Read the full story at the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
See pictures of Matt Sorum at Santana in our photo album!
LA PUENTE>> Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum kept a steady beat as the band performed a rousing rendition of “Knocking on Heaven’s Door.” The famous rocker was jamming with students at Santana Alternative High School.
Sorum had just adopted the La Puente school as part of his Adopt the Arts program. He cofounded the nonprofit group in 2010 with Abby Berman to save the arts in public schools.
Since then the group has helped schools throughout Los Angeles. In 2012, Adopt the Arts donated 1,000 musical instruments, including drum sets, keyboards and guitars to elementary schools in Los Angeles Unified.
And they didn’t come to La Puente school empty handed on Feb. 19. Sorum and Berman brought four electric guitars, two acoustic guitars, two keyboards, amplifiers and microphones to the Rowland Unified school.
“As a public school, Santana High School’s arts program doesn’t receive enough funds and they needed instruments,” Sorum explained. “I took on Santana because I care about these kids’ future. When I was their age, my life in music began as soon as I graduated and I was off on my journey to Hollywood.”
The rocker bonded with the teens at the local high school.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I went to an alternative high school. We are cool,” he said. “When they said alternative, I said ‘Is that some new kind of music? I can dig it.’”
He noted they called them continuation schools back then.
“Long story short, luckily I had a little bit of talent and went up to Hollywood in 1979 when I graduated high school. The rest is history,” Sorum said.
Now, Sorum wants to share his good fortune by inspiring students to pursue excellence...
Read the rest of the story at the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, see a video of Matt Sorum at Santana here, or see pictures of his visit on the Santana photo album.