“My anniversary is November 21st, 2004. That was the day I started,” Joni Schoonmaker said.
Joni Schoonmaker, the host of “Stray Cat Lounge” at WFIT, is celebrating her 20th anniversary.
“I moved to New York City and then came back to Florida and hooked back up with the station in 2004, hence my anniversary,” Schoonmaker said.
Joni-O’s love for music has been influenced through many ways in her life and she always wanted to do something creative.
“From the time I had my little handheld radio at nine, I’ve always enjoyed music. My dad always had albums and we have always had music on, and it was through concerts,” Schoonmaker said. “Just knowing the people and having enough confidence in yourself, you know when you love the music, you can talk about it.”
Joni-O’s CD journey didn’t officially begin until she worked at Peaches Records in West Palm Beach, FL during the 1980s. She was given a mini CD player as a present by a man who visited the shop.
As time went on, Joni-O spent several years in New York City working at Tower Records, where she was a part of many record signings. She expanded a lot of her CD collection during her time there. She says it was a cool experience and that the music has never left.
“I have a massive 90s library, I mean, it’s just tremendous,” she said. “Everyday I worked there, you were allowed to take home six CDs because they had an inventory in the back.”
“Stray Cat Lounge” is Joni-O’s current show program and reflects her belief about people being like stray cats in the world.
“My theory on the Stray Cat Lounge is that it is wherever you are as you listen and, in this world, as we go through it, we’re all stray cats,” she said.
Joni-O records every show that she does. From the beginning at Robert’s hall on Florida Tech’s campus with recording on cassette tapes to recording on discs, she even has notebooks where she saved all her playlists and notes. But how did Joni-O come up with the nickname, Joni-O?
“I had a sunglass collection, and I had this leopard pair on. We'd come out in the morning with coffee or tea, and this girl comes out, looks at me, and goes, ‘Ooh, it’s not Jackie O, it’s Joni-O.’ And I was like, ‘Ohh, that’s a cool name.’ So it just became Joni-O,” Schoonmaker said.
Even around the station, staff have appreciated her show for the music content and the joy she brings into her broadcasts. WFIT’s program director, Steve Keller, has shown support for the work that she’s done.
“Joni never ceases to amaze me,” Keller said. “The amount of lifetimes that she’s lived and her vast knowledge of music make her show a unique adventure every single time.”
Joni-O has always had a strong connection with her listeners and says being thoughtful towards her audience is essential. She has received calls from different places while on air about her show and the music she’s played.
“One of the biggest interactions I had was when a girl called me and said, ‘You saved my life.’” Schoonmaker said. “When somebody says something like that to you, that’s deep.”
Since she began her show, the Stray Cat Lounge has been her passion. If one thing is for sure, Joni-O doesn’t intend to stop soon.
“I’m at a point where I’ve decided I’m gonna keep going as long as I have the energy,” Schoonmaker said. “Creating it from the name, the process of being live, and just being there for people with music makes it all worth it.”
You can listen to Joni-O’s anniversary show on November 24 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.