Steven Van Zandt has spent more than five decades shaping American music, first as a guitarist, songwriter, producer, actor, and founding member of Bruce Springsteen‘s E Street Band, and now as an unlikely advocate for education reform. Through TeachRock, the nonprofit curriculum he founded, Van Zandt is using music to teach history, literature, geography, and civics in classrooms around the world. Backed by founding board members Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Martin Scorsese, and Jackson Browne, the program has already reached more than one million students. We spoke with Van Zandt about why the arts belong at the center of education, what AI means for creativity, his admiration for Sir Rod Stewart, and why he’d welcome an invitation to Palm Beach.
How did TeachRock come about?
The Music Teachers of America came to me after the No Child Left Behind legislation passed because one of its unintended consequences was the elimination of arts education in public schools. I went to Washington and met with Mitch McConnell and Teddy Kennedy, which tells you how long ago this was, and explained that this was a real disaster. They both acknowledged that was never the intent, but they also made it clear it wasn’t going to be fixed. So I came back to the music teachers and said, “We’re not going to be putting instruments in kids’ hands for a while. We’ll have to find another way.” My idea was to keep the arts in the DNA of public education by teaching history through music. The teachers embraced it, I outlined about 200 lesson plans, and off we went. Along the way, we discovered we could teach virtually every discipline. It became truly cross-curricular. In the end, our mission came down to three goals: keep the arts in the DNA of public education, develop a new methodology for this generation, which they desperately needed, and ultimately help reduce dropout rates while increasing graduation rates, especially in underserved communities.
What inspired you to pursue music? How old were you?
I first became interested in music because my grandfather taught me to play guitar. At the beginning, it was really just a way to spend time with him. Then The Beatles came along. Like so many people of my generation, I was thunderstruck. They revealed an entirely new world. We’d seen individual singers and vocal groups before, but we’d never seen a band that played, sang, and wrote its own songs. It was an entirely new thing, and it was incredibly exciting. That was the beginning of taking my interest quite seriously, but I could never have pretended to match, or attain, the sophistication of The Beatles. It just wasn’t accessible. Fortunately, a few months later, The Rolling Stones came along. They dressed the way they wanted, they weren’t as polished as The Beatles, and they made it look easier than it was. I’ve always tied the two together. The Beatles revealed a new world to us. The Rolling Stones invited us in.
How do you think AI might impact the music business?
No one’s quite sure, of course. It appears to be the shortcut everyone’s looking for. I’m not sure it’ll work in the arts. It may be helpful. We’ll see. But there’s really no music business left to speak of, to be honest. The business barely exists. So it’s not a threat. It can’t be a threat to something that’s already on life support. The real music business at this point is live performance, and we’re among the fortunate ones who’ve been successful enough to make a living doing that. AI can’t replace that. I’m hearing it helps people write songs to some extent, and I’m hearing there are already songs on the charts that are completely AI-generated. So anything’s possible, especially in the more commercial side of pop music, where things can become hits in a very temporary way. I’m not sure what the long-term impact will be artistically, but commercially it’ll probably become a significant factor. As for the art itself, we’ll see.
Stevie Van Zandt
Any other big changes you’re predicting?
No. The nice thing about art in general is that it really is its own reward, and I truly mean that. If you’re fortunate enough to make a living from it, that’s wonderful. But even without that, it’s incredibly valuable because it improves your quality of life. Everybody has something artistic and creative in them. It’s important to find what that is and make time for it. That’s what our education system should be doing, and it’s certainly what our curriculum does. We encourage each student’s natural inclination, whatever that may be. Sometimes there’s no obvious commercial value to it. So what? It should be pursued anyway because it’s valuable in ways that are intangible, but incredibly significant. I tell people all the time: shut your device off for an hour or two every day and work on your craft. If you take care of the craft, the art will take care of itself. That’s why it’s so important that our education system continues to encourage creativity. We’re hoping our kind of curriculum catches on for more students in more places.
How/when did Rod Stewart get involved?
