4/9: Gun Violence, Armenian Anniversary, Special Needs Jobs, Itzhak Perlman

> FROM THE WORLD'S LEADING CENTER FOR FINANCE, THE ARTS PUBLISHING, SCIENCE, RESEARCH, MEDIA, INNOVATION AND MUCH MORE, THIS IS 'METROFOCUS' WIT RAPHAEL, AND WITH JACK FORD AN NOMINATED FOR THE BEST COMMUNITY AFFAIRS SERIES

TONIGHT, SPEAKING OUT ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE

THE WAY THEY WERE TALKING T ME WAS GIVING ME CHILLS.

MARKING A SOMBER ANNIVERSAR IN ARMENIA

ONE OF THE MAJOR CRIMES O THE 20th CENTURY

PREPPING SPECIAL NEED STUDENTS FOR THE WORKFORCE AND THE LEGENDARY VIOLINIS ITZHAK PERLMAN REMEMBERS GOD'S FIDDLER.

FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED BY THE FOLLOWING.

CORPORATE FUNDING FO 'METROFOCUS' IS PROVIDED B MUTUAL OF AMERICA.

YOUR RETIREMENT COMPANY.

WHAT IF A MAN SERVING LIFE IN PRISON FOR TAKING A LIFE COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT 'DATE LINE NBC' PRODUCER DAN SLEPIAN POSTED TO ADDRESS THE GU VIOLENCE OF THOSE AT THE SIN SING CORRECTIONAL FACILITY JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT IS DAN SLEPIAN

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME

HOW DID THE IDEA OF HAVIN THESE CONVICTED MURDERERS FROM SING SING TALK IN FRONT OF A CAMERA ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE COME ABOUT?

WELL, THIS WAS ACTUALLY A IDEA THAT CAME TO ME FROM TH NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS.

I'M -- AS YOU MENTIONED I'M 'DATE LINE' PRODUCER, I WA SHOOTING A COUPLE OF STORIES A THE SING SING AND I GOT TO KNO SUPERINTENDENT CAPRA WHO OVERSEES THE FACILITY.

HE CAME TO ME ASKED AND IF I WOULD VOLUNTEER.

THIS WAS NOT ON BEHALF OF NB NEWS HE ASKED ME IF I WOULD VOLUNTEER TO HELP INMATES HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD IN SOME WAY THROUGH -- ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE.

THEY WANTED TO SPEAK WITH TH COMMUNITIES THAT THEY CAME FROM.

ALL RIGHT AS PROMISED WE HAVE AN EXCERPT FROM VOICES FROM WITHIN.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

THERE'S SO MANY ISSUES WH PEOPLE COME TO PRISON AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES IS GU VIOLENCE THAT WE SEE EVERY DAY THE MEN WHO ARE INCARCERATED FOR A GOOD MANY YEARS HERE WANTED TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY T SAY DON'T DO WHAT I DO DON'T DO WHAT I HAVE DONE TO GET HERE AND TRYING TO GET THESE 10, 11 12, 13, 14, 15-YEAR-OLD KIDS T STOP AND THINK FOR ONE SECON BEFORE THEY GRAB THAT WEAPON

I'M ABRAHAM I'M 40 YEARS OLD I MADE A CHOICE OF A GUN THAT HELD IN MY HANDS A GUN WHEN I FIRST HELD ONE GAVE ME A SENSE OF POWER.

IT MADE ME FEEL STRONG MADE ME FEEL LIKE I WA INVINCIBLE

YOU COULD BE THE BAD THIN THAT HAPPENS TO SOMEBODY THINK ABOUT THAT, RIGHT?

THERE COULD BE A FAMILY, A CHILD, AND A FATHER AND THERE' A MOTHER AND THERE'S A FAMILY.

THEY COME HERE FROM AFRICA T BUILD A BETTER LIFE AND THEY SAY TO THEMSELVES, IF I'M CAREFUL, IF I'M CAREFUL THEN I CAN REAC THE GOOD THING AS LONG A NOTHING BAD HAPPENS.

AND THEN I HAPPEN TO HIM YOU WANT TO BE THE BAD YOU WANT TO BE THE BAD

THAT'S POWERFUL STUFF, DAN.

