Staff file photo / Andy Gray John Anthony, shown here during The Vindys’ 2024 concert with the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, created a lesson on Jimi Hendrix for the Teach Rock educational program that will be part of the festivities when New York City later this month renames a portion of one of its streets Jimi Hendrix Way.

AUSTINTOWN — It’s not just students at Austintown Fitch High School who are benefiting from the teaching of John Anthony.

Anthony, who teaches Austintown Fitch’s rock band and history of rock ‘n’ roll classes and also is the lead guitarist of The Vindys, has created several lessons for Teach Rock, a STEAM-based curriculum that uses popular music to instill a passion for learning with students.

It was started and championed by musician / actor / entrepreneur Stevie Van Zandt, best known for his work as music director of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and as Silvio Dante on HBO’s “The Sopranos.”

Anthony’s latest lesson will be part of the festivities later this month when New York City rechristens a portion of West Eighth Street as Jimi Hendrix Way. The street is the location of Electric Ladyland recording studio, which Hendrix started and still is in operation there. The dedication will serve as a kickoff of an education partnership between Experience Hendrix LLC and Teach Rock.

Anthony previously created two lessons on the Grateful Dead and worked on a series of lessons focused on South American music.

He said Van Zandt was looking to update some of the lessons created when Teach Rock first started, including one on Hendrix.

“Steven had asked his crew, ‘Who do we know that could write this lesson?’ and my connection at Teach Rock was like, ‘I know just the guy,’ and so they reached out to me,” Anthony said. “While we were on tour with Pat Benatar last year, I was actually in the van writing the lesson, sitting in the front seat with (fellow guitar player) Rick Deak, talking about it and finishing it.”

Anthony’s efforts already have been endorsed by Janie Hendrix, Jimi Hendrix’s sister and president and CEO of Experience Hendrix.

In a story on the The Music Universe website about the Teach Rock program, she said, “This collaboration speaks to the heart of our mission — carrying on Jimi’s legacy through education. His music is a powerful gateway for young minds to connect with history, creativity and their own potential.”

As part of the street dedication on Feb. 24, a classroom of NYC students will get the Hendrix lesson with Van Zandt in attendance.

Anthony isn’t only a creator for Teach Rock, he’s also a user.

“I teach a history of rock ‘n’ roll course that has been a standard music elective, but we’ve also upgraded it to a college credit plus course through Youngstown State,” he said. “This year I used a handful of resources from Teach Rock and then, obviously, I use my own stuff as well.”

Classes focused on contemporary music have become an increasingly popular elective at schools nationwide.

Not all music educators have as much experience with rock music as Anthony does.

Even fewer have toured with Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees like Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo and opened for such Rock Hall inductees as ZZ Top and Ann Wilson of Heart. That’s where Teach Rock is an asset.

“It’s foolproof,” Anthony said.

“There’s all of these lessons and videos. It’s all there for free, and it’s an easy way for them to engage their students with something that they love, and it helps them to teach it in an authentic way that they may not be able to do without something like that free curriculum.”

Anthony also believes that creating lessons for Teach Rock has had a positive impact on his teaching.

“I’m having to really think and make sure this lesson ties in from beginning to and making sure the resources are engaging,” he said.

“It’s pushing myself to really get that lesson to be something that can be nationally published. And, luckily, the Hendrix people were excited to see it as well.”