Meet York County's most influential people for 2023: Arts & Entertainment

In a world of change, one thing remains constant: The number of people who work, often behind the scenes, to make our lives a little better.

The York Daily Record and its sister publication, The Evening Sun of Hanover, sought to highlight those who have a big impact in York County – from the entertainment world, to activists, to politicians and sports stars and business leaders.

You won't agree with every pick. That's to be expected. And we consciously made some unexpected choices to highlight some emerging community leaders rather than household names.

This group is more about who had an impact on our lives rather than a simple popularity contest. These lists are in no way comprehensive.

The goal here is to offer recognition of those working hard throughout our county and as a reminder of who to watch. We encourage debate and feedback!

Methodology: The entire York Daily Record and Evening Sun staff participated in this project. We created teams for each category, and team members crowd-sourced potential nominees, asking community members for their suggestions. We then undertook the daunting task of narrowing each list down to the top five.

Devix

Eric Torres, better known to the world as “Devix,” has been involved in music for as long as he can remember.

He comes from an artistic family: his sister’s painting, his brother’s involvement in video production, and instruments.

“As a family, we all loved music and grew up listening to a lot if it whether it was classical or alternative rock, rap – just a little bit of everything. For me, I grew into alternative rock, which relates to the music I create now.”­­

He first touched the keys of a piano at the age of 1. Torres’ brother brought home a guitar when he was 8, and Torres himself eventually learned the instrument.

During high school, one of Torres' hobbies was designing video games. The main protagonist character he came up with was named Devix, and he liked the name so decided to use that for his music.

“I intended for it to be the name of a music project, or just a band, but people started calling me by the name and I just rolled with it."

The Dallastown graduate performed at school talent shows, events and open mics in the York area and shared his performances on social media. But the opportunity that would change his career came in 2022, when he performed "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals on the reality singing competition "The Voice" and was offered the chance to be coached by singer Camilla Cabello.

Though he ultimately did not make it to the end of the show, Torres said the chance to perform and be chosen for the show was monumental in helping advance his confidence and musical career.

“My family and friends have always been supportive of my journey, but the show was an incredible opportunity, and the community has really responded."

The show helped boost his social media following from fewer than 2,000 to over 14,000.

“I decided to utilize that growth to further my music career. People listen to my music now more than they would have before,” Torres said.

While Torres said he plans to move to another city one day, he currently lives in his hometown of York and is continuing to perform local shows around central Pennsylvania.

Jeff Stabley

Jeff Stabley began playing drums when he was a child, grooving to Earth, Wind and Fire in the basement of his parents’ home on his Black Diamond Pearl Slingerland drum kit until his parents would stomp on the floor above him, signaling it was time to stop.

From that time, music has been Stabley’s life. He wanted to be a jazz drummer – and is a fine jazz drummer, part of saxophone great Tim Warfield’s pick-up band in town – and he’s always wanted to share the joy he has for music with others.

That came two decades ago, when he began teaching music at York College, going beyond the sharps and flats and showing his students how music can enrich your life.

Meanwhile, he has continued to play. He hosts a jazz concert every First Friday at the Studio at the Appell Center, a showcase for jazz talent. “I’m shocked at the level of professionalism I get for those shows,” he said. He also plays every second Thursday of the month at the Fig & Barrel in downtown York.

And, among his musician friends, prior to COVID, he was known for his Super Bowl parties, where musicians of all stripes would have a jam session at halftime, which usually lasted well into the fourth quarter of the game.

“Music has never not been the passion of my life,” he told Our York Media. “There’s just an absolute joy to it.”

Teaching also gives him that joy.

“There’s nothing like that feeling of playing music,” he said. “But helping these kids find that feeling, that’s a close second.”

Tim Warfield Jr.

Prior to COVID, Tim Warfield Jr. would host a gig at the Holy Hound Taproom in downtown York.

There was no cover charge – for a show with a world-class jazz saxophonist accompanied by a trio of equally talented musicians. It was the kind of show that would have put you back a hundred bucks or so at a club in New York or Philadelphia or Washington. But it was there for the cost of a pint of IPA.

