It didn’t take long to understand Steven Van Zandt’s place in New Jersey music.
He wasn’t just getting a star on the Count Basie Center Walk of Fame. He was being introduced by Jon Bon Jovi, who got his own star last fall.
The night that followed Saturday at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank was just as star-studded. Pete Davidson hosted TeachRock’s inaugural Teachers Hall of Fame gala before nearly 1,500 people, with Bon Jovi, Tom Morello and Jeff Ross on the bill, a full concert by Kool & the Gang and a surprise appearance by Bruce Springsteen.
Van Zandt graciously accepted the honor and spoke about his plans for the future during his acceptance speech.
“I guess one way to find out you’re getting old is when they start putting your name on sidewalks,” he said. “But I’m planning on a big 9th inning.”
He’s had a heck of a game already.
Raised in Monmouth County, he got his start as lead guitarist and writer in Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes in the early 1970s. In 1975, he joined Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, after arranging the horns on “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” from the seminal album “Born to Run.”
Van Zandt was Springsteen’s right-hand man until the mid-1980s, when he went solo and started his career in philanthropy and activism. He famously helped bring American attention to apartheid in South Africa and Nelson Mandela.
In the late 1990s, he starred as Silvio Dante, Tony Soprano’s consigliere, in “The Sopranos.”
All of this made him more than star-worthy, Count Basie Center for the Arts CEO Adam Philipson said.
“Welcoming Steven Van Zandt onto the Basie Center Walk of Fame is an incredible moment for our organization and our community,” he said. “As a former board member, Steven has played an important role in the expansion of our campus. His commitment to our mission has continued through the years, whether he was performing on our stage, mentoring young artists or sharing the spotlight with our students.”
That’s the bigger story.
Saturday night was not just about Van Zandt and his past, but also the future he is working to create.
Van Zandt founded TeachRock, a nonprofit that provides free lesson plans to teachers with music and the arts at their core.
After the Walk of Fame ceremony, Van Zandt hosted the inaugural TeachRock Teachers Hall of Fame inside the Basie Center.
Over the last decade, the nonprofit has provided lessons in history, math, science and language arts to more than a million students and over 80,000 teachers across the country, according to TeachRock.
Four teachers were honored and became the inaugural class in the TeachRock Hall of Fame, each given a different award.
Trailblazer Award: Kathy Durham of West Wendover High School in West Wendover, Nevada
“Teaching TeachRock isn’t just about playing a record; it’s about creating a classroom that values curiosity and inquiry over compliance — a classroom where students learn to think of themselves, rather than simply repeat what they’re told,” she said.
Impact Award: Patrick “Mac” McGuire of Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado
He teaches seven sections of his TeachRock-based “Rock and Soul of America” class. Speaking about one of his students, McGuire said, “She was on the edge, deciding whether she was going to stay in school or drop out. Her parents told me the only reason she didn’t drop out is because of our Rock and Soul of America class.”
Joy in Learning Award: Jersey’s own Tanya Peterson of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Asbury Park
“Our students have important things to say, and through the program, they have the ability to express who they are,” she said. “That’s a very powerful thing.”
Lifetime Achievement Award: Mary Morello
Springsteen made a surprise appearance to present the award to Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, who accepted on behalf of his late mother.
“My mom, a retired public school teacher, passed away recently at 102 years old,” he said. “She remained until the very end the most radical and the most popular member of the Morello family.”
Van Zandt pushed the praise to others.
He called the teachers “heroes on the front lines in the war against ignorance” and said, “their job is not just getting the kids through school, but getting them through life.”
TeachRock aims to help.
The hope is that by teaching core subjects through the lens of music and the arts, attendance, classroom engagement and test scores will rise.
In a TeachRock survey, 86% of teachers who used TeachRock lesson plans saw an increase in classroom engagement.
TeachRock Executive Director Bill Carbone sees the impact the group is having.
“If we lead with music and the arts, kids will get excited and wholeheartedly engage,” he said. “We’re inspiring students on the verge of quitting to find a path to graduation. With entire districts we’re improving attendance and reducing disciplinary issues.”
That’s worthy of a spotlight.