YEAH, EVERY TIME I WATCH IT THERE ARE A MILLION TIMES, I GIVES ME A CHILL EVERY TIME WATCH IT

YOU TALK TO THE TWO GUYS, YOU TALKED TO THE OTHER GUYS YOU SPENT A LOT OF TIME AT SIN SING WHAT ARE THE OTHER NARRATIVE THAT YOU HEARD

WELL, EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT STORY, YOU KNOW IT'S NOT ONE SIZE FITS ALL ABOUT GU VIOLENCE YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY -- EVERYBODY WHO HAS COMMITTED GUN VIOLENCE AND IS IN PRISON FOR THESE CRIMES COMES TO THEIR INDIVIDUAL CRIME FOR VARIOUS REASONS.

FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS A GUY INVOLVED WITH THIS PROJECT WHO WAS A HARD-CORE GANG MEMBER.

AND WE SPENT MONTHS AND MONTHS TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT REASONS BECAUSE THEY WANTED THIS TO BE CREDIBLE THEY WANTED IT TO BE REAL.

SO WE SPENT MONTHS TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THIS.

TO GET THEM READY, TO GO I FRONT OF THE CAMERA.

I WOULD HAVE THEM WRITE LETTER TO THEMSELVES WHEN THEY WERE THEIR 12-YEAR-OLD SELVES, WHAT WOULD THEY SAY TO THEMSELVES T PUT THE GUN DOWN THAT GOT THEM HERE, WHAT WOULD THEY SAY TO THEIR VICTIM'S PARENTS OR SAY TO THEMSELVES IN TEN YEARS?

IT GOT THEM THINKING A LOT FOR MONTHS WHEN WE WERE READY, WHEN I FEL WE HAD THAT INTIMACY, THAT'S WHERE THE IDEA CAME FROM, TO PUT THEM IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA TO TALK TO THE LENS BECAUSE THE WAY THEY WERE TALKING TO ME WA GIVING ME CHILLS IT WAS SO POWERFUL BECAUSE I WAS SO REAL.

I SAID HOW DO WE MAKE THAT A REAL AS POSSIBLE THAT IS WHERE THE IDEA COMING -- CAME FROM FROM TALKING TO TH CAMERA BUT THE OTHER NARRATIVE AS A RESULT OF THAT WAS THAT THES GUYS WERE -- WHO HAD NEVER SPOKEN ABOUT THEIR CRIMES, NEVER DEALT WITH THE ISSUES BEFORE STARTED TO THINK ABOUT WHY DID I DO THIS?

WHERE DID I COME FROM?

I WOULD HEAR FASCINATING STORIES AND THAT WOULD ENLIGHTEN M ABOUT WHEY THEY DID WHAT THE DID.

A GANG MEMBER EXPLAINED DO I FEEL BADLY ABOUT WHAT I DID?

YES.

BUT IT'S NOT A SURPRISE BECAUS I WAS IN A WAR AND THE STREETS ARE A WAR AND IT WAS EITHER KILL OR BE KILLED AND EVERYBODY KNEW THE RULES SO THERE SHOULD BE NO SURPRISE ABOUT THIS THE GUY WHO DIED HE WAS A SOLDIER IN THAT WAR AND THAT'S I THINK THE MENTALITY THAT FRANKLY I WAS NOT IN TOUC WITH I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND

WELL, YOU KNOW, I SPOKE TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FROM HERE IN NEW YORK AND HE TOLD US THAT UNFORTUNATELY A LOT OF THE YOUNG KIDS HAVE BECOME DESENSITIZED TO GUN VIOLENCE AND TO DEATH FROM GUN VIOLENCE DO YOU THINK THAT'S TRUE AND I IT IS, DO YOU THINK THES INMATES WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON THAT

IT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND IT'S THE VERY REASON THAT BELIEVE THAT EXPERTS WHO HAV SEEN THIS FROM NEW YORK CITY AND ELSEWHERE ARE SAYING, MAYBE THIS IS REALLY A GOOD CONVERSATIO STARTER THAN OTHER PROJECT BECAUSE OF THE MESSENGER THAT -- THAT THEY'RE CREDIBL MESSENGERS I THINK KIDS HAVE BECOME DESENSITIZED I HAVE GONE OUT WITH THE NYP AND OTHERS INTO THE INNER CITIES AND SPOKEN TO YOUNG ME PREDOMINANTLY WHO FEEL LIKE, HERE'S A MIDDLE AGED WHITE GUY TELLING ME TO PUT THE GUN DOWN AND THEY'RE NOT LISTENING TO ME, BUT THEY'RE LISTEN TO TH INCREDIBLE MESSENGERS.

