ASBURY PARK, NJ (CelebrityAccess) — The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University is set to partner with Steve Van Zandt’s TeachRock education program, aiming to provide educators with tools to integrate American popular music into classrooms nationwide.
TeachRock, recognized for its comprehensive curricula spanning various grade levels, focuses on helping teachers integrate American music with subjects like civics, literature, history, and sociology in educational settings.
Bill Carbone, Executive Director of the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation, the overseeing body of TeachRock, expressed optimism about the collaboration, noting, “Forming a partnership with the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music will only increase opportunities for students and teachers alike. Both institutions share the same goals when it comes to education and the role music plays in it.”
Bob Santelli, Executive Director of the Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music, shared the enthusiasm, stating, “We’re truly excited to link arms with Stevie Van Zandt and the TeachRock team. As a former teacher myself, I know how effective TeachRock has been in the education arena. We hope to bring to the partnership ideas and programs that will make both TeachRock and the Archives more educationally productive than ever.”
The collaboration will encompass teacher workshops, student internships, seminars, conferences, curriculum development, and joint research initiatives. The initiative will initially launch locally at Asbury Park Middle School and High School through the Harmony Student Wellness program, integrating the arts into the curriculum through engaging lesson plans.
TeachRock, founded by Stevie Van Zandt alongside notable figures like Bono, Jackson Browne, Martin Scorsese, and Bruce Springsteen, has been providing free, standards-aligned resources for more than a decade. The organization recently introduced an Artist Council including well-known names like Erykah Badu, Common, and Sheryl Crow, enhancing its mission to promote music education.
The TeachRock initiative strives to enhance students’ educational experiences by leveraging the influence of music across various subjects. From The Beatles to Beyoncé, the program offers comprehensive lesson plans at no cost, fostering deeper learning and understanding through music.
Stevie Van Zandt’s vision behind TeachRock is to maintain music and arts in the core of educational systems, empowering teachers to connect with students through music and inspire their success.
TeachRock.org serves as an open educational resource with a plethora of unit and lesson plans, student editions, and musician profiles. The organization’s “Rock and Soul of America” high school History course is taught across various states and regions, benefiting over 60,000 educators in more than 30,000 schools globally.
The collaboration between the Bruce Springsteen Archives and TeachRock aims to further enrich music education and its integration into diverse curricula, solidifying music’s role as an educational tool.
