to
make
a
movie
about
I
did
a
couple
sessions
with
him
where
I
talked
for
maybe
two
or
three
hours
with
him
and
said
what
would
you
like
to
have
happen?
And
that
was
the
opening
question
that
led
to
a
long
long
conversation
which
one
of
the
things
that
he
said
in
that
long
conversation
which
ended
up
becoming
the
film
is
I'd
like
to
find
humanity
in
those
people
that
we
really
have
trouble
finding
Humanity
in,
like
the
people
that
have
done
the
worst
things.
B
It's
like
every
time,
I
watch
it.
It's
just
the
intense
meter.
You
know
the
dial
is
way
up,
and
it's
all
about.
How
do
you
de-escalate
a
situation
that
looks
like
it's
has
no
no
way
out,
and
so
a
young
person
in
the
film
is
the
person
who
de-escalates
the
situation,
and
so
you
know
for
a
young
17
year
old
to
say
that
that's
what
they
want
to
make
a
movie
about
I
mean
that
fires
me
up
I'm
like
man.
This
is
so
incredible.
B
A
We
are
well
you
know
in
this
world
today.
I
think
we
all
need
do
need
to
reach
out
to
people
who
who
cause
pain
and
and
also
create
forgiveness
within
ourselves,
because
with
forgiveness-
and
you
have
healing
so
that's
incredible
as
we
are
smoothfeather.org
for
my
viewers.
I
will
let
you
know
when
that.
Is
it
really
it's
not
released
yet
right
and
right,
yeah.
A
A
You
highlighted
my
grandson
Rowan,
who
has
speechless
autism
and
he's
been
in
inspiration
for
so
many
people
when
neurodiversity
and
your
piece
has
been
seen
a
lot
and
it's
helped
promote
the
communication
tool
known
as
facilitated
communication
and
that's
what
Gabriel
in
his
voice.
So
I
want
to.
Thank
you
for
your
work
in
that,
because
the
work
you
did
with
Special
Olympics
was
really
special
and
you
do
this
for
for
non-profits.
So
for
that
I
honor,
you
I,
want
to
talk
to
you.
A
A
B
B
And
the
circle,
the
circle,
when
I
think
about
a
lot
of
the
films
that
we
make,
they
wouldn't
have
the
energetic
feeling
that
they
have
unless
we
had
that
Circle
in
the
morning,
and
so
we
deal
with
some
super
heavy
things.
Some
super
powerful
messages
and
you
know
a
couple
one
of
the
days
in
the
film
school
this
summer.
You
know
we
we
had
an
opening
Circle
where
a
lot
of
people
opened
up
and
we
were
crying
in
the
circular.
B
A
And
you
need
to
extend
to
my
viewers,
Silas
Hagerty
works
with
youth,
so
you're
working
with
youth
and
I
just
talked
to
an
educator
who
said
the
number
one
issue
for
kids
and
youth
in
our
nation.
Right
now
is
mental
health
yeah
and
there
needs
to
be
healing,
and
the
work
that
you're
doing
is
is
helping
to
heal
and
allow
the
the
folks
you
work
with.
So
how
do
the
youth
get
involved?
Do
they
sign
up
is?
Is
there
a
fee?
Is,
do
you
go
out
and
recruit
them?
B
Yeah,
it's
there's
really
no
formula
and
it's
always
it's
it's
kind
of
organic,
but
some
of
it's
through
people
that
I
meet
and
say:
hey,
I'd,
love
to
have
my
kid
in
that
program
or
some
sometimes
it's.
You
know
we
just
showed
as
we
are.
The
film
I
was
telling
you
about
on
Tuesday
of
this
week
at
the
local
school.
So
all
the
students
are
watching
the
film.
So
you
know
there
were
a
couple
students
in
one
of
the
classes
that
I
was
in
where
I
said
hey.
B
You
know,
I
went
up
to
the
teacher
afterwards.
What's
that,
what's
that
person's
name
I
feel
like
they
could
really
thrive
in
the
film
school,
you
know
they
kind
of
lit
up
and
raised
their
hand
when
no
one
else
was
raising
their
hand
and
kind
of
connected,
so
yeah
it's
kind
of
a
mixture
of
things
and
of
how
we
find
them.
They
kind
of
find
us.
We
find
them.
It's
like
it's
like
any
relationship,
it's
kind
of
like
how
do
you
meet
friends,
it's
like
well,
it
depends
it's
organic.
It's
it's.
B
And
we
have
friends,
you
know.
Like
the
other
day,
we
had
a
board
meeting
and
you
know
we're
all
a
few
of
us
on
the
board
or
in
our
in
the
lobby,
at
the
theater
and
our
buddy
Kane
stops
in
and
he's
the
guy
who's
kind
of
a
poster
child
started
when
he
was
like
11
with
us,
and
it's
been
in
a
lot
of
films
and
just
a
great
great
kid
and
so
Kane
comes
in
on
his
scooter.
