A Slippery Rock University music instructor and alumnus was among the invited guests at a ceremony to unveil the naming of a street in New York City in honor of rock legend Jimi Hendrix. John Anthony, ’10, an SRU instructor of music, was recognized for his work with TeachRock by Experience Hendrix, the family-owned company that manages the Hendrix estate, June 10, as a street was officially renamed “Jimi Hendrix Way.”
Anthony, a part-time faculty member at SRU, is also a professional guitarist and rock band teacher at Austintown Local Schools in Ohio. He is an advocate for TeachRock, a free national curriculum that emphasizes core school subjects with the power of music and popular culture.
Anthony curated a lesson based on Jimi Hendrix, titled “Jimi Hendrix: Rock’s Trailblazing Innovator and Influential Guitarist,” that encourages students to analyze Hendrix’s life as a musician. From Hendrix’s roots as a blues and R&B artist to his revolutionary reinvention of rock music, live performance and sound design, students can use Anthony’s lesson to examine the changing nature of Hendrix’s creative identity and his lasting impact on global music culture.
Anthony attended the exclusive event as an honored guest alongside a stellar lineup of music icons, including Vernon Reid of Living Colour, songwriter Valerie Simpson, guitarist Felicia Collins and Eddie Kramer, the historic engineer and producer who worked intimately with Hendrix to shape his signature sound.
The unveiling served as a way to honor the legacy of the late musician, while also being a platform for TeachRock to announce a new official partnership with Experience Hendrix.
Founded by Stevie Van Zandt, TeachRock is designed by both musicians and educators, creating a space that allows students to foster stronger connections with the curriculum and world around them through lessons that feel personal, curated and engaging. Across 50 states, TeachRock has helped over 80,000 educators reframe their classrooms through culturally relevant, specified, lesson plans.
Anthony’s participation in this event emphasizes his efforts to bridge the gap between professional music history and the classroom. By representing SRU at the unveiling, Anthony not only celebrated the life of an icon, but also highlighted the vital role that engaging in culturally relevant education plays in keeping musical legacies alive for future generations.
More information about the event and TeachRock is available online.
