Eddie Van Halen — widely considered to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time — has donated 75 guitars from his own personal collection to Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, which provides instruments to students in low-income schools.
"My whole life has been music. I could not imagine anything else," Van Halen told CNN's John Vause in an interview earlier this week. "Music is the universal language to me. It transcends everything."
"Our goal is to give kids every tool they can possibly have to succeed. Music is the common denominator," Foundation president and CEO Felice Mancini added. "You put a kid in a music class and it builds community, communication and they find a place. It's a safe haven."
Each year, Mancini's foundation delivers 1,800 instruments to low-income schools, providing music education to more than 10,000 children.
Watch Van Halen's interview with CNN below.
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