John Schaefer

{{short description|American radio personality}} {{about||the American environmentalist|John Schaeffer (environmentalist)|the American academic|John P. Schaefer|the American fictional detective|Detective Schaefer{{!}}John Schaefer (character)}} {{use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = John Schaefer | image = John Schaefer at the Ecstatic Music Festival.jpg | alt =  | caption = Schaefer at Merkin Hall in 2018 | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = Queens, New York City | alma_mater = Fordham University (B.A., 1980) | occupation = Radio host | years_active = 1981–present | employer = | organization = New York Public Radio | known_for = | notable_works = ''New Sounds'', ''Soundcheck'' | awards = AMC's Letter of Distinction (2003) | website = {{URL|newsounds.org}} }} '''John Schaefer''' is an American radio host and author. A longtime host at WNYC, Schaefer began hosting the influential radio shows ''New Sounds'' in 1982 and ''Soundcheck'' in 2002, and has produced many different programs for other New York Public Radio platforms. Schaefer is also the author of the book ''New Sounds: A Listener's Guide to New Music'', first published in 1987.

== Early life and education == Schaefer was born and raised in Queens, New York.<ref name=":0" /> He attended Fordham University in the Bronx, from which he graduated in 1980.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fordham Community Mourns the Loss of WNYC's Richard Hake|url=https://news.fordham.edu/fordham-magazine/alumni-news/fordham-community-mourns-the-loss-of-wnycs-richard-hake/|date=2020-04-28|website=Fordham Newsroom|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref>

==Career==

=== Broadcast journalism === Schaefer began his career in radio in the late 1970s at WFUV, which was then a student-run college radio station at Fordham University. By the time he graduated, he was the station's programming director, after which he spent one year at a classical station in Portland, Maine before returning to New York and joining WNYC in 1981.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Goodman|first=Fred|date=2000-10-15|title=Television/Radio; In Search of New Music, Both Ancient and Modern|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/15/arts/television-radio-in-search-of-new-music-both-ancient-and-modern.html|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref>

Schaefer began developing his genre-spanning music program ''New Sounds'' in early 1982, with the show premiering that September.<ref name=":0" /> Billboard has called the show "The No. 1 radio show for the Global Village" and it has been syndicated by NPR as well as by stations in Australia and Taiwan.<ref name=":1">[http://www.wnyc.org/people/john-schaefer/ "John Schaefer | Host"], WNYC.</ref><ref name=":0" /> He began the ''New Sounds Live'' concert series in 1986.<ref>{{Cite web|title=American Impresario: John Schaefer|url=https://www.pewcenterarts.org/post/american-impresario-john-schaefer|date=2011-06-21|publisher=Pew Center for Arts & Heritage|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref> In 2002, be began hosting the art and music talk radio show ''Soundcheck'' for WNYC.<ref name=":1" /> He had composer Steve Reich as a guest on his ''Soundcheck'' show in 2009.<ref>[http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/1622-maximum-reich-interviews/ "From the Archives: 30 Years of Conversations at WNYC"], WQXR, Wednesday, December 16, 2009.</ref> Also for WNYC, Schaefer hosts the segment "Gig Alerts" for the news program ''Morning Edition''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gig Alerts {{!}} WNYC {{!}} New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News|url=https://www.wnyc.org/series/gig-alerts/1|website=WNYC|language=en|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref>

From January 2016 until January 2017, Schaefer hosted the podcast ''LPR Live'' which showcased live performances from the Greenwich Village music venue (Le) Poisson Rouge.<ref>{{Cite web|title=LPR Live {{!}} New Sounds {{!}} Hand-picked music, genre free|url=https://www.newsounds.org/shows/lprlive/1|website=newsounds|language=en|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref> The show was broadcast on the digital station Q2, the online affiliate of the classical music station WQXR which, like WYNC, is owned by the non-profit New York Public Radio (NYPR).<ref>{{Cite web|title=WQXR's Q2 Music Launches New Podcast Series "LPR LIVE"|url=https://www.wqxr.org/press/q2-lpr-live/12616/|last=|first=|date=|website=WQXR|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref> Later in 2017, Schaefer joined WQXR to host the weekly show ''The Furthermore'' and continues to advise on Q2.<ref>{{Cite web|title=WNYC Radio Host John Schaefer to Join the WQXR Lineup with the Launch of New Classical Music Program, "The Furthermore"|url=https://www.wqxr.org/press/the-furthermore/11117/|last=|first=|date=|website=WQXR|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref>

