It’s a question I’ve been getting asked a lot lately, as it seems like I fell off the face of the Earth from the scene, but I figure it’ll be easier to put a quick explanation where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to.

Around 2008, I had stepped away from being an active participant in the Chicago scene. That mainly meant I wasn’t going to push demos or try to network my way into the DJ booth at a club or a party. I was getting older, and I felt I just wasn’t hungry for it. It wasn’t my scene anymore, and I didn’t want to become the old fart clinging to the past.

In some ways, I almost started to hate DJing. A lot of that really stemmed from what I saw I would have to do if I really wanted to get somewhere with it. It made me take a step back and realize I enjoyed it more when I was just doing it as a hobby. Throwing a mix online, playing a livestream, simple little things.

Life was also changing for me. My career was going well but it was keeping me incredibly busy, so I had less free time. Plus I had met the woman I later married and built a life with. You know that things have changed when you suddenly find that you would rather be curled up with that special someone watching a movie as opposed to playing tunes at a venue, and that’s perfectly fine.

Unfortunately in 2018, things changed even more when my now late father fell into bad health and I had to put him in a nursing home. Believe me, your life changes a lot when you suddenly are taking care of your parents. It’s not even the factor of getting him help, but also trying to help care for my mom, their house, and everything else going on.

My father passed away in 2020, and then almost immediately my mother fell into bad mental and physical health and also had to be put in a nursing home. She ended up joining my father 3 years later.

As I said before, these are not sad times, but it was their time.

On top of all the issues with my parents, I also was let go from my job in 2019, and despite my skills and experience, it still took me almost a year to find another job, which I’m happy to say I’m prospering in.

So all of those different factors. Changing life, age, parents falling into bad health, dealing with their estate, and changing jobs, DJing just seems like an incredibly low priority. It wasn’t until 2 years ago. A couple of colleagues pushed me to get back on the decks.

I will say I’ve been a lot happier just playing even for two or three people online. My beautiful wife bought me a new controller this past Christmas, and it’s been wonderful to do all this again on my own terms.

What does the future hold? Who knows? I’m not necessarily in the mood to get active again, as there’s younger and hungrier people out there that want this more. I thought about live streaming, but I feel like I’d be one out of the millions that are doing it and finding it becomes more of a job than fun. Maybe I’ll start posting misses again, or try podcasting, or whatever idea that comes to mind if I see I have the time and energy to put into it.

For now, I’m going to play when I can, sell my record collection, and move forward. I’m still thrilled for all of the experiences I’ve had and the lessons I’ve had to learn.