Rockin’ out
| Van Zandt was a guest at the news conference by Regina Croso, director of the Harris Poll at Harris Interactive and John Mahlmann, executive director of the National Association for Music Education. – Carrie Devorah/For The Examiner |
“Little Steven” Van Zandt
The “Sopranos” star, E Street Band member and deejay extraordinaire came to the National Press Club on Monday morning to tout a new Harris Poll linking music education to educational advancement, higher incomes and greater happiness. He also gave an update on “Little Steven’s Rock and Roll High School,” a rock education curriculum slated to start in high schools in 2008-09.
“We had the wonderful opportunity to see rock and roll being born and to grow up with it,” said Van Zandt, who sported jeans, a red leather jacket, red boots and an animal-print head scarf, as he was flanked by Gibson guitars. “It opened up my emotional and intellectual life. … We want to make sure that opportunity is passed on to the next generation.”
He said rock not only benefits kids’ minds, but the culture as well: “Rock and roll is a uniquely American art form; something we should be proud of. … It’s common ground. I look around and I don’t see a lot of common ground. … We were supposed to fix that in the ’60s and I don’t think we did.”
So why is rock dropping in popularity? “We’re generally just a little more fragmented right now,” he told Yeas & Nays. “It’s a little out of balance at the moment.” Plus, “We only look to the next fiscal quarter — and you won’t achieve greatness that way.”
He had some words for policymakers, too, arguing that No Child Left Behind has effectively cut arts requirements in schools. “We seem to be the only country in the world that considers the arts a luxury,” he said.
