Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to AJ Tate. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi AJ, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Being only 6 years old, becoming a musician seemed like such a far fetched idea. It seemed like this unbelievably high achieving goal that was near impossible to reach. I learned later that while there is some truth to this, you can’t learn until you try. Unfortunately, even at that age and to this day I struggle with these notions of low self esteem, and feelings of being overwhelmed to the point of not starting or working on something. Drums was one of those things, but I truly am blessed to have supporting family that let me try! In stepping out of my comfort zone and proving to myself that I can be alright with SUCKING at something, I was able to have just one small moment where someone said “wow man that was really cool.”

My obsession grew, and for this reason I began not only getting better at the instrument, but started to obtain a much healthy mental outlook on life and what I can do. This obsession continued in the best way possible allowing me to achieve awards in the field of drummer, create products, develop new skills, play along side bands and musicians I would never even dream of playing with, and (best