10 Questions with ... Ayelet Schiffman

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I landed my first job in the music industry in 1993 at MCA Music Publishing working for Merril Wasserman. A year later, August 24, 1994 I began my career at Sony as an assistant in the College department for SONY Music Distribution. A few years later, I moved to L.A. in 1997 to become a Regional Alternative Marketing Manager, working at that branch made me want to work in radio promotion. After numerous interviews with various record labels, Stu Bergen took a chance on me and made me the L.A. local for Epic Records in 1999. In 2002, I was promoted to Rhythm National for Epic, moved back to NYC....and the rest is history.

1. What did you dream of becoming when you were a kid?

A lawyer...I was always fighting with my brother until I got my way HA!

2. If you could nominate one promotion person or radio programmer to be The Bachelor, who would you nominate?

Byron Kennedy

3. You are now Senior Vice President/Rhythm & Dance Promotion position at Columbia. Was there a fairly specific point in your career that you saw yourself as someone with the potential to reach a position like this and/or beyond?

I don’t think there was a specific point in my career exactly, but I always knew I wanted to work in promotion since I watched other locals do their job. That high you get when you hear one of your records on the radio for the first time is like nothing else. If there’s ever a time that you hear a song on the radio that you’re promoting and you don’t get that tingly feeling inside you knowing you’re one of the reasons it’s on that station...then you should quit. I still get that feeling - when I heard Russ - What They Want on Hot 97- I was jumping up and down!! That feeling should never go away.

4. A part of your career was spent in Los Angeles and the Santa Monica offices of Sony Music. Do you ever miss living and working in Santa Monica and Los Angeles?

I don’t miss it because I have opportunity to go back there often for work. What I look forward to the most when I get to L.A. is getting in the car, rolling down my windows and listening to Power 106. It just brings back good memories. Oh, and of course, getting an In-N-Out burger (animal style to make my husband jealous!)

5. For you, what's been the biggest change in music promotion over the last 10 years?

The biggest change has been the introduction of so many metrics at your fingertips to tell you if your record is a hit or not...Shazam, streams, and all other socials. You no longer really need 250 to tell you if it’s a hit – the listeners will tell you and hopefully programming listens.

6. If you weren't a record company executive, what do you think you'd be doing professionally?

I think I would be an Event Planner. I’ve always planned the best parties. My best one; Jamiroquai Album Listening Party at Le Deux in L.A. with Garth Trinidad as DJ. It was sick!

7. I know your work keeps you very busy but what do you like to do in the "spare" time you have?

I spend time with my family. My husband and two beautiful girls Elana (9) and Olivia (6) make me smile. Well, most of the time. Ha!

8. Looking back on some of the artists and projects you've been involved in breaking, which are some of the more fulfilling?

John Legend, J. Cole, The Chainsmokers and now RUSS. We will break RUSS in 2017!

9. Who are/were some of your mentors?

Vince Pellegrino...without Vince I don’t think I would be in my position. He honestly taught me how to navigate through passion (which, as you know, I have a lot of) and politics in this crazy business. But in the end, he always told me to do what my heart tells me to do.

My Mom. I know that I have her strength and her independence. She showed me that whatever I put my mind to, I can do and that no matter what, family is everything and your first priority. I live by that.

10. Which radio programmer do you think you've known and worked with the longest?

DJ Buck. I first met DJ Buck in 2002 when I came to NY to be the Rhythm National for Epic. At that time, Buck was the night DJ on WWKX/Providence. I’d go hang out with him in the studio and listen to music while watching him mix. He was the best. The first record he broke for me was B2K "Bump Bump Bump". He called me and said you have a hit and I said, ‘really we're about to drop them.’ lol. If Buck believed in something then it was worth pushing for them. “Bump Bump Bump” went on to be a platinum single and B2K broke out. Through the years, we've partnered with Bow Wow, Lil Flip, Juicy J, John Legend (he was the first to identify All Of Me and because of him we worked the record and the rest is history on that one). He was the first to play and believe in J. Cole as an artist. In my opinion, there's no one better and more respected in our format than Buck. He wins because he programs from his GUT and his passion for music is like no other. I'm lucky to call him a true friend of mine.

Your "go to" restaurant in New York for business?

Hillstone on Park Ave. I also need to shout out TANG on 55th Street in our old hood. The best Chinese ever!

Bonus. I say "family", you say ______________?

LOVE!