He heard about TeachRock and wanted to support what we’re doing, which is extremely significant to me because he’s one of my favorite artists of all time. Growing up, we considered Rod Stewart the greatest white singer of all time. When we first heard him with the Jeff Beck Group, everybody thought he was Black. The way I define rock and roll is white kids trying to sound Black, and failing gloriously. Rod sounded like Sam Cooke. He turned me on to Sam Cooke in a much deeper way. Growing up, Sam Cooke belonged more to our parents’ generation, but Rod made me go back and discover the Soul Stirrers, the gospel recordings, and everything that came before. Looking back, I’d argue Sam Cooke is one of the greatest singers of all time, and I don’t know that I would’ve figured that out on my own. We all owe Rod Stewart a great debt of gratitude for that. Within the first five or six years after we discovered him, he made two incredible albums with the Jeff Beck Group, followed by a remarkable run of solo records and Faces albums. It was one of the greatest creative runs anybody has ever had, and all of it was extraordinary. He was a remarkable talent that nobody was quite ready for. He blew everybody’s mind. So it’s a great honor for me to have him associated with TeachRock in any way, and I’m very happy about that.
How/when did Bono get involved? And have you visited him in Palm Beach?
When I started TeachRock, I knew I needed a strong group of founders—people whose names would make it clear this was a serious undertaking. I was about to do the thing I hate most in the world: asking people for money. I don’t like asking people for anything, never mind money, so I thought I’d better have some really strong names behind it. I asked Bono if he’d join the board, and he agreed. Bruce Springsteen agreed. Marty Scorsese agreed. Jackson Browne agreed, and off we went. It was a way of showing people this was a serious venture. As for Palm Beach, I’ve never been, at least not that I can recall. But I look forward to an invitation.
Would you ever consider bringing TeachRock to West Palm Beach?
Teachers in the area are already using TeachRock in their classrooms, and we’re in active conversations with education leaders about expanding our reach. We’re also partnered with the Holocaust Education Task Force to bring our Amplifying Jewish Heritage curriculum to more schools throughout the region beginning this fall.
Any other upcoming events in New York, the Hamptons, Aspen or Florida?
On October 17, we’ll be in Red Bank, New Jersey for a special TeachRock event. It’ll be a great evening celebrating our mission, and I’ll also be receiving a star on the Count Basie Walk of Fame. Kool & the Gang will be performing, so we’re really looking forward to it. Then, on November 4, we’re hosting a fundraiser for TeachRock at The Cutting Room in New York featuring several well-known jam band artists. And in March 2027, we plan to bring back our Escape the Winter Time Blues event at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida. All of these events are open to the public, and as tickets become available, you’ll be able to find more information at TeachRock.org.
How can Palm Beachers get involved?
Anyone who’s interested in our mission is welcome to get involved. From the very beginning, we decided TeachRock would be funded entirely through private support because we never wanted bureaucracy to compromise what we’re doing. Every dollar we’re given goes right back into the program, which is why everything we offer teachers is completely free. Having now reached more than one million students and roughly 80,000 teachers, we’ve seen enough evidence to know this approach can transform education.
We’ve found a way to reach a generation that doesn’t necessarily want to be taught. They’re wondering why they’re in class when they have a device that can give them an answer in 30 seconds. They already have the answers to everything, but they don’t know the important questions or how to think critically about those answers. Our goal is to improve their quality of learning and of life for the long term, not simply give them enough information to pass a test. Really our goal is to teach them how to think, not what to think.
Eventually, I’d love to see TeachRock receive a $100 million endowment. There are plenty of people in this country who care deeply about education, and my hope is that someone learns about what we’re doing and recognizes the impact it can have—not just for today’s students, but for generations to come. There are about a thousand billionaires in the United States, and I’m hoping one of them learns about what we’re doing and sees the potential it has to transform education. An endowment like that would give us the foundation to keep our curriculum free, independent, and available to every teacher who wants it. Until then, every dollar makes a difference. Every contribution helps us expand what we’re doing, and we’re grateful for every bit of support.
