Watch Foo Fighters Drummer Inspire Young Musicians With Epic Solo
While arts programs across the country are struggling for funding, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins is doing his best to inform the public that music is an essential tool for learning.
"It's all about following your passion," he told a reporter for Rochester, Minnesota's Z-Rock 107.7 during an event at Riverside Central Elementary School, adding that the school's Turnaround Arts Program" is a "real breeding ground" for success.
Then, he let his talent do the talking, playing a 10-minute long drum solo with The Lovin' Spoonful's drummer Mike Aturi. So what's Taylor's secret to stardom? "It's about following your passion and not trying to be famous," he says.
Attendees at the Riverside Elementary School event were also shown a video presentation about how students have remained active in the arts since Hawkins first visited the school as an ambassador of the arts in November 2016.
A press release for the organization states, "Riverside saw a 43% decrease in suspensions, 69% decrease in behavior referrals, increase social-emotional learning through arts integration and artist residencies, increased community positive recognition through the arts, and staff turnover decreased. In its second year, Riverside has increased staffing dedicated to the arts, woven the arts as a foundational piece of the community schools initiative, worked with community partners to increase access to the arts, continued to focus on increasing social-emotional learning through the arts, and supported student-choice-based arts integration."
Watch Taylor Hawkins' 10-minute-long drum solo to support the arts above.
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