For Alex Starkman, music is more than just a hobby, It’s a release. As a Junior at Temple University, Starkman has carved out a niche for himself, reporting on music and its history in the city of Philadelphia.
In a Q&A with Alex, we found out how and why he got this position, and where he wants to go from here:
Q. Where are you from?
A. I was born in Northeast Philadelphia, and was raised in Cinnaminson, NJ. since I was 3 years old.
Q. What made you choose journalism?
A. I’ve always loved sports/reporting the world around me, and getting into journalism allows me to do both.
Q. Why Temple?
A. I love being in the city and being somewhat close to home. I went to high school in the city and loved it, which made the decision to come to temple really easy.
Q. Why did you choose to cover music?
A. I chose my topic because I consider myself to be a lover of all genres of music, and I have a huge passion and love of all types of music, which started from my parents raising me with great music from the late 60s and 70s. I have always been interested in the history and nuances of music in Philadelphia and am really excited to meet new and interesting people to gain a new appreciation of Philadelphia and the city’s love of music.
Q. What is your prior knowledge of the topic?
A. I know a decent amount of artists and bands that have come from the Philly area, but I really hope to gain an appreciation and understanding of both those artists influences, as well as to understand and meet some of the most successful people in the music scene in Philly’s influences, and the appreciation and influences of the people in the city in general.
Q. Is there anything you hope to learn while on this beat?
A. I hope to learn a wide array of things. What I really am most excited for is to gain access to various people in the music scene’s music choices and what they consider to be classics and masterpieces, and to pretty much meet new and interesting people and see what music has done for them on a personal level and to see how their music choices have started at and changed over the Span of their lifetime.
Q. Why do you think you should be covering this beat?
A. Music is a pretty universal thing, and has always unified people and created a sense of togetherness and being part of a group and something that is bigger than the people. Music can do so many wonderful things for people, and that notion, at least in my mind, should be documented and discussed for the city of Philadelphia.
Q. Why are you interested in music?
A. Music is a huge part of my life and feel that music can do so many positive and uplifting things for people. A good song can stand the test of time, and people who love music have their personal stories, and I am really excited to hear all of those stories
Q.In the future, how can this experience help you?
A. This experience can help me in the future to gain an understanding of the history and traditions in whatever setting I end up working in. Getting a better understanding of the past can help gain knowledge for the future.
Q. Who’s your favorite musician/band?
A. The Beatles.
For more info on music and things Alex may cover, click here.
Temple University Multimedia Storytelling 
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