Alumni Spotlight: Jonathan Shecter '86
As we look forward to October 16th celebration of the Friends Select community on the Falcon's birthday, we are proud to highlight Friends Select alumni!
|
|
When asked about his career, Friends Select alumnus Jonathan Shecter jokes that he is a "Professional Fan of Music." In fact, he's held a number of titles in the music and media industries over the years: Power 99 FM intern, college radio DJ, founding editor-in-chief of The Source magazine, record label owner, and semi-pro poker player, just to name a few. Today, Jonathan works at the intersection of music and hospitality as co-founder & CEO of Playback Prodigy, a premium music provider for businesses based in Las Vegas.
"The music industry evolves, and you have to evolve with it," he said.
Jonathan's career has taken him around the world, earning accolades along the way. The Source grew from a one-page newsletter started in a Harvard dormitory to a trusted authority on hip-hop culture with global readership. He founded independent label Game Recordings, producing records with artists like Alchemist and Eminem. Game produced original music for Grand Theft Auto III, putting them at the forefront of video game and music integration. When life brought Jonathan to Las Vegas, he was influential in connecting artists like DJ AM and Avicii to opportunities as the music scene grew exponentially.
Many music executives know him by name, but few know that his passion for hip-hop was sparked in a classroom at Friends Select in 1981. Already a lover of music, he'd seen the Rolling Stones at the Spectrum and enjoyed late disco-era records by Chic and The Village People, but this was something different. As Jonathan remembers, a classmate placed a record onto the room’s Fisher-Price turntable to play a song that would change the course of his life and make music history: Rapper's Delight by The Sugarhill Gang. A few days later, he bought that record for himself, a defining moment in his young life.
Music wasn't the only thing changing in the 1980s. Jonathan and his FSS classmates were at the forefront of new experiences, including early computer programming and pre-internet BBS systems. A whole new world was opening up, and though it was exciting, Jonathan felt grateful to have the consistency of FSS: "It was always a place where I felt at peace ... it was an anchor."
As time has passed, Jonathan's love for hip-hop and his appreciation for Friends Select both grew. Looking back, he remembers walking to and from school, taking in the energy, fashion, and of course, the music of Philadelphia. "That was one of the best parts [of FSS]: the city was our backdrop."
Jonathan also takes time to reflect on how Quakerism subtly stays with him as an FSS lifer: "In later years, you appreciate the simplicity and the peace ... what stays is the inherent peacefulness of the faith."
On the evening of October 5th, Friends Select freshmen gathered for Convocation, a tradition marking the start of their upper school journey. Alyssa Spiller '16 returned to Friends Select to share her wisdom and reflect on what her time at FSS has meant to her.
"When I was in 9th grade at FSS, coming in as a non-lifer, I never imagined that I would be standing here a decade after graduating, reflecting on those years and trying to explain what they meant to me."
After graduation, Alyssa studied bioengineering at Lehigh University, leading to a role as a clinical research coordinator at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in the Division of Ophthalmology. Being involved in research at CHOP helped grow her interest in medicine. Over the summer, she started a post-baccalaureate program at the University of Pennsylvania in order to apply to medical school.
She reflects back to her 9th grade self: "I remember thinking I needed to know exactly who I was and what I wanted to do. I thought everyone else somehow had a plan, and I was the only one figuring it out as I went."
Her message to students now, 10 years later, is simple yet profound.
"You don't have to have it all figured out. Your job is to learn. To try things. To meet people. To make mistakes. To discover what you care about. And perhaps most importantly, to discover what kind of person you want to be."
As Alyssa continues her own journey to medical school, she carries with her what she learned both inside and outside the classroom at Friends Select.
"That's one of the things I appreciate most about FSS. School is obviously a place where you learn information. But a great school does something more. It gives you experiences that shape how you interact with the world. For me, FSS taught me that relationships matter."
