[UPDATE 12/17/20]: Steven Van Zandt has added longtime collaborator Bruce Springsteen to the lineup for his “Stand With Teachers” virtual holiday benefit for TeachRock, the educational arm of his Rock and Roll Forever Foundation. Other new additions the the lineup include a performance by Jackson Browne, and a special appearance by Sammy Hagar. Per Rolling Stone, the lineup additions were announced by Van Zandt on Live from E Street Nation on SiriusXM.
In other E Street news, The Boss and Little Steven made their way to New York city last weekend to serve as the musical guests on Saturday Night Live. Bruce Springsteen company used the appearance to deliver the live debuts of “Ghosts” and “I’ll See You in My Dreams”, two new originals from Springsteen’s latest studio album, Letter To You, which arrived on Columbia Records back on October 23rd.
For more information on the Steven Van Zandt/TeachRock #StandWithTeachers benefit stream on December 21st, head here.
[12/9/20] Longtime E Street Band member and lauded television actor Steven Van Zandt, in partnership with TeachRock, has announced the “Stand With Teachers” virtual holiday fundraising event, set to stream on Monday, December 21st at 8:00 p.m. ET. The event will be produced by Van Zandt and TeachRock.org, the education component of his Rock and Roll Forever Foundation, and will aim to honor the dedication of educators who have helped students and families survive this most unusual year.
The hour-long streaming event will include special performances by Eddie Vedder and Margo Price as well as appearances by a slew of high-profile actors and artists including Steve Buscemi, Bobby Canavale, Whoopi Goldberg, Vincent Pastore, Edward Norton, Tom Morello, Melle Mel, and more.
Ticket prices for the “Stand With Teachers” stream range from $25–$150 and are now available to order here. Ticket purchases are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Ticket-holders will also be available to stream the show on-demand for three days following the initial stream on December 21st. All ticket-holders are invited to stick around following the one-hour event for a special edition of Renegade Nation Holiday Video Jukebox.
“Being an educator has never been easy, but 2020 posed greater challenges than any schools have ever faced. And, as usual, teachers rose to the occasion,” said Steven Van Zandt in a press release. “When schools shut down overnight, teachers rallied and moved classes online. But that’s not all–like the essential workers they are, teachers continue to risk their health to serve students and families, be it to distribute tech to keep students connected, or meals to help families in need. Teachers are the plainclothes superheroes in our midst. They deserve to be heard and celebrated, and that’s why we’re going to Stand With Teachers on December 21st.”
#StandWithTeachers is a call-to-action to support TeachRock’s direct work with teachers and encourage people to support teachers and students in their local communities. The virtual fundraising event on December 21st will honor educators and for their ongoing dedication to children throughout 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the program will aim to expand online arts integration support to teachers and students forced to cope with remote learning.
“The TeachRock family is excited to join with several of the most passionate figures in music and entertainment to Stand With Teachers on December 21st,” said Bill Carbone, executive director of the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation. “We will celebrate with a fun and uplifting evening of music and conversation, all to honor the teachers who continue to go above and beyond to meet the basic educational and human needs of America’s students during these unprecedented times.”
Anyone can join this movement to show support for teachers. TeachRock encourages everyone to record a short video clip stating, “I am (your name) and I stand with teachers because…” and to share it on social media and tag TeachRock and #StandWithTeachers, and Teachrock will repost it alongside the celebrities’ videos.
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For more information on the Steven Van Zandt/TeachRock #StandWithTeachers benefit stream on December 21st, head here.
