Alumni Spotlight: Jonathan Shecter '86
As we look forward to the October 16th celebration of the Friends Select community on the Falcon's birthday, we are proud to highlight Friends Select alumni!
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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."