A LOT OF YOUNG MEN IN TH COMMUNITIES FROM WHICH THESE MEN COME TO, LOOK UP TO THEM THEY SAY YOU'RE MY HERO, YOU'R IN PRISON AND THESE GUYS ARE SAYING, I'M YOU, I'M NOT YOU HERO AND HERE'S WHY.

HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, THAT CA START SOME CONVERSATION.

AND BY THE WAY, YOU TOUCHED ON THIS, BUT HOW HAS IT CHANGE THE LIVES OF THE INMATES WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PROJECT?

THAT WAS THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF THIS THAT SURPRISED EVERYONE I BELIEVE INCLUDING THE INMATE THEMSELVES BECAUSE THIS VIDEO AND THI MESSAGE WAS MEANT TO BE THIS THING TO HELP EXTERNALLY IN TH COMMUNITIES.

WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS THAT IT'S SPREAD IN THE PRISON IN THE SENSE THAT IN TWO WAYS.

ONE, OTHER INMATES IN THE PRISON ARE SEEING THE INMATES GETTING RECOGNITION AND BEING INVOLVED WITH THIS.

BEING VULNERABLE, CRYING TALKING ABOUT YOUR CRIME IS NO PRISON BEHAVIOR, BUT OTHER INMATES ARE SAYING THEY'RE SAYING IT'S OKAY, COME WITH US SPREAD YOUR MESSAGE.

THAT'S ONE THING WE DIDN'T EXPECT THE OTHER THING AND THIS IS -- THIS WAS REALLY INTERESTING IT'S CHANGING THE MEN THEMSELVES IN THAT AFTER THEY WENT ON TAPE AND TALKED ABOUT ALL THIS, FIRST O ALL, SEVERAL OF THEM NEEDE THERAPY AND THEY NEEDED TO TAL TO THE THERAPIST TO DEAL WIT THE EMOTIONS BUT ONE OF THEM SAID TO ME, AFTER I WENT ON TAPE AND HE HAD BEEN IN PRISON FO MORE THAN 20 YEARS, HE SAI AFTER I WENT ON TAPE, I ASKED MY MOM TO COME UP FOR A VISIT THE NEXT WEEK.

SHE ALWAYS THOUGHT I WAS IN TH PASSENGER SEAT OF THE CAR, BUT I CONFESSED TO HER THAT I WA ACTUALLY THE GUNMAN.

WOW

IT WAS A RESULT OF HIM BEIN HONEST AND VULNERABLE FROM GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT WE HAD GONE THROUGH NOW, AS A TOOL FOR REHABILITATION, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONLY ONE CASE STUDY.

BUT I THINK IT IS HAVING A IMPACT ON THE MEN.

I VISIT THEM, I SEE THEM, I TALK TO THEM.

AND IT GIVES THEM A SENSE OF PURPOSE.

YEAH.

SO WHAT'S THE FUTURE FOR THE THIS DEAL?

WELL, IT'S OUT THERE.

AND I HOPE AS MANY COMMUNITIES THAT FIND IT USEFUL OR CAN SPARK DISCUSSIONS ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE AS A CONVERSATION STARTER.

WE ARE HOPEFULLY GOING TO BE COLLECTING MORE VOICES WE ARE HOPEFULLY GOING TO HAVE THE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS GOIN OUT AND SPEAKING ABOUT THE MESSAGE.

AND IT'S -- IT'S SOMETHING THA I THINK IS AN IMPORTANT THING TO TALK ABOUT AND THIS IS JUST IS AN -- ONE OF MANY INTERESTIN WAYS OF GETTING INTO THE CONVERSATION

THANK YOU SO MUCH

MY PLEASURE THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

> IN APRIL OF 1915, THE RULERS OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE BEGAN TO ROUND UP AND SLAUGHTER ARMENIANS ANSWER TODAY THEY'RE A SEPARAT COUNTRY AND THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE BECAME THE NATION OF TURKEY.

100 YEARS AFTER WHAT MOS SCHOLARS CONSIDER A GENOCIDE ARMENIA AND TURKEY HAVE NO DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS IN COUNTRIES LIKE THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL DO NOT REFER TO IT AS A GENOCIDE.

