Living the Scene is built by one person who lived this community from every angle. From 2006 to 2023, I ran OFNR Studios and its 24/7 independent radio station, Official FN Radio. What started as a passion project grew into a home base for independent bands, a place to connect, and a space where artists could be heard. Volunteers came and went, but the day-to-day work, the drive, and the heartbeat behind it were mine.

Today I’m still creating, performing, and evolving as an artist in my own right. Living the Scene isn’t just a book. It’s a new chapter and a new brand that grew out of everything I’ve done. I’m not “in” the scene. I live it. The radio years, the shows, the friendships, the open mics, the writing, the music — it’s all part of the same story. Where I’ve been, where I am, and what’s still ahead.

The reason I wrote this book came into focus in March 2025. I sat with my mother as she died of cancer, and it forced me to face a lot at once — the fragility of life, the gaps in what we think we know about the people closest to us, and how easily a lifetime can fade if no one documents it. I looked at my own life, at my kids, and realized I wanted them to know who I was, what I built, and the legacy I poured myself into. So I started writing. I stopped. I started again. I even dumped every flyer I ever made into the draft just to get moving. And in all of that, one thing became clear: this book isn’t really about me. It’s about the incredible community I was lucky to be part of, the years we spent building something out of nothing, and the people and moments that made it all matter.