Meet Alfonso Tan

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alfonso Tan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alfonso below.

Alfonso, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Overcoming imposter syndrome hasn’t been easy, and it continues to find its way back into my life on occasion. After several years as a DJ, however, I have found a few helpful ways to deal with it:

1. Speaking ‘it’ into existence. When I first started DJ’ing, I told people that I was just “mixing songs together.” I did this because I didn’t feel like I was a real DJ, even after recording a few mixes and playing a few sets to small audiences. Some friends that saw my passion for it encouraged me to stop doing this. Once I started saying I was a DJ and introducing myself as one, it helped me gain confidence in it being factual. The confidence helped me take it more seriously, which led to more progress, more gigs, and more growth. It’s fascinating how powerful saying “I am” can be.

2. Evidence. After years of being DJ, I’ve collected pictures, videos, and positive words that have served as objective proof that I’m not an imposter. When I question myself, I look back on these memories, and they provide a reaffirmation of my abilities.

3. Passion. DJ’ing (and now music production) is something that I genuinely love and feel strongly about. It really makes me happy. This passion for DJ’ing confirms that it’s something that I truly want to be doing. My love for it isn’t fake, which is helpful for combatting imposter syndrome because it confirms that I’m not doing it for superficial reasons (money, fame, etc.).

I’ve applied these behaviors to other parts of my life (including a pivot in my day job) and have found them to be helpful wherever imposter syndrome can creep in. It’s taken time to develop these behaviors and make these realizations, but I’m grateful to have done so!

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Hello! My name is Alfonso Tan and I’m a Seattle-based DJ and Music Producer that is focused on electronic dance music. I began DJ’ing in 2018 and producing music in 2021. I’ve played a variety of events, from festival stages to packed nightclubs to sunny discos and everything in between. I play around Seattle frequently, and my music career has taken me to major cities like New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Antwerp. My recently released tracks on Adesso Music and WyldCard Records have been streamed across the world, which has been really exciting to witness. Although it can be a lot of work at times, pursuing a career in music has been very fulfilling. Music is something that I am genuinely passionate about, and I’m grateful to be given opportunities to share my art. I love using my DJ sets and productions to bring joy and memorable experiences to others!

I’ll be closing out 2024 with more releases and some fun shows. I’m excited to continue progressing along on this adventure!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

When I reflect on my journey as a DJ and Producer, three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful were:

1. Perseverance. In pitching my music to record labels and looking for gigs, I’ve received a lot of rejection. Getting ghosted or receiving a “no” is something that comes with the territory, but not giving up has led to more consistent (and larger) gigs, more success with getting music signed, and generally more progress. Truthfully, I still struggle in this area a lot, but continuing to push forward and keep trying is the only way to get anywhere in this field.

2. Passion. To truly thrive in the music industry, you have to genuinely love music. All DJ’s and musicians – myself included – have played to empty dance floors, had shows go badly, dealt with business conflicts, and faced other challenges. The thing that has carried me through these situations is an honest love for listening to music, dancing to it, creating it, and using it to tell a story. Staying focused on this love informs how I perform and helps to remind me why I am doing it to begin with.

3. Professionalism. This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s surprising how many DJ’s don’t show up on time, lack communication skills, are not courteous to venue staff, or will get too intoxicated during a gig. Being easy to work with has helped me leave a good impression on promoters, and I’m confident that it has increased the likelihood that a promoter will want to book me again. As someone that has experience with booking DJ’s, I can confirm that their level of professionalism is something that is always observed, whether it is good or bad. While DJ’s are often in ‘heavy party’ environments, they have a different role at the party when compared to attendees and should act accordingly.

A piece of advice to those that are earlier on in their journey is to have patience and not give up when things don’t go right. It takes time and resilience to progress, so having patience is crucial. Focusing on gratitude will also help in remaining enthusiastic about DJ’ing. Every new gig is a fresh opportunity. It also helps to have a mentor or some friends with more experience that can be sought out for advice, guidance, and feedback.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

Within a music career – like I imagine most other ‘self-employed’ careers to be – there’s a long list of to-do’s that may require different parts of the brain. As a small, independent artist without a team, in addition to actually DJ’ing or making music, I’m responsible for all of my marketing, growing my brand, social media, content creation, engaging promoters, talking to record labels, bookkeeping, paperwork, logistics, video editing, and several other tasks. It’s a lot to keep track of, and when it becomes too much to handle inside my head, the overwhelm can cause a lot of anxiety and kill my ability to focus. Something that has helped and that I’d like to make more of a habit is writing down all of the to-do’s, either digitally or on paper. It sounds simple, but creating task lists have helped provide clarity on what needs to happen. They also help me stay focused and I find that I can work more efficiently when I use them. If you feel like you are getting buried in tasks, I’d encourage you to try it!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Instagrams of photographers:

Wearing a red shirt: @jaogaz_photography
From behind the DJ booth: @raveheadtim
White tank top: @traveler_markymark

All others were from myself

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