SO AS ARMENIANS MARK THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF WHAT THEY DEMAN BE RECOGNIZED AS GENOCIDE, SCHOLARS, ARTISTS AND ACTIVIST COMMEMORATED THE CENTENNIAL AT A CONFERENCE CALLED RESPONSIBILITY 2015

AT THIS JUNCTURE, AT 10 YEARS WE FEEL IT'S VER IMPORTANT THAT IT'S TIME T ADMIT WHAT WAS DONE.

THIS IS AN ENORMOUS CRIME, ONE OF THE MAJOR CRIMES OF THE 20t CENTURY.

AND IT NEEDS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED.

WHEN WE TALK OF GENOCIDE IT'S ABOUT THE NUMBER OF SOULS WH PERISHED IT'S NOT ONLY THE SOULS WH DISAPPEARED BUT THE STORIES AN THE FAMILY CONNECTION.

IF YOU CONTINUE TO DENY THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, A CLASSIC CASE OF GENOCIDE, THEN WE REALLY ARE HINDERED IN OUR ABILITIES TO PREVENT GENOCIDE IN THE FUTURE AND SECONDLY, THE IDEA IS THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO COMMEMORATE ONE GENOCIDE, RIGHT, IN A WA WE'RE COMMEMORATING AL GENOCIDES.

RIGHT?

AND WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY T PREVENT THESE HORRORS FROM OCCURRING TO EVEN ONE SINGLE PERSON AGAIN IN THE FUTURE

JOINING ME NOW TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE ISSUE OF GENOCIDE IS THE DIRECTOR FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY WELCOME TO YOU LET ME START WITH THIS QUESTION.

IT SOUNDS SIMPLE BUT IT'S FA MORE COMPLEX WHAT IS THE DEFINITION THEN OF GENOCIDE

YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTIO AND THERE'S A LOT OF MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT IT.

THERE'S ONE OPERATIVE DEFINITION THAT COMES FROM THE U.N., THEY PASSED IN 1948 THE U.N CONVENTION AND PUNISHMENT OF GENOCIDE IT'S A LONG DEFINITION BUT A INTENT TO DESTROY IN WHOLE OR IN PART AN ETHNIC, RACIAL, NATIONAL OR RELIGIOUS GROUP THEN THERE'S SOME SUB CLAUSES.

THAT SORT OF GETS TO THE GIST OF WHAT WE NOW POPULARITY THINK O WHEN WE THINK ABOUT TH DEFINITION OF GENOCIDE THE PERSON WHO FOUNDED THE WOR GENOCIDE IN 1944, RAPHAE LIMPKIN, HE INCLUDED CULTURA GENOCIDE IF YOU SEE WHAT'S TAKING PLACE WITH ISIS, HE WOULD CALL THA CULTURAL GENOCIDE.

THAT'S LET OUT OF THE GENOCIDE DEFINITION THAT GETS TO TH HEART OF WHAT PEOPLE THINK ABOUT WHEN THEY THINK OF IT.

LET ME ASK YOU TO GIVE US A QUICK CAPSULATION OF WHA HAPPENED BETWEEN THE TURKS AND THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE AND THE ARMENIANS BACK IN THE ERA OF WORLD WAR I.

WELL, I THINK IF YOU TOOK A MAP OF THE WORLD, AND YO CHARTERED OUT THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T THINK IT'S A GENOCIDE AN THE PLACES THEY DON'T THINK IT'S A GENOCIDE AND THE PLACES THAT I DO, I THINK VIRTUALLY THE ENTIRE WORLD, EVERYONE WOUL ACKNOWLEDGE IT WAS A GENOCIDE.

NOWADAYS, YOU KNOW, THE TURKIS GOVERNMENT IS THE PRIMAR INSTITUTION THAT DENIES IT THE REASONS THEY'RE TO GIVE THEM FOR THE DENIAL SOMETIMES IT' THAT THERE WERE ARMENIANS WH WERE REBELLING AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OR --

THEY QUESTIONED WHETHER I WAS INDEED EXECUTION THEY SAID, WELL, WE WERE FIGHTING A REVOLUTION.

HOW MANY -- I MEAN, LET ME ASK YOU THIS QUESTION.

