Here is the latest “Inside the SMC studio,” a monthly blog post highlighting our members and who they are! There is a set series of 10 questions they answer. This month, we hear from Sterling Golden, one of the movers and shakers here at Somerville Media Center and a dedicated Boston Free Radio producer! Sterling dedicates each morning producing a captivating two-hour LIVE BFR show – focusing on all aspects of the New England arts & entertainment industry! Keep reading to learn more about Sterling and his passions!
1. Who are you and what do you do?
10+ years into the life I’ve always imagined, and “who I am” and “what I do” continues to take on new levels. I started behind the 1s + 2s, spinning in some of our hottest venues and earning a pair of “Best DJ” award nominations along the way. Today it’s owning and operating 320 Entertainment, a music, fashion and nightlife promotions imprint established 2015, and holding down STERLINGTOLOGY LIVE on weekday mornings. Along the way there’s also been writing for Boston entertainment publications, television hosting, endless hours of grind by day and off-the-record situations after dark. Who “Sterling Golden” is today is greatly evolved from where this path started – while always staying connected with where I come from.
2. What was the strangest job you’ve had?
Long before my career started, I went through a lot of different types of day jobs in hopes I could figure out what exactly my calling was. One of the strangest was cold-calling people who had attended past theater events, with the intent of pushing them toward becoming season ticket holders. I don’t know about you, but if I really wanted to subscribe to a season’s worth of theater productions, I’d probably rather go online and do it, you know, on my own volition…as opposed to someone calling me in the middle of dinner asking me to buy passes for events I never asked about.
3. Where is your favorite place to retreat for mental or physical health?
On rare occasions I can take reset + recharge time, I love heading out on walks to the neighborhood I grew up in. For me, mental and physical health begins with showing respect for where you come from, and the gratitude you have for all that has come after.
4. Who were your early creative mentors or source for inspiration?
Without Anderson Mar, there’s no Sterling Golden. Bottom line. Anderson was one of the great promoters and educators of our community’s music industry. Truly loved the music and its creators as much as said creators loved her. She believed in my crazy ideas and stood by me no matter what the situation. When Anderson passed on, so much of me went with her. We miss her still out here. As far as creative inspirations go, I can point to several whose work have inspired me through the years. Stan Lee. KISS. Hulk Hogan (the original “Sterling Golden”). M.I.A. There are others as well, but those names stand above all others. Each of them represent a different facet of Sterling Golden.
5. How do you get past creative roadblocks?
It all comes down to trusting your gut and continuously moving onward and upward. You can never go wrong following your instincts, and maintaining your perseverance. If I score a home run, awesome. If I fail? Hey, there’s always tomorrow: at least I failed by being true to myself and my convictions and I learned new lessons. Always trust your gut and persevere in the face of adversity. Whether you succeed or fail, as long as you learn something new and become better from it, you will smash through every roadblock you see.
6. How has SCATV/BFR been a positive influence in your creative career?
Making the move to Boston Free Radio in the fall of 2017 was the next logical step in my journey. These days it’s not necessarily about my own ascension. I’ve scaled my personal heights and I got to live the life I never saw – and I still live it to this day. Boston Free Radio not only provides STERLINGTOLOGY LIVE with a global platform, but it also embraces community outreach initiatives I support. It is all about giving back, and this is something Boston Free Radio and I embrace mutually.
7. What is your favorite music album?
There are really far too many to name one. It’s gotta come down not only to the music, but the overall vibe an album generates. A great album has to not only be about the music alone. It’s got to be an experience, from the music to the artwork and all that comes with it. Destroyer from KISS comes to mind, as does Matangi by M.I.A. So many others as well: Aladdin Sane from David Bowie, On the Corner by Miles Davis, Once Upon a Time by Donna Summer, Straight Outta Compton from N.W.A or Prince’s Purple Rain soundtrack. Each of these could easily be named by favorite, each representing entirely different reasons why. Naming one? Yeah that’s highly unlikely.
8. If you could have entrance music, what would it be?
I will need to consult my ten-year-old self for this one, and ask him about when he used to imagine himself walking into every room with “Real American” by Derringer over the PA, brother.
9. What’s your favorite spot in Somerville to hangout or visit?
I refer back to #3 for this one. That walk through my old neighborhood and reconnecting with my past. Somerville is where I was raised and went to school, where I made some lifelong friends, where I met my high school crush – who I remain close with to this day. I love people who make me forget to look at my phone – and her presence accomplishes that better than anyone’s alive.
10. In 140 characters or less, how would you pitch your show or who you are?
It’s not a pitch, it’s facts on one hunndo. The World’s Realest Morning Show. STERLINGTOLOGY LIVE. Weekdays 11AM ET on Boston Free Radio. Lock in..
