Music

Wolfgang Van Halen is helping the next generation of music artists. In collaboration with Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, Wolfgang and his family are part of launching the Adopt a School program, dedicated to helping school music programs secure the resources they need. 32-year-old Wolfgang Van Halen is the son of actress and chef Valerie Bertinelli with guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who died in October 2020 of complications related to throat cancer. Eddie worked with MHOF for a decade and even bequeathed a significant sum to them in his will. Now, Wolfgang is continuing that legacy with great enthusiasm. Wolfgang Van Halen donates thousands to provide school music programs with instruments Wolfgang Van Halen is continuing his father's work supporting school music programs with MHOF / YouTube Wolfgang and the Van Halen family are partnering with MHOF to launch the Adopt a School program, in conjunction with MHOF's mission of supporting at-risk schools. "Music has been a huge part of my life, and it is our family’s great pleasure to help support music education programs and bring the gift of music to students across the country," said Wolfgang. "Music education has proven to be a huge contributor toward a student’s success in school and life." RELATED: Barry Manilow Presents $10,000 To Help School’s Music Program Studies show that music lessons provide unique quality of life benefits / Unsplash The program was conceived after reviewing a nationwide survey of public school music teachers conducted by MHOF. It found that 68 percent turned down students due to a lack of instruments. It also found that over half of the schools in the 225 surveyed saw students playing unrepairable instruments, hampering quality education and growth. Promoting musical education is an important cause for Wolfgang, his family, and MHOF "Before his passing in October 2020, Eddie Van Halen spent over a decade nurturing a close relationship with MHOF," shared the organization in a statement announcing Eddie's significant contribution outlined in his will. "The donation will enable MHOF to fulfill requests from a greater number of schools, add employees to its staff, improve the foundation’s technology and more." Wolfgang has added $100,000 to the pot to further enable the foundation's goals. CEO Tricia Williams said, "Our mission is to make sure there is an instrument in the hands of every student who needs and wants one. By increasing schools’ inventories of quality, playable instruments, music teachers will have the tools they need to deliver a quality music education to students who want to learn." Wolfgang is continuing his father's wishes to help students have the resources they need / Russ Elliot/Admedia Wolfgang had also used the proceeds from his hit release "Distance" to donate to MHOF "in support of school music programs across the nation and as a dedication to his late father." "I am incredibly proud to help facilitate this donation as he wished," said Wolfgang. "Mr. Holland’s Opus are champions for our musicians of the future and it is my privilege to continue supporting that mission and carrying on my pop’s legacy."