GIVE ME A RANGE OF NUMBERS HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED AS CONSEQUENCE OF THIS?

PEOPLE VARY IN THE ESTIMATE BUT MAYBE 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE MANY OF THEM WERE KILLED OUTRIGHT OTHERS WERE MARCHED INTO THE DESERT THE MEN WERE INITIALLY TARGETE AND INTELLECTUALS AND THEN THE ELDERLY, WOMEN AND CHILDREN WERE MARCHED OUT INTO THE DESER WHERE THEY WERE STARVED TO DEATH.

SUFFERED FROM THE ELEMENTS SOME OF THEM FOR EXAMPLE KURDISH TRIBES WOULD TAKE THEM AWAY AS WIVES.

THERE WAS WIDESPREAD RAPE AN VIOLENCE IT WAS AWFUL

I MENTIONED IN TH INTRODUCTION THAT EVEN WITH TH PASS SAG OF 100 YEARS, COUNTRIES DON'T RECOGNIZE THIS AS GENOCIDE ONE OF IS THE UNITED STATES AN ONE IS ISRAEL.

THAT SEEMS SURPRISING.

YEAH.

WHY ARE THEY TAKING THA POSITION

I THINK POLITICS.

THAT'S OFTEN THE THING RIGHT NOW GEOPOLITICALLY, TURKEY IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO TH UNITED STATES IN TERMS OF IT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WAR ON TERROR, ISIS, IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.

SO THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT HA STATED EXPLICITLY THAT, YO KNOW, EFFECTIVELY IF YOU RECOGNIZE THE GENOCIDE THE THERE ARE GOING TO B CONSEQUENCES FRANCE RECOGNIZED THE GENOCIDE AND IMMEDIATELY THE -- ONE O THE FIRST THINGS THAT HAPPENED IS THE PRIME MINISTER SAID, OH WELL, IT'S -- IF YOU TALK ABOU THIS AS GENOCIDE, THEN YOU HAV TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE GENOCIDE OF ALGERIANS, BUT THEY ALSO SAI WE'LL WITHDRAW DIPLOMATI PERSONNEL AND THERE ARE ALSO THREATS IN TERMS OF TRADE AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

FOR THE UNITED STATES, I THINK GEOPOLITICALLY IT'S CRITICAL T MAINTAIN GOOD RELATIONS WITH TURKEY AT THIS POINT IN TIME SO PRESIDENT OBAMA I THINK I WAS 2000 -- 2008 HE USED THE TERM ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AND H STOPPED DOING THAT

AS THE ANNIVERSAR APPROACHES, WHAT SHOULD WE B LEARNING FROM LOOKING BACK O THIS CERTAINLY 100 YEARS AGO, THE ARMENIANS AND THE TURKS, CERTAINLY THROUGHOUT THE COURS OF THE WORLD WAR II.

ARE THERE LESSONS TO LEARN YET

WHAT ARE THE SIGNIFICANT OF THE 100th?

A MILESTONE IS SIGNIFICANT BUT FIRST OF ALL, REMEMBRANCE, TO THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE WH DIED MOST OF THEM DIED COMPLETELY OUT OF SIGHT OF THE WORLD.

NOBODY KNOWS THEIR FACE.

THEY PERISHED.

SO THINK OF THE PEOPLE WHO DIE BUT IT'S A TIME FOR REFLECTION WHY DOES GENOCIDE TAKE PLACE WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES, HOW CAN IT BE STOPPED?

I THINK TO THINK ABOUT IT AS SOMETHING THAT TAKES PLACE FAR AWAY, YOU KNOW, MISDIRECTS US.

GENOCIDE TOOK PLACE IN THE UNITED STATES OF COURSE AN THERE IN IS A SENSE A DENIAL ABOUT WHAT IS TAKING PLACE I THE UNITED STATES.

SO AGAIN AS WE REFLECT ABOUT THIS, WE CAN BE SELF-CRITICA AND THINK ABOUT OURSELVES AN HOW WE'RE IMPLICATED

PROFESSOR HINTON, SOM PROVOCATIVE ECHOES OF SOMETHIN THAT HAPPENED 100 YEARS.

THANK YOU FOR SPENDING TIME WITH US

THANK YOU

> PREPARING STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE OR CAREERS IS EVER SCHOOL'S GOAL.

