Stories and projects by:
DAVID E. OSTROFF
Here you will find my eclectic collection of work, ranging from succinct, informative reporting to inspired creative writings that I have been mastering throughout my college and post-grad years. I still actively write for NYS Music, a New York music news website after contributing to The Trumbull Times, my local paper. Please find my work below from both of these outlets as well as work from my days studying journalism at Southern Connecticut State University. My blog, attatched to this page, will also hold a constant flow of my work. Please find the tab at the top of the page or click here.
The Trumbull Times
Fallen Heroes Memorial: Veterans tribute unites community
Honoring those who served in the military is a small act of gratitude that can make a huge splash in the veterans’ community, and that’s why Mike Mastroni has been trying to make waves of appreciation felt through the Connecticut Fallen Heroes Foundation since 2005.
Guardians of Kosovo: Hillcrest students honor Task Force Hurricane
In schools across the country, Veterans Day is viewed as a chance to educate children about the United States military.
Like their peers, social studies teachers at Hillcrest Middle School in Trumbull are always seeking to create new lessons and projects that will further enrich and deepen students’ appreciation for the active and inactive service members of America’s armed forces.
New York State Music
Album Review: A Tribe Called Quest 'We Got It From Here... Thank You For Your Service'
Nostalgia has taken over modern pop culture. Star Wars and Ghostbusters are back in theaters, Dave Chappelle guest starring on SNL, and now one of the most influential American rap groups rises again for the first time in 18 years to release their sixth and final album. It’s a product of the exact recipe of what makes a Tribe album so revolutionary, but with a slight variation of every ingredient.
Interview: Ladysmith Black Mambazo's Albert Mazibuko
NYS Music had the honor and pleasure of speaking with Albert Mazibuko, an original member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the a cappella revolutionaries from South Africa. They gained global recognition from their collaboration with Paul Simon on his album Graceland and their careers have skyrocketed since. They worked with a variety of widely recognized artists from Dolly Parton to Sarah McLachlan and released a plethora of albums over the course of 50 years.
Show Review: Jerry Douglas
Last Friday, December 2 was an absolute treat for everyone that went to The Warehouse in Fairfield, Connecticut. The night was even a pleasant surprise for renowned dobro player Jerry Douglas, saying he was “shocked people wanted to sit through an hour and a half of dobro music.”
S.C.S.U. PROJECTS
Person On the Street
This was a standard video interview about the construction that was talking place on my college campus. The goal of this exercise was to remain silent as the interviewer and only ask questions through pop up text and let the interviewees tell the story
Budget Story
I took very diverse classes in school, one of them being "Town Coverage" where would report on our own towns in terms of town council meetings, events and overall news. One of the most challenging were budget stories. Below is a link to my story about the Mill Rate and overall tax increase in my town and how although the hikes might seem outrageous, the funds collected were being used wisely and properly.
"Salvamos el Planeta"
This was a fun project. It showcases my editing skills, musical talents and humorous side. The video was submitted for my Spanish class and it had to be about saving the planet. I wrote the lyrics, song and shot all the video except from the first scene where I sing....Please enjoy my Spanish Rap Video about the environment.