Ed Sheeran Teaches Students Silly Song on ‘Celebrity Substitute’

Ed Sheeran’s going back to school!

The “Sapphire” singer, 34, took the reins on music class over at a public school in Brooklyn for a new episode of the web series Celebrity Substitute, which aired on Wednesday, Oct. 22.

In the episode, Sheeran stepped in as a sub to teach a classroom of elementary school students how to create a song using looper pedals, something he does often at his concerts. The end result was a delightfully silly tune about the importance of brushing one’s teeth.

At the beginning, Sheeran told host Julian Shapiro-Barnum that he felt the day would “either go really well and you’ll be like, ‘That was great,’ or it’ll really fail and you’ll get a lot of clicks.”

Music teachers Mr. Chung and Mr. Hampton called Sheeran’s lesson plan “ambitious,” as it involved teaching kids the importance of rhythm, finding their own unique sound, and then rehearsing the show before playing live for their teachers.

Sheeran — whom the kids called Mr. Ed —kicked things off by singing an acoustic version of his 2014 song “Photograph,” before introducing the kids to the loop machine. They all took a turn contributing a sound — some sang, some played saxophone and some just made funky noises.

Eventually, their new skills culminated in a concert, during which Sheeran played a guitar beat and a student sang, “I woke up one day, I brushed my teeth.”

“I’m brushing my teeth, I’m brushing my teeth, oh yeah,” Sheeran added, as the track came together into a complete song.

The “Shape of You” singer ultimately earned an overall A grade on his teacher report card.

“I was prepared to tear you down and cut you to pieces, but you got my heart,” Mr. Chung told him. “You’re a musician. You get it. Everyone’s having a good time. That’s what music is about.”

The star is no stranger to dealing with children, as he’s dad to daughters Lyra, 5, and Jupiter, 3, with wife Cherry Seaborn.

Sheeran released his latest album Play on Sept. 12, and is set to kick off his Loop Tour in December, which will keep him on the road through November 2026.

“My girls have been on tour with me since [the] start of Mathematics,” he said in a recent episode of Mythical Kitchen’s Last Meals. “I feel like my life only works when we’re together.”

He also said that doesn’t necessarily feel an “obligation” to continue touring, but “really enjoy[s]” his career.”

“I love touring, I love songwriting. Touring has gotten to a point now, because of where my career’s at, that it can fit around my family and I can dictate what I do,” he said. “So if I’m like, ‘I only want to play Saturdays,’ that’s what I do. If I want to play Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I can do that as well… And I think being at a stage in my career where my family life takes precedence and I can do all that as well — it’s kind of the perfect balance.”