BUT WHAT ABOUT STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS?

NEWS REPORTER LAUREN WANKO FOUND A SCHOOL THAT'S MATCHING SKILL AND TALENTS TO REAL-WORLD JO OPPORTUNITIES.

JUST AFTER DAWN, THESE BRIC TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT SUIT UP FOUR THE WORK DAY AT THE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY THESE ARE RELIABLE EMPLOYEES THEY'RE GRATEFUL FOR THEIR JOB

THESE ARE TWO INTERNS HER AND THEY'RE PART OF TH STRUCTURED LEARNING EXPERIENCE A PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WIT SPECIAL STEELT -- NEEDS.

IT WAS DESIGNED SO THAT W COULD GET THE STUDENTS OUT I THE COMMUNITY, REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES.

JOB EXPERIENCE

WHAT BEGAN WITH ABOUT 2 STUDENTS HAS GROWN TO 75 AND NOW NEARLY 50 LOCAL BUSINESSES HAV JOINED GEE JOVANNY AND JACK ARE BUSSE HERE EVERY WEEK AND WORK DURIN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS.

WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO COME HERE AND WORK?

HAPPY

WHY DOES IT MAKE YOU HAPPY?

IT MAKES ME SMILE

INTERNS ARE TYPICALLY PAIRE WITH MENTORS LIKE BETTY GLEN WHO SHOW THEM THE ROPES.

IT'S A STRONG PLACE TO LEAR DIFFERENT TASKS, MANAGERS, SUPERVISORS, CO-WORKERS.

GIOVANNI SANITIZES THE PAPERS AND THE BEST PART FOR HIM?

HELPING PEOPLE.

HE'S A VERY GOOD, STRON PERSON HERE.

AND I THINK HE WOULD DO WELL OUT IN THE WORLD

ABOUT TWO DOZEN BUSINESSE INVOLVED HAVE HIRED THEI STUDENT INTERNS LIKE GIOVANNI.

ABOUT 25% OF THE STUDENTS HAVE LANDED PAID POSITIONS.

HE GRADUATES IN JUNE ARE YOU HOPING TO LAND A FULL-TIME JOB HERE

YES

SO FAR, THEY HIRED THREE OF THE INTERNS.

THEY PERFORM THEIR TASKS IN A TIMELY MANNER, GET THEM DONE CORRECTLY.

THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

AND THAT'S NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE WITH MAINSTREAM YOUTH OF AMERICA, BUT IT SEEMS THOUGH THEY ADAPT VERY WELL

A LOT OF THE KIDS AREN' GOING TO COLLEGE SO, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE JOBS THAT THEY LAND AND THEY STIC WITH AND WILL BE LIFE LONG DEDICATED EMPLOYEES.

PROGRAM COORDINATORS WORK T PLACE THEM IN PROGRAMS OF THEI INTEREST THEY EARN FIVE CLASSROOM CREDITS WHILE ON THE JOB

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUS A LOT OF THE KIDS -- IT'S NO EVEN SO MUCH THE TASK THAT THEY'RE LEARNING BUT THE SOCIA SKILLS AND JUST ALL THE DAIL THINGS THAT YOU AND I TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT FOR THEM THEY NEE THAT EXTRA HELP.

WHAT'S THE BEST PART ABOU COMING HERE?

LEARNING HOW TO WORK AND DO THE TASK AND WORK WITH PEOPLE.

ZACH TOO IS GRADUATING THIS YEAR HE'S PART OF THE HOUSEKEEPIN TEAM AND TELLS US HE REALL WANTS TO WORK HERE FULL-TIME HAVE YOU TOLD ANYBODY HERE THA YOU'RE REALLY INTERESTED

NOT YET

WE THINK THE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY MIGHT HAVE AN IDEA AFTER TODAY.

PEOPLE NEED TO REALIZE HO VALUABLE THESE STUDENTS ARE.

IN THE WORKPLACE AS WELL AS AN THAT'S REALLY OUR GOAL IS TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR NEEDS

IN LAKEWOOD, I'M LAUREN WANKO, 'METROFOCUS.'

> ITZHAK PERLMAN IS RECOGNIZED AS THE REIGNING VIRTUOSO OF TH VIOLIN HE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLA FOR LEGENDARY YASHA HIFIST A CHILD PRODIGY CAME TO AMERIC TO BECOME ONE OF THE ALL-TIM GREATS ♪♪♪♪ THIS EXTRAORDINARY STANDARD OF VIOLIN PLAYING BECAME HIS CURSE.

