TeachRock

STEVIE VAN ZANDT VISITS HORACE GREELEY SCHOOL IS10 QUEENS NY TO SPEAK WITH 8th GRADE STUDENTS STUDYING TEACHROCK US HISTORY COURSE UNIT PLAN ABOUT SUN CITY/ ARTISTS UNITED AGAINST APARTHEID

(February 1, 2024) Multi-hyphenate legend Stevie Van Zandt visits a class at Horace Greely School (Intermediate School 010) that has been studying the Sun City/Artists United Against Apartheid unit plan. The visit was inspired by IS010 teacher Mike Montali, a musician whose recordings with Hollis Brown Band and Fantastic Cat have been featured on Van Zandt’s Underground Garage radio station.

All of IS010’s 8th grade students learned about Apartheid in South Africa through the free unit plan on the topic at Van Zandt’s nonprofit organization’s website Teachrock.org. The students also learned about Van Zandt and the cast of 55 musicians he assembled as “Artists United Against Apartheid” to record the 1985 album “Sun City.” Through the album and press appearances, Van Zandt helped establish a cultural boycott of South Africa at the time.

After introductions by assistant principal Alfredo Centola and teacher Mike Montali Van Zandt took the stage for a Q&A with students. Some students asked questions about activism, some about music, and others wanted to know how Van Zandt developed his fashion sense. Following the event, most of the front office staff really wanted to talk about Van Zandt’s tenure as Silvio Dante in the hit series The Sopranos.

Photo Credit: Laura Merrill

Van Zandt founded the TeachRock education resource that is being used by over 60,000 educators, in over 30,000 schools in all 50 states.

Photo Credit: Laura Merrill