After years of touring the world and appearing on international mainstages, Dorian Westwood found his true passion in sharing the gift of making music with others. Over the last decade, Dorian Westwood has taught hundreds of students the art of becoming a DJ and producer. Through his mentorship, many of Dorian's students have experienced success far beyond his own storied career. 

Today, Dorian is the creative force behind Chicago DJ Academy spreading his wealth of knowledge and love for electronic music with the future of the EDM industry. 

As a co-founder of Chicago DJ Academy, Dorian Westwood's mission is to seek out highly motivated individuals who aspire to DJ and produce music, enrich their creative talent and provide mentorship as they take the steps towards becoming professional artists. 

Armed with years of life experience and a relentless drive, Play-Joh proves that it is possible to reinvent oneself at any age. Now based at Chicago DJ Academy within the legendary Fort Knox Studios, Play-Joh is deep in the studio showcasing his evolution and mastery of sound churning out chart-topping tracks while serving as a mentor to Chicago DJ Academy students.

As a co-founder of Chicago DJ Academy, Play-Joh committed to pursuing his passion by leaving law firm partnership life behind to focus on music production and touring internationally. 

Play-Joh is a role model for Chicago DJ Academy students proving  the direction of one's life can be changed through desire, proper training and a highly-experienced team of artist development professionals. 

Patrick Stratton, aka Stratus, is a veteran in North American bass music. Storming onto the scene in 2012 with a single on the first OWSLA compilation and a multi-release deal with Ultra Records, he began performing all over the continent playing shows in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

Since then, he has played iconic festivals such as Lollapalooza, EDC Las Vegas, Spring Awakening, Summer Camp, and Global Dance Festival, receiving endless support from his peers and icons in dance music. In addition to OWSLA and Ultra, he has releases on Subcarbon, Subsidia, Circus, Smog, Welcome, and Play Me.

Carving out a unique style of his own, Patrick has developed a sonic brand that is instantly recognizable as a composite of both the roots and future of dance music. From seeing the UK originators in dark basement clubs in 2009 and rising alongside the new generation, he has cemented himself as a true torchbearer of the scene.   

These days, he produces a wide range of genres and styles for media, from all things dance to trailer cues. As a freelance composer, he has worked with brands and networks like Netflix, HBO, Paramount, Samsung, and Fortnite, always striving to reinforce the heart of the story being told with expressive and powerful music, no matter the medium or the scale. 

Nikhil Gidwani is a multifaceted force in Chicago's electronic music scene. As a producer, engineer, bassist, DJ, and the head of Aathee Records, which he founded in 2016, Gidwani’s journey began by crafting mixes for friends, evolving through hip-hop collectives like DearChi and The C.O.O.L Cats, and hosting a weekly college radio show. His passion for digging and sonic exploration deepened significantly in 2014 when he acquired his first synthesizer, unlocking new dimensions in production and sound design. 

Re-emerging as Hopscotch, he quickly made his mark, landing a weekly residency at Spybar Chicago with DNR Records, followed by a residency at Smartbar with the "Recess" party series from 2018-2019. Nikhil, alongside Joseph Ruggiero, founded Aathee Records, a record label and collective, for his own and others' releases as well as live performances.

He continues to push boundaries while delivering his signature sound at acclaimed venues and festivals including The Metro, Arc Music Festival, Northcoast Music Festival, and Summer Camp.

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