NT_050417

northbrooktower.com life & arts
the northbrook tower | May 4, 2017 | 33
Northbrook man took road less
traveled to become musician
Matt Yan, Editor
Most people don’t work
their way up in a career
only to leave and become
a stay-at-home dad. Then
again, most people aren’t
Steven Buzil.
After 15 years working
for a Chicago courier service,
Buzil felt burnt out.
The birth of his second
child marked a significant
milestone. His wife’s career
was taking off, and he
wasn’t keen on staying at
his job. So he did what few
men would have done at
the time in 2001: He quit
his job as director of operations
to take care of his
two kids.
It was a relief from the
nonstop stress of corporate
life that had been plaguing
him for years. He had
more time to raise his kids
and re-evaluate what he
wanted to do with his time.
That answer came in
the form of music. Buzil,
who enjoyed singing and
playing guitar as a hobby,
started playing at venues
and getting paid.
“That was probably
the greatest move I ever
made,” said Buzil, who
plays under the stage name
Steven Zane. “That not
only allowed me to get
more into my music but
I was able to be with my
kids, they were able to be
with me.”
Though today more men
are settling into roles as
full-time parents, in the
early 2000s there was still
a large stigma attached to
such a lifestyle. Buzil said
most people were supportive,
but he certainly felt
some disapproval from his
male peers who were still
working full-time.
“There was a stigma
but I didn’t worry about
it,” Buzil said. “I don’t let
those things bother me. I
try to make the best of every
situation and I try to
understand that everyone
is unique. What is good for
the goose may not be good
for the gander.”
The main challenge,
he said, was not having
a steady second income,
but he and his wife Shannon
Buzil budgeted their
finances and made it
work.
“She was always there to
back me up on everything,
she’s been number one on
that,” Steven Buzil said.
“It seems like the right
thing for me to do, to write
these songs, and give them
to the world, what small
part of it that I can. It just
feels right and I think she
knew that. She’s always
been very supportive.”
The only thing Buzil
desires beyond his current
situation is to reach more
people.
Debuting a new album
might help. Buzil is set to
release his third solo CD
this week and will play at
a release party May 13 at
The Panda Bar in Highland
Park.
His CD, “Take Me
Home,” is an eclectic mix
of songs with folk and
country influences. Buzil
said some of the songs
are Pink Floyd-esque.
One song is named “The
Wall,” but Buzil said the
title comes from the time
he took his daughter to see
the traveling Vietnam veterans
wall at the Village
Green.
Other songs on the CD
include the soulful, eponymous
“Take Me Home”
and the mellow anti-violence
song, “Hey, My
Brother.”
Several local collaborators
took part in
the recording, including
Highland Park’s Dana
Lawrence Gillis, a singer
Buzil first saw when she
was performing at The
Panda Bar. She sings
backup vocals on several
songs.
“She’s got a beautiful
voice,” Buzil said. “She’s
a great singer. I’ve always
liked female vocalists — I
had other ones on my first
two CDs, it adds a whole
other dimension. It really
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Steven Buzil performs as Steven Zane. His new album, “Take Me Home,” is out this
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