Ahead of his Nov. 26 concert in Oklahoma City, longtime musician, actor and actor Steven Van Zandt joins Scott Booker, executive director of the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma (ACM@UCO) for a Q&A-style interview and masterclass. The event is 2 p.m. Nov. 26 in ACM@UCO’s Songwriting Room (first floor), 25 S. Oklahoma Ave. in Bricktown.

The event is part of the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma’s (ACM@UCO) continuing Metro Music Series celebrating the school’s 10th anniversary.

Steven Van Zandt / Photo courtesy Big Hassle Media

During the masterclass, Van Zandt will discuss his history past and current projects. ACM@UCO CEO and Executive Director Scott Booker will lead the discussion, which is free and open to the public.

Van Zandt’s accomplishments are many. He is a musician, performer, songwriter, arranger, music producer, music supervisor, TV producer, actor, director, Broadway producer, TV and film composer, live event producer, international DJ, activist, historian, teacher and member of the New Jersey and Rock and Roll halls of fame. He is also recognized internationally as one of the world’s foremost authorities on both contemporary and traditional rock ’n’ roll.

“I’m thrilled that Steven Van Zandt is joining ACM@UCO for this masterclass,” said ACM@UCO CEO and Executive Director Scott Booker. “His career spans decades, generations and even mediums — recording, touring, acting, filmmaking, philanthropy and activism. He also embodies our school’s mission to educate and encourage entrepreneurial vitality throughout the music business.

“I expect this to be an extremely informative and entertaining masterclass,” Booker continued. “If I had it my way, we’d convince him to stay and he’d be here every day.”

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band album “Born in the U.S.A.”

After helping create the “Jersey Shore” sound with the band Asbury Jukes, he became a founding member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band (and co-produced seminal Springsteen/E Street Band albums “The River” and “Born in the U.S.A.”). He has gone on to become a successful solo artist in his own right, recording and performing solo with his band Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul.

Last year, Van Zandt released “Soulfire,” his first new album in more than 15 years — returning to his rhythm and blues roots. Rolling Stone magazine named the project one of its “Best Albums of 2017.” In April, he released a three-disc CD box set, “Soulfire Live!,” with a 7-inch vinyl box set and two-disc Blu-Ray to be released this fall.

Additionally, his songs have been performed by artists such as Jackson Browne, Pearl Jam, Jimmy Cliff, Damian Marley, Margo Price, Gary U.S. Bonds, Darlene Love, Nancy Sinatra, Brian Setzer and Black Uhuru, among others.

A longtime activist, Van Zandt has twice been honored by the United Nations for his political activism, including the “Sun City” project and film, and his involvement in “International Peace Day” along with Peter Gabriel. He also established the Solidarity Foundation to promote the sovereignty of indigenous peoples and to foster economic development in harmony with the earth.

Steven Van Zandt / Photo courtesy Heidi Gutman

Many also recognize him from his seven-season co-starring role on the “Sopranos,” as well as his work starring in, cowriting, executive producing and supervising the music for “Lilyhammer,” the first original programming to stream on Netflix.

In 2001, he launched “Little Steven’s Underground Garage,” his internationally syndicated radio show, often called the most successful syndicated rock music radio show in the past 40 years. He also created and produces the first two channels of original content on SiriusXM Satellite Radio, the Underground Garage (Channel 21) and Outlaw Country (Channel 60).

Little Steven and the Disciples of Tour are back on the road this fall with their Soulfire Teacher Solidarity Tour. The landmark live tour benefits The Rock and Roll Forever Foundation’s TeachRock program and has reached the incredible goal of registering over 10,000 teachers (and counting) to use the TeachRock music history curriculum. Founded by Van Zandt, the foundation creates education materials using the history of popular music to create engaging, multicultural lesson plans for history, social studies, language arts, music and science classrooms, all of which are available to educators at no cost.

He joins the ACM@UCO masterclass before his scheduled 8 p.m. Nov. 26 concert at Tower Theatre in Oklahoma City. Learn more about tickets and that show at towertheatreokc.com.

ACM@UCO’s Metro Music Series is sponsored by Oklahoma Gazette, Exchange Music, KOSU Radio, ArtWorks, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Oklahoma Arts Council.

Check in with ACM@UCO at facebook.com/acm.uco and acm-uco.eventbrite.com as we announce additional Metro Music Series shows, events and surprises through the year.

For more information about ACM@UCO, visit acm.uco.edu.

About ACM@UCO Metro Music Series

The 2018-2019 school year marks ACM@UCO’s tenth anniversary. To celebrate, it expanded its long-running Metro Music Festival into a yearlong event. The revamped Metro Music Series includes the High Noon Showcase, presenting free shows by ACM@UCO-tied music acts and tastemakers; its ACM@UCO Performance Lab series by regional and national touring acts; and a growing roster of masterclasses, clinics and workshops with industry leaders, many of which are open to students and the public.

Stay tuned to the Performance Lab at facebook.com/acmucoperformancelab and ACM@UCO @acmuco for updates and announcements about even more concerts and events!

High Noon Showcases

ACM@UCO Songwriting Room, 25 S. Oklahoma Ave. (first floor), in Bricktown. All shows begin at 12:15 p.m. Public welcome. Free admission.

• Nov. 19: Sam Weber

ACM@UCO Performance Lab concerts

329 E. Sheridan Ave., in Bricktown. Doors open 7 p.m. unless noted. Public welcome. Tickets at acm-uco.eventbrite.com.

• Nov. 14: Mac DeMarco (solo), with Leotie
• Nov. 18: Current Joys, with Love Seats and The Lunar Laugh (acoustic)
• Nov. 30: Colourmusic album release show, with Applied Music Program and Net
• Dec. 3-4: ACM@UCO Alive! student performance showcase
• Dec. 7: Combsy and Henna Roso (Horton Music Showcase)
• March 3, 2019: Noname, with Original Flow and The Fervent Route
• April 27, 2019: An evening with The Tallest Man on Earth (solo)

Masterclasses, clinics and listening sessions

ACM@UCO, 25 S. Oklahoma Ave. (first floor), in Bricktown. Public welcome unless otherwise noted. Free admission.

• Nov. 18: Current Joys Q&A clinic (open to ACM students)
• Nov. 26: 2 p.m.: Masterclass Q&A between Steven Van Zandt and ACM@UCO Executive Director Scott Booker
• Nov. 28: 2 p.m.: Listening session with ACM@UCO faculty Tyler Garcia (Third Eye Blind, “Third Eye Blind”)
• Dec. 3: 2 p.m.: Listening session with ACM@UCO staff Jennifer Chancellor (DJ BC: “The Beastles: Ill Submarine”)