In 2018, NYPR announced that they were expanding ''New Sounds'' into its own online platform. While Schafer's programs continued to be broadcast on their original stations, the New Sounds "online destination" collected most of Schafer's programs into one place. With this expansion, Schafer also began hosting a new titular online radio station as well.<ref>{{Cite web|title=WNYC's Legendary "New Sounds" Program Expands into Online Destination for the Musically Curious {{!}} WNYC {{!}} New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News|url=https://www.wnyc.org/press/new-sounds-online/32018/|website=WNYC|language=en|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref> Just a year later, it was reported that all of the New Sounds programming would be dropped by NYPR and Schaefer's shows would no longer be broadcast by WNYC nor WQXR.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Cooper|first=Michael|date=2019-10-11|title=WNYC Is Dropping ''New Sounds'' After 37 Years. Musicians Are Mourning.|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/11/arts/music/wnyc-new-sounds-schaefer.html|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref> After more than a week of outcry by the public and musicians, with many calling Schaefer a vital part of the New York music scene, NYPR announced that they would be retaining New Sounds and all of its affiliated programs.<ref>{{Cite web|title=WNYC will keep Jon Schaefer's 'New Sounds' on the air after all|url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/wnyc-will-keep-jon-schaefers-new-sounds-on-the-air-after-all/|website=BrooklynVegan|date=21 October 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref>

Composer Philip Glass has been quoted saying, "'For we who live in New York to have [Schaefer] in the position he's in at the radio station, that's amazing... There are very few professional music people – not only musicians, but writers about music – who you can really truly say have an open, expansive horizon. And he does."<ref name=":0" />

Schaefer is featured in the 2025 documentary about Meredith Monk entitled ''Monk in Pieces''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/2025/programme/202503759.html |title=Monk in Pieces |work=Berlinale |date=26 January 2025 |access-date=1 February 2025}}</ref>

=== Print journalism === Schaefer published his first book in 1987, ''New Sounds: A Listener's Guide to New Music'' (New York: Harper & Row, 1987). For Virgin, he wrote the book ''New Sounds: the Virgin Guide to New Music'', published in 1990.<ref>{{Cite book|title=New Sounds: the Virgin Guide to New Music|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/086369375X|via=Amazon|last=|first=|date=15 February 1990|publisher=Virgin Books| isbn=9780863693755|access-date=2024-10-14}}</ref> He has contributed to ''The Cambridge Companion to Singing'' (2000) and to ''Spin'' and ''Ear'' magazines.<ref>[http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=187062 "'Does Bob Dylan Still Matter?' – A Panel Discussion Event at NYU"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110162942/http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=187062 |date=January 10, 2017 }}, ''Music Industry News Network'', October 16, 2015.</ref><ref>John Potter (ed.), [https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/the-cambridge-companion-to-singing/ACB80CFCB20BEA341C66478787B8E5CB ''The Cambridge Companion to Singing''], Cambridge University Press, 2000.</ref>

Schaefer has written liner notes for more than 100 albums, including for Yo-Yo Ma and Terry Riley.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Influentials: Classical and Dance – John Schaefer|url=https://nymag.com/news/features/influentials/16903/|access-date=October 14, 2024|date=May 2, 2006|magazine=New York}}</ref> He is also one of the compilation producers on the various artists ''Invocation'' album.<ref>[https://www.discogs.com/Various-Invocation/release/2905024 Various – Invocation] at Discogs.</ref>

== Personal life == Schaefer is passionate about horse racing. He grew up near the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens and spent summers with his family in Saratoga Springs at the Saratoga Race Course.<ref name=":0" /> He contributed to the 2006 anthology ''Bloodlines: A Horse Racing Anthology''.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Estep|first1=Maggie|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HW9WB5jEba4C|title=Bloodlines: A Horse Racing Anthology|last2=Starr|first2=Jason|date=2006|publisher=Vintage Books|isbn=978-1-4000-9695-4|language=en}}</ref>

== Original programs ==

* ''New Sounds'' (WNYC); since 1982 * ''Soundcheck'' (WNYC); since 2002 * ''Gig Alerts'' (WNYC); ''Morning Edition'' segment * ''LPR Live'' (Q2/WQXR); podcast produced 2016/2017 * ''The Furthermore'' (WQXR); since 2017 * ''Carnegie Hall Live'' (Carnegie Hall/WQXR); 2018, thirteen-part series co-hosted with Jeff Spurgeon<ref>{{Cite web|title=Carnegie Hall Live|url=https://www.kvpr.org/programs/carnegie-hall-live|publisher=KVPR|access-date=2020-05-05|archive-date=2020-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923095937/https://www.kvpr.org/programs/carnegie-hall-live|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schaefer, John}} Category:Living people Category:American radio journalists Category:American reporters and correspondents Category:American talk radio hosts Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:WFUV people