Basie Center to present honor, along with celebration of teachers and arts education at Oct. 17 event
By Alex Biese
RED BANK – Little Steven is giving teachers their time in the spotlight.
Stevie Van Zandt, the Middletown-native guitarist for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, returns to the Hacksensack Meridian Heath Theatre at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank Saturday, Oct. 17, to present a TeachRock benefit that will serve as the inaugural celebration of the Teachers Hall of Fame.
The landmark day along Monmouth Street marks a homecoming and celebration for the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. Prior to the evening’s gala, Van Zandt will be inducted into the Count Basie Center’s Walk of Fame, joining legendary Jersey Shore figures such as William James “Count” Basie and Jon Bon Jovi.
For Van Zandt, sharing that platform with educators is what makes the occasion truly extraordinary. “Teachers change lives every day, usually without anybody applauding them for it. This night is about changing that,” Van Zandt said in a recent interview with The Two River Times.
Milestone for TeachRock
The launch comes at a pinnacle moment for TeachRock, the national arts education nonprofit Van Zandt founded. What began as an initiative to combat the high school dropout crisis has grown into a sweeping national movement, as the organization’s curriculum recently reached a major milestone: one million students across all 50 states through more than 80,000 registered educators.
Van Zandt emphasized that the gala is designed to highlight a crucial shift in modern educational philosophy: integrating the arts into core subjects like science, technology, engineering and math – turning traditional STEM curriculum into STEAM.
“We feel very strongly that the arts are not just some after-school class,” Van Zandt said. “The arts should be an absolutely essential part of our quality of life and our ability to educate this particular generation. We make it clear to them that they may have all the answers in that little device in their pocket, but we have the questions, and those questions are going to help them get through life.”
Rather than fighting student technology, TeachRock encourages teachers to meet students where they are by using popular culture as a bridge. Van Zandt described this approach as “teaching in the present tense” and finding common ground through music.
“Every single kid is into music,” Van Zandt said. “Instead of saying, ‘Take those earbuds out of your ears,’ we say, ‘What are you listening to?’ If a student says Beyoncé, we explain that Beyoncé was influenced by Aretha Franklin. Then we talk about Aretha, Detroit, the gospel church and civil rights. As long as you’re on their turf and giving them something useful, they want to learn.”
That educational philosophy is already bearing fruit along the Jersey Shore. Among the inaugural Teachers Hall of Fame inductees is Tanya Peterson, an educator at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Asbury Park, who will receive the Joy in Learning Award.
Van Zandt recalled visiting the Asbury Park classrooms firsthand, contrasting the energetic environment with traditional schooling. “When I was in school, it was very quiet and boring,” Van Zandt said. “You go into these classrooms now and there is this incredible, intense vibration of excitement. Everybody is participating and can’t wait to give their opinions. It’s so exciting to witness.”
The star-studded benefit at the Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre promises a unique blend of music and comedy. Comedian Pete Davidson will host the evening, with appearances by Jon Bon Jovi, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, and comedians Jeff Ross and Ricky “Rickonia” Smith, along with performance segments by the E Street Choir. Legendary New Jersey-native funk and R&B group Kool & the Gang will headline the night with a full live performance.
All proceeds from the event directly support TeachRock’s ongoing mission to keep its curriculum free for educators nationwide.
Tickets for the TeachRock benefit start at $100 and can be purchased through the Count Basie Center box office or online at teachrock.org. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show beginning at 7 p.m.
The article originally appeared in the October 8 – 14, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
