Steely Dan‘s Donald Fagen, Steve Winwood and Chic‘s Nile Rodgers are among a variety of artists who appear in a new video saluting teachers and school administrators who are supporting music education during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The clip, which you can watch on YouTube, is part of a partnership between the National Music Council and the National Federation of State High School Associations to thank music educators in conjunction with the launch of the Music in Our Schools Month initiative.
Music in Our Schools Month, which takes place annually in March, encourages schools across the U.S. to give attention to the importance of music education.
Other well-known artists featured in the video include Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, Paul Shaffer, Rosanne Cash, John Rich of the country duo Big & Rich, Take 6 and late jazz legend Chick Corea.
In one segment of the clip, Fagen notes that “without [my music teacher’s] encouragement, telling me to practice and keep at it, I wouldn’t be where I am today. He adds later, “Your work is very important, you teachers and administrators, so keep at it. Keep up the good work.”
As for Winwood, he acknowledges that things are challenging during the pandemic, noting, “It looks like there’s no easy answer to these times. We have to keep the music going.”
He adds, “With the necessary constraints, we will get more quickly back to normality.”
Meanwhile, Rodgers declares, “Music in the schools is the most important thing that you can ever do. It’s the most important thing that you can ever teach. It’s the most important thing to me that you can ever experience.”
He also maintains, “In these uncertain times, the consistency and the fun of doing music is probably the best thing that the kids will ever experience.”
By Matt Friedlander
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