Steven Van Zandt
EXCLUSIVE
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- Musician, Songwriter, Music and TV Producer, and Actor
- Famed Founding Member of the E Street Band
- Member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- Author of 'Unrequited Infatuations', a Memoir
- Cannes Lions Awards
- SXSW
- Commencement Address at Rutgers University
Musician, producer, actor, and founder STEVEN VAN ZANDT has been a part of globally successful projects that have stood the test of time – from the E Street Band to The Sopranos. Van Zandt has gained unique insight into how to stay creative while also staying relevant, no matter the industry. In entertaining talks, Van Zandt shares anecdotes from his storied career, illuminating how people from any industry can uphold their creative integrity while adapting to the ever-changing demands of the world around them.
For four decades, rock ‘n roll icon STEVEN VAN ZANDT has been leveraging his platform for causes that matter to him and impact the world. In 1985, he formed Artists United Against Apartheid and wrote Sun City, an anthemic protest song. Over 50 artists performed on the track, which was considered by political experts to be a fatal blow to Apartheid. Van Zandt produced a documentary about the experience and was honored by the United Nations for the project.
Van Zandt has also worked to promote Indigenous sovereignty, to foster economic development in harmony with the Earth, and performed on behalf of Vietnam veterans, missing children, and more. In uplifting and engaging talks, Van Zandt shares how he has focused on world issues through his music, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy.
STEVEN VAN ZANDT knows firsthand how music changes lives. Van Zandt’s foundation, Rock and Roll Forever, was founded to provide solutions to two escalating problems – music classes being cut, and a growing high school drop-out epidemic. Van Zandt believes that student engagement is a significant facet of the crisis, and so he conceived a curriculum based around popular music that can be taught by any teacher or department.
Rock and Roll Forever has attracted powerful partners including Scholastic Inc., ABC News, the Grammy Museum, and more, and has launched an online educational resource – TeachRock.org – to support teachers and students everywhere, for free. In speaking engagements, Van Zandt explains the importance of creative curriculum for student growth and engagement, and the profound impact his foundation has achieved.

