PopIn!: Alex Schein

Philadelphia native Alex Schien first started playing the guitar when he suffered a physical injuring playing basketball in high school. During this time, he fell in love with music and started performing shortly after.  The self-taught artist is not only passionate about his music but human relations and the power of these relationships as well; the dynamics of what it means to be in relationships with people in a community, what it means to be an ally.

His interest in human relations was reinforced by his college studies. Alex majored in Philosophy and Religion in college and specifically studied Sufism. He is fascinated with the beliefs that people hold, “because if you know people’s deepest belief sets, you can form relations and connections.” In 2006, he released a full album,Speed of Light, which featured songs like "Rise Up" that addresses the challenge to the patriarchal system of today combining his passion for music with his passion for activism. This connection was something that Alex developed with people through his music and, for him, much more than just entertainment, music was his form of communicating with the world around him.