Cui Jian performs for the 80th anniversary of the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou on Tuesday, April 8, 2008. [Photo: ent.sina.com.cn]

He still sports the same baseball cap and sings his familiar repertoire of hits. Compared with his early days in the limelight, Cui Jian hasn't changed much at his live shows. Neither has his focus to highlight music as an art.

That's why students at Hangzhou's China Academy of Art, the country's most prestigious art institute, got to see Cui Jian play live on the school's 80th birthday Tuesday.

Heavy rain delayed the show for almost two hours, but it didn't dampen Cui Jian's mood. When he took to the stage, the 46-year-old rocker belted out "Nothing to My Name" and other hits with evident passion. Offstage, students sang along with equal enthusiasm.

Today, Cui Jian, known as the "godfather of Chinese rock," has many accolades to his name. But he is not satisfied, and has come to the school along with some 40 other artists to highlight the future of art.

"'Nothing to My Name' is a song of desires," Cui Jian told reporters before his show, "That enables it to capture listeners' hearts - that I don't see in many of today's songs."

"Like music, art is a process of creation. One needs to be creative and motivated. Always have desire," the rock pioneer called out.