10 Questions with ... Noah Sheer

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Intern @ Jive Records the Summer of 1995. College rep for Capitol Records @ Syracuse Univeristy for the entire 1995/1996 school year. Graduated Syracuse with a minor in Music Industry. First job out of college was in the ICM agent training program in NYC from 1996-1997. Promotion assistant @ Arista Records from 1998-2000. Mid-Atlantic Regional @ Island Def Jam from 2000-2004. Senior Director of Rhythm Promotion from 2004-2017 ascending to Senior Vice President of now the free standing Def Jam Recordings.

1. What got you into music?

While in college I had to get serious and choose a career path. I chose my most beloved hobby. I knew that if I chose what I felt the strongest about, the rest would fall in to place.

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

I wanted to act and sing.

3. I know you've been on the West coast for quite some time but looking back, what was the biggest adjustment in the move to Los Angeles?

Being an East Coaster with the company headquartered in NYC, the biggest adjustment, and still true to this day, getting up and into the office super early and still feeling as if I'm late.

4. What brought you to Syracuse University?

A few different factors brought me to the decision to attend Syracuse University.

Let me kick it off with their Communications program. It's one of the best in the country.

Then there's the snow; I was overdue, in my life, to see what a real snow storm was all about. Living in Maryland they'd cancel school based on a forecast that wound up being a dusting of flurries. Sure we'd have the occasional real storm in Maryland but the majority of the time it was an overreaction. In Syracuse, while I was there, schools never canceled and we'd average about a foot of snow a week during the 7 month winter. The city powered through and dealt with the adversity. That experience taught me about tolerance and, in general, the vast differences between the way various scenarios are dealt with in life. In a metaphoric sense ... in my current day to day, I honestly find myself utilizing what I experienced at Syracuse, with regards to the handling of snow, compared to the way Maryland would handle it, as a problem solving technique.

Another factor for going to Syracuse, the sports program; between football, hoops and lacrosse, the school was a power house. Hoops has continued to remain a power house and I am extremely passionate about the program to this day.

Then you have the esteemed alumni who ran through that school. It's an incredible list of accomplished professionals.

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

Our strategies with impacting the music and the tools that we have at our disposal to build a story.

6. Have any musical "guilty pleasures"?

Horace Silver, Billy Joel and Lenny Kravitz, but I don't feel guilty about it.

7. You start a new label and need to hire a radio programmer for your A&R department. Who gets the first call?

I'm making two calls. To Thea Mitchem and Jazzy Jim (Archer).

8. Who were some of your mentors in the music business?

(In no particular order) Rick Sackheim, Lyor Cohen, Ken Lane, Richard Palmese, Steve Bartels.

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

KANYE WEST and LOGIC.

10. You're not only a businessman but you're a devoted family man. How has your family helped you in your role as a businessman?

Identifying and prioritizing the whos, whats, whens and wheres.

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

It would be something involving food or sports.

We know your job keeps you very busy but do you have any hobbies?

Other than work, it's all about spending time with my family.