At one of those shows, a couple brought their young son, a budding saxophonist in his school band. The look on the kid’s face was priceless; he was in awe of being in Warfield’s presence and his obvious and prodigious musical talent.

During a break between sets, Warfield chatted with the kid, talking about music, asking him questions and just listening to the kid. That chat probably influenced the kid’s musical education more than all his teachers combined.

For Warfield, it was just a way of giving back.

Warfield played sax in the band at William Penn Senior High School and never looked back. He played his first gig at the former Mai Tai Lounge, which had been across the street from Penn Park. His musical education continued, and he is at the pinnacle of jazz musicians in the country, if not the world, jazz being a uniquely American genre.

He has shared a stage with trumpet legend Dizzy Gillespie, guitar maestro Larry Coryell and funk and soul composer Isaac Hayes. He has played on Grammy-nominated recordings and has played at legendary concert halls and jazz clubs.

But the Holy Hound gigs – on hiatus since COVID – were special to him.

Jeff Stabley, who played drums for those gigs, once said playing with Warfield was like going to church and school at the same time.

Those in the audience felt the same way.

More on Warfield: With no gigs in COVID era, jazz great Tim Warfield rides out 'emotional roller-coaster'

JJ Sheffer

It never occurred to York native JJ Sheffer that she would spend her adult life here, 15 minutes away from the house she grew up in, but here she is.

She attended Penn State York, where she studied writing and participated in the Create Your Own Major program, hoping to one day land a job writing for Rolling Stones magazine, where she could combine her love of writing and music.

Growing up, her home echoed with music. Her dad was a bassist. And in high school, Sheffer said, music became a role in her identity.

“At home, I listened to a lot of Willie Nelson, my mom played Seals and Crofts cassette tapes in the car. I started to embrace the Americana folk music community,” Sheffer said.

But Sheffer's path led elsewhere. Her educational pursuits paused when she became a mother, though her passions persisted.

She moved back to her hometown and began writing for blogs and online publications where she even had the opportunity to interview the Counting Crows.

Her commitment to the local community came through her years of service at Martin Library. It was here that she was introduced to the world of nonprofits and later found herself in various roles in the fundraising department.

In her free time, Sheffer spent weeknights and weekends traveling to music and arts events throughout Central Pennsylvania, in Harrisburg and Lancaster, eventually bringing them to York with the help of her mentors and community leaders.

She created popular events such as York Story Slam, Kable House Presents concerts, and PechaKucha, a storytelling platform where presenters shows 20 slides for 20 seconds of commentary each.

“I really wanted to give artists a space to feel welcomed and celebrated. These programs are my whole life.”

Over time, Sheffer continues to show unwavering commitment to arts in the community she calls home.

Andrew Smith

Born and raised in Hanover, Pa., Andrew "Andy" Smith has always had an eye for creativity. As a child, Smith remembers collecting disposable and film cameras and taking pictures of "just about everything," in anticipation of seeing his photos developed. He taught music education and band at Duncannon for more than three decades before retiring in 2019.

But Smith doesn't sit still. He continues to keep busy in a variety of ways.

"I'm fortunate that my health allows me to stay active. I'm not a person who sits around," he said.

Shortly after his retirement, he was introduced to clay monoprinting, a printmaking medium developed by Pennsylvania artist Mitch Lyons that uses a matrix consisting of a slab of wet clay layered with colored clay slips. After practicing the art himself, Smith opened his own art studio: Visual Realia Studio.

His appreciation for art and creativity, combined with his pioneering work for local businesses and artists, was the motivation to start a blog that combines the two: Culture on the Line. "Artists are notoriously bad at promoting themselves, and I just wanted to create a place where interesting things and culture would have a permanent home," Smith said.

In his spare time, Smith volunteers on several local nonprofit boards, including the Hanover Area Arts Guild and the Guthrie Memorial Library, and acts as a mentor to aspiring artists, photographers, and creatives in the area. A self-described "weekend hobbyist," he submits his artwork and photography to local galleries in York and Adams counties.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Meet York County Pa.'s 2023 most influential artists and entertainers