[originaltext]M: Well, we have Alex Winston in the studio today. Hi, Alex.W: N

M: Well, we have Alex Winston in the studio today. Hi, Alex.
W: Nice to see you.
M: How old are you?
W: I am 23, but for some reason everyone thinks I’m 19. I don’t know who started that rumor, but I’m 23.
M: I’ve seen on a lot of posts that you’re 19!
W: I mean, the thing is, most people would probably be excited about that, but I’m really okay with my age. I’m like... can you guys get it right? I’m 23. I never want to re-live those teenage years. I’m totally content being 23.
M: How did you start out performing?
W: Well, I feel like I’ve been doing it my entire life. I started taking music lessons and singing when I was about ten. I started bands at a pretty young age and played with my friends back in Detroit. I’ve always known that I wanted to do this. It was all I was ever interested in doing. I never had, outside of music, any extracurricular activities that I took part in.
M: Are... are you a classically-trained opera singer?
W: I guess. I took opera lessons. I can’t read music to save my life, but I would just copy and get away with it. I think that they thought I could read music, but I can’t. I would just listen. I did that for about ten years. I would listen to my teacher and the melodies. She would sing it It was really me just mimicking. That’s one of the reasons I decided I didn’t want to do that anymore. I felt that I really couldn’t be creative with opera You’re supposed to sound this way here. You’re supposed to crescendo here. You’re supposed to do that. I had no sense of identity while singing that kind of music.
M: Who and what are some of your influences?
W: Well, really all over the place. Detroit, definitely because of Motown and Stooges. When you come from a place like Detroit, you’re really proud of what you have there. I grew up listening to a lot of that stuff, but also early rock-and-roll like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis. I feel like as I grew older, I’ve been working with different musicians, people that are constantly showing me different things. One of my old bandmates was really into metal and ’80s rock, so I really got into that, too. I also love country, folk, and strong female voices, like Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, PJ Harvey, and Kate Bush.
1. What does Alex Winston think of her age?
2. Why did Alex Winston say she feels like she’s been doing performing her entire life?
3. What is the reason for Alex Winston to quit opera?
4. According to Alex Winston, what can we learn about Detroit?
5. What do we learn from the interview?