Meet Debbie Tjong

We recently connected with Debbie Tjong and have shared our conversation below.

Debbie, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

Ever since I moved to United States, I’ve always felt like I had a hard time finding people who look like me that have charted the course that I wanna take in my life. Being from Southeast Asia, it was even hard to find people who understood my culture or even my accent when I was in college. However, at the same time, I have such a deep love for learning and understanding, different cultures, especially in the world of music and arts. I started realizing that there is a lot to be learned, even more perhaps, from people who do not look like you. I came to United States to be a musician; a singer, a pianist, a performer. I found that there was so much to be learned from musicians and artist that came before you, that might not necessarily look like you per se, but have shaped the music world so deeply with their craft. There is something to be said about human creativity and resilience that is completely inspiring. I’ve learned that by taking inspiration and motivation from learning how differences made me who I am today. It is, in a way, exciting to look around the room and be able to say that I am different, but I have something to offer and something to be gained by being different. That being said, there is also a lot to be learned in looking at your past, looking at your culture, and looking at the people that came before you that were part of that community. Knowing that I can carry that part of me into the room, into a room where I am different, gives me the strength to forge forward. Now, I’ve had several people messaging me online saying that it is so inspirational to see someone who looks like them on stage performing. I’ve even had people from my home country of Singapore, who has wrote to me and said how amazing it is that a fellow Singaporean is performing all across the United States, all across Europe and the United Kingdom, and is able to make a living and thrive performing. Hearing things like that makes me feel that I’m doing something worthwhile, that I am now playing a part in charting a course for people who look like me.

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?

My name is Debbie. I am a singer and musician currently residing in New York City. I am originally from Singapore, but I’ve lived in the United States for the past 18 years. I am currently the keyboard player and background vocalist for the band Sammy Rae & The Friends. In the band, I not only play and sing, but I am also part of the production team and the arranging team that produced the latest album, Something for Everybody. When I am not working or touring with the band, I perform in multiple different venues in New York City as a singer, pianist, and I’m also part of multiple event bands that perform for corporate events and weddings. I am also an actress, and I have six off-Broadway credits under my belt as an actress. I am currently a sub for Cabaret on Broadway. Sammy Rae & The Friends have our upcoming spring tour in April, but aside from that, you can find me performing around the city most weekends this year, I am also inspired and hoping to start releasing some of my original music that I’ve been sitting on for about 20 years. It is a tall order, so we’ll see if that happens!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think the three things that were the most impactful on my journey so far is as follows: do your best always, show up, and above all, be nice.
The thing that I’ve learned, is people will always want to work with you if you are reliable, and if you are a pleasant person to work with. I am not saying that you have to constantly bend over backwards for people, or that you cannot have a bad day, or that you cannot be a human being, and grapple with hard emotional moments at times. But it is important, no matter what, to be present and to do everything to the fullest of your abilities. I hear a lot of people starting out in their careers, especially in their musical careers, talking about the need to network. It’s important to be nice and to interact with people in a way that is respectful and pleasant, but the caveat to this is that it is more important to be genuine, and to be genuinely nice. I feel that people can always tell if you are simply networking just because you feel that this other person has something valuable to give you. I think it is just a way of readjusting your mindset. Instead of thinking, “ oh, this is a business connection to be made”, think instead,” this is a human connection to be made”. Knowing that as much as you are trying to forge a connection with this other person, this other person is also forging connection with you. I can’t tell you how many times a connection that I’ve made years ago comes back around to give me some of the biggest opportunities in my life. You’ll never know who’s there to help you along the way.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

I think there comes time in everyone’s life where we hit a road block of some sort. And this can happen multiple times in your lives. For me personally, the past three years, have been some of the most rewarding and challenging times of my life. I am gone from my home in New York City for more than eight months every year. This is a result of touring with Sammy Rae and the friends, and also other gigs that I have that takes me out of town. It has been hard for me to feel grounded, and I think one of the things this year is for me to feel that. To feel that I am steady on my feet, and to give myself time. Time to find my roots, time to pursue my own personal artistic endeavors. I find that most of my professional life, I have been giving my time to support other people and to help other people‘s vision come true. I believe that that is one of my biggest strength, to be a good supporter and a good team member. As a result, I find that years go by without me stopping to ever listen to what I want to do, and to what I need for my personal, professional, and artistic goals. That is currently the biggest challenge I’m facing, and I am hoping that I can hold myself accountable to giving myself that time to work on myself and also work on my own music. There are so many projects that I’m involved in currently that is bringing me so much joy, so I don’t see myself giving up on those projects, but to find time in other parts of my life, and more accurately, to value myself more so that I can dedicate that time to me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @debbiedotmusic
• Youtube: @debbietjongmusic

Image Credits

Mia Isabella Photography
Brian Russell Carey
Gracie Joan
ROMMEL