INNATENESS --

WHAT I WOULD TELL, OH, MY, CAN'T BELIEVE I'M ACTUALLY TALKING TO GOD TALKING TO HIM

HE WASN'T GOD HE WAS GOD'S FIDDLER ON AMERICA'S MASTERS

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO HAV ITZHAK PERLMAN JOINING US HERE TODAY.

LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THE FIRST TIME YOU WERE IN HIS PRESENCE?

WELL, I WAS NOT QUITE 14 OR MAYBE I HAD JUST TURNED 14 AND I WAS STILL STUDYING AT THE OL JUILLIARD, JUILLIARD DID NOT USE TO BE AT LINCOLN CENTER.

IT WAS -- IT'S ACTUALLY TH MANHATTAN SCHOOL, AND HE VISITED AT THAT TIME MY TEACHER WAS IN THE STUDIO AND THEN HIFITZ COMES IN AND SAY HELLO.

I SAID HELLO TO GOD, RIGHT AND THEN THAT'S WHEN I PLAYE FOR HIM.

AND IT WAS VERY INTERESTIN BECAUSE HE WAS -- MY OLD TEACHER IN ISRAEL SHE WAS A RUSSIA BACKGROUND SHE ALWAYS SAID YOU'VE GOT T PRACTICE SCALES.

A LOT OF SCALES.

HIFITZ'S, ALL OF THE STUFF THA HE ALWAYS PREACHED WAS FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO PRACTICE YOU SCALES AND SO I HAD MY SCALES IN MY HAND SO I PLAYED FOR HIM, I BELIEVE THE SYMPHONY AND OKAY, YOU CAN GO NOW HE SAID, NOT SO QUICK.

HE SAYS I WANT TO HEAR SOM SCALES

OH.

SO I SAID, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO HEAR?

AND HE TOLD ME SOME COCKAMAMIE SCALE THAT WAS SO DIFFICULT AN I WENT AHEAD AND THAT IMPRESSE HIM.

YOU HAD A CHANCE TO SEE HIM PLAY -

I SAW -- I SAW HIM PLAY LATER ON WHEN HE WAS IN HIS 60s WATCHING HIM PLAY IS LIK LOOKING AT A TORNADO OR HURRICANE STANDING IN THE SAME PLACE JUST CIRCLING.

THE ENERGY WAS SO INCREDIBLE AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, M MOUTH BECAME OPEN FOR THE NEXT MAYBE TWO OR THREE WEEKS, YO KNOW AFTER HEARING THAT PERFORMANCE

YOU TALK ABOUT HIM PLAYING.

AND I WANT TO COMPARE A LITTLE BIT YOUR PLAYING TO HIS PLAYING.

WHEN SOMEBODY WATCHES YOU PLAY YOU CAN SEE THE MUSIC IN YOU FACE I HAVE HEARD IT DESCRIBED AS IRREPRESSIBLE JOY WHEN YOU'R PLAYING.

WHEN YOU WATCH HIFITZ PLAY, TH MUSIC WAS ASTONISHING, MAGNIFICENT.

BUT HE HAD THIS STOIC APPROACH INDEED, SOMETIMES THERE WAS CRITICISM OF HIM BEING VERY COLD AND --

YEAH, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY TRUE HE MAY HAVE LOOKED COLD.

BUT HIS PLAYING WAS VERY, VERY HOT.

I WOULD SAY IT WAS VERY HOT.

WHEN YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES, THAT'S WHEN YOU HEAR -- BUT A LOT -- I DON'T KNO FORTUNATELY OR UNFORTUNATELY A LOT OF THE STUFF WE DO A PERFORMERS INVOLVED, ESPECIALL IN THE LIVE CONCERT WITH WHA YOU SEE, THE VISUAL.

WITH HIM -- BUT OF COURSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT HIM AND THE WAY HE STOOD, HIS -- HIS ENTIRE DEMEANOR WAS LIKE PERFECT.

PERFECT FOR TECHNICAL.

