Ed Sheeran surprised students of PS20 in Brooklyn with a special classroom appearance for an episode of Celebrity Substitute.
The episode featured Sheeran using his signature loop machine to teach third graders how to turn everyday sounds into full songs. Hosted by Julian Shapiro-Barnum, the session took place in a Clinton Hills classroom with Sheeran sitting among the pupils.
Before the students arrived, Sheeran joked about being “not the best substitute teacher,” recalling school days when he disliked temporary tutors. The lesson focused on rhythm, repetition, and sound creativity. Sheeran began with his 2015 hit “Photograph,” drawing mixed reactions from the pupils.
Using examples like Taylor Swift’s “Style,” Sheeran demonstrated rhythm patterns and guided students to clap and stomp in time. Each pupil later approached the microphone to record funny phrases, which Sheeran looped together to form a beat with lively classroom participation.
The episode concluded as Sheeran encouraged the children to create unique sounds using instruments. The exercise reflected the show’s goal of blending music education with creativity, adding to the series’ previous features with Renéé Rapp, Role Model, and Billie Eilish.
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