KUSA — Legendary musician Steven Van Zandt is in Denver this week for a performance at the Gothic Theater.
Best known as a member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and as the actor who played Silvio Dante on the Sopranos, Van Zandt is now advocating for educators.
Little Steven and Disciples of Soul are in Denver for the Soulfire Teacher Solidarity Tour, dedicated to teachers.
He is promoting the organization TeachRock.org, which offers a music history curriculum for teachers of various disciplines to use in their lessons for free. The goal is increase student engagement through the arts.
“The methodology of teaching hasn’t changed that much since we were kids. It’s like, learn this now and someday you’ll use it,” Van Zandt said. “That doesn’t work so well for this generation who are used to having everything now, now, now. They’re faster than us, they’re smarter. You’ve got to engage them somehow and this engages them immediately.”
He continued, “It’s very important that the kids have the arts to balance out the science and technology stuff. It’s a whole different thing and one thing helps the other. It’s more important to me, that kids learn how to think these days rather than just what to think.”
Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul perform at the Gothic Theater Friday night, Nov. 30 at 8 p.m.
Doors open at 7 p.m. and teachers can attend for free. TeachRock.org is also hosting a free workshop for teachers before the show, starting at 6 p.m.
To register, visit the TeachRock.org website for this show and email Christine@TeachRock.org.