It's
like
look
I
just
got
this
scooter.
B
Man
like
I,
still
don't
have
my
license,
but
you
can
drive
a
scooter
in
Maine
if
you
have
your
permit
so
I'm
driving
my
scooter
around.
So
he
just
like
rolls
in
and
to
me,
that's
the
best.
You
know
sign
of
success
in
my
mind
that
a
young
person
sees
the
light
on
pulls
in
and
comes
in.
He
couldn't
even
stay
that
long,
but
he
like
gives
a
hug
and
he's
like
I
gotta
go,
but
that's
kind
of
the
connection.
Well,.
B
A
Didn't
mean
bother
you
but
interrupt
our
interview,
yeah
and
we're
sensitive
to
that,
and
you
said:
I
have
to
go
move
my
truck
a
couple
of
walks
down
the
street,
so
people
don't
see
it.
So
obviously
you
are
a
beloved
human
being.
Okay,
we
have
we
have
climate
change.
We
have
the
potential
end
of
our
democracy.
We
have
these
issues
for
children
growing
up
in
this
country
right
now
that
are
really
frightening
and
intense.
A
So,
as
we
finish
up
this
interview
Silas,
what
is
your
words
of
of
hope
and
wisdom
for
our
youth
today
in
this
country
to
be
able
to
move
through
what
is
the
crisis
of
humanity?
I
think
that
we've
ever
seen,
which
is
the
crisis
of
of
climate
and
also
perhaps
the
end
of
our
democracy?
So
what
is
your
words
of
wisdom
for
the
Youth
today.
B
I
think
that
all
I
can
really
do
is
speak
for
myself
and
I
would
just
say
that
you
know
doing
what
makes
me
come
alive
is
really
what
I
try
and
focus
on,
and
so
what
what
gets
me
excited
in
the
morning?
What
gives
me
that,
like
tingle
on
the
back
of
my
neck,
that
says
like
wow
I,
want
to
do
more
of
this,
and
so
whatever?
That
is
that's
kind
of
how
that's
how
I
strive
to
follow
that
follow.
B
That
excitement
follow
that
fire
in
my
spine,
that,
like
excitement,
that
makes
me
want
to
get
up
in
the
morning
and
and
live
and
be
alive,
so
I
think,
and
then
that's
going
to
Ripple
out
in
ways
that
we
have
no
control
over.
But
if
I
can
focus
on
that,
then
I
think
it's
gonna.
That's
kind
of
an
empowered
place
that
I
try
and
be
in.
A
So
for
our
so
for
our
youth,
your
your
words
of
wisdom
for
them
to
get
through
their
day.
They
just
got
through
covid
they're
dealing
with
climate
they're.
Dealing
with
you
know
many
are
you
know,
living
in
poverty
and
struggling,
and
also
the
fate
of
our
of
our
demo.
I
mean
our
our
children
today
are
facing
a
lot
that
that
I
think
in
my
generation
we
were
hiding
under
our
desk
because
of
nuclear
war,
but
at
the
end
of
the
day
we
weren't
having
climate
change
so
I'm,
just
I,
I,
I'm
gonna.
A
Just
say
this
for
you
because
I'm
I'm
gonna
go
to
both
of
us,
so
we
can
see
both
of
us
here.
Yeah
I'm,
gonna
say
it
for
both
of
us
I
think
the
work
that
you
do
does
help
the
the
young
people
that
you're
working
with
to
face
their
world
and
understand
what
it
is
in
their
world
and
their
and
how
they
have
to
live
in
this
world.
In
order
to
face
the
issues
and
to
be
a
be
a
a
change
maker
and
I.
B
Yeah
and
I
think
it
it's
a
it's
completely
reciprocal,
because
a
lot
of
times
when
I'm
feeling
down
when
I'm
feeling
disconnected
when
I'm
feeling
depressed
I,
think
okay
I
should
get
a
circle
together
and
I
should
connect
with
some
Youth
and
let's
put
on
an
event
for
the
town,
and
so,
and
that
brings
me
out
of
yeah
wherever
I'm
struggling
with
that
connection,
and
so
a
lot
of
times
like
there
was
this
quote
that
I
read.
That
was
really
helpful
to
me.
B
It
was
like
the
the
definition
of
suffering
is
believing
that
you're
separate
from
the
whole.
So
when
you
think
that
you're
separate
from
the
hole,
that's
suffering,
and
so
a
lot
of
times
in
my
life,
I'll
start
to
feel
like
it's
on
my
shoulders
or
it's
me
and
then,
when
I
can
like
connect
myself
to
the
whole,
get
in
the
circle
of
people.
That's
when
all
of
a
sudden
the
weight's
taken
off.
It's
like
okay,
we're
all
disconnected
we're
all
here,
we're
all
trying
to
do
the
best
job.