FOR TECHNICAL PURPOSES

DO YOU EVER AS AN ARTIST, A YOU'RE LEARNING OBVIOUSLY AN YOU HAVE WATCHED MASTERS AND YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT BY MAGNIFICEN OVER ARTISTS, DO YOU EVER AT ANY TIME SAY TO YOURSELF, WOW, I SOUNDED LIKE HIFITZ THERE OR I WAS ABLE TO GRAFT ON TO MY OWN PERSON, MY OWN MUSICAL PERSON?

IT'S FUNNY YOU SHOULD SAY THAT I SPOKE TO HIM ABOUT IT WHEN I WOULD VISIT HIM IN L.A I SAID TO HIM, YOU'RE A CURSE TO YOUNG KIDS HE SAID WHAT DO YOU MEAN WELL, THEY TRY TO IMITATE YOU.

WHEN YOU SAID TO ME TAKE SOMETHING AND MAKE IT YOUR OWN THAT'S VERY GOOD BUT HE HAD A LOT OF THE VICTIM WHERE THE STYLE OF HIS -- HI STYLE WAS SO STRONG THAT THE DECIDED THAT THAT'S THE WAY THEY WANTED TO SOUND.

SO AS A RESULT, YOU LOST YOU ORIGINALITY AND YOU SOUNDED LIKE SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO SOUND LIKE HIFITZ

INTERESTING BECAUSE FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE WHO MAY KNOW HI MUSIC, THEY MIGHT BE SURPRISED IN SEEING THIS DOCUMENTARY A LEARNING ABOUT HIS STATURE WHAT A MAJOR STAR CELEBRITY HE WAS.

ABSOLUTELY.

SO MUCH SO THAT THERE WER EXPRESSIONS, RIGHT BECAME PART OF OUR LEXICON

WELL, THE EXPRESSION OF PERFECTION ALMOST IN THE DICTIONARY IS IT'S HIFITZ.

THEY TELL A JOKE ABOUT THIS GU WHO GOES TO THE CIRCUS WITH FRIEND OF HIS AND THEY SHOWE ALL SORTS OF TRICKS.

THIS FRIEND IS VERY UNIMPRESSED.

THEN THEY SHOW A GUY GOING ON TIGHT ROPE PLAYING A VIOLIN.

HE SAID WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT AND HE SAID, WELL, HE'S NO HIFITZ BUT HE BECAME THE EXAMPLE OF PERFECTION

YEAH.

LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

SPEAKING OF PERFECTION YOU AND I WERE TALKING BEFOR AND I LOVED YOUR REACTIO BECAUSE I SAID TO YOU, INTERESTING, YOU DID SOMETHING AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN WIT BILLY JOEL YOU SAID TO ME -

I PRACTICED ALL THIS TIME AND THEN ALL YOU HAVE TO TELL ME I DID SOMETHING WITH BILLY JOEL.

NO, THE THING IS WE DID THIS RECORDING OF ONE OF HIS SONGS, AND THEN AT THE TIME IT WA DECIDED THAT -- I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THERE, BUT THE DESCRIPTION WAS INCOGNITO FAMOUS VIOLINIST.

SO NOW THAT WE WENT THERE, H SAID, THERE HE IS.

YOU KNOW GREAT SUPPORTER OF OURS FOR TH MUSIC PROGRAM THAT MY WIFE STARTED.

SO I -- YOU KNOW, I APPROACHED HIM, WOULD YOU LIKE -- OH, WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT.

AND I LOVE HIS STUFF, YOU KNOW WE HAD A GREAT TIME.

WELL, YOU HAVE BEEN VER BUSY YOU HAVE A TWO-BOX SET COMIN OUT AND THAT'S COMING OUT SOON SO YOUR FANS ARE DELIGHTED T KNOW YOU'RE STILL PROVIDING US WITH MAGNIFICENT MUSIC

I'M TRYING.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

MY PLEASURE

YOU BE WELL

THAT'S IT FOR THIS EDITION OF 'METROFOCUS.

JOIN US AGAIN NEXT WEEK FO NEWS, CONVERSATIONS AND IN DEPTH REPORTING FROM NEW YORK AND NE JERSEY PUBLIC TELEVISION I'M JACK FORD.

THANKS FOR WATCHING.

FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM WA PROVIDED BY THE FOLLOWING.

CORPORATE FUNDING FO 'METROFOCUS' WAS PROVIDED BY MUTUAL OF AMERICA.

YOUR RETIREMENT COMPANY.