Music: The Instrument of Change

About TeachRock.org

TeachRock is an educational non-profit dedicated to the ideas that students learn best when they’re actively engaged and that music is a universal way of getting people engaged and involved. Through that lens, TeachRock creates innovative lesson plans that use popular music to teach standards-aligned curriculum across all disciplines. In the words of founder Steven Van Zandt, “the easiest way to engage a kid in conversation is to ask what kind of music they like,” and TeachRock harnesses that power to create engaging learning. TeachRock is endorsed by the New Jersey School Boards Association, the National Council for the Social Studies, the National Association for Music Education and the National Council for Geographic Education, with partners including Scholastic Inc., HBO, PBS, Reelin’ in the Years, ABC News, Rock’s Backpages, New York University Steinhardt School, and the Grammy Museum.

About the class

Music is more than just the soundtrack to social change: it’s often the driving force. Join Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stevie Van Zandt (Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, the founder of TeachRock, and Artists United Against Apartheid) to explore the central role of music in the ongoing fight for racial equality. Through the “greatest hits” of TeachRock’s curriculum, you’ll visit the music of Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar, Marvin Gaye, and others, plus hear firsthand how Stevie and his friends stood up against apartheid and helped establish racial justice in South Africa. Like his concerts, Stevie’s class demands audience participation, so come ready to join the discussion, feel the music, and leave inspired to be the change you want to see in the world

Meet your instructor, Stevie Van Zandt.

Stevie Van Zandt is a Musician, Writer, Producer, Actor, Director, Activist, Historian, Teacher, and more. As chairman of the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation, he directs TeachRock.org, a nonprofit dedicated to the power of music as a teaching tool. TeachRock provides free lesson plans to teachers around the world, integrating music into lessons on subjects from history to art, science to mathematics. In 1985, Stevie formed Artists United Against Apartheid and wrote “Sun City,” a song featuring over 50 major recording artists protesting the Apartheid system and is considered by many political experts to be one of the fatal blows to Apartheid, leading to Nelson Mandela being freed only a few years later. He has twice been honored by the United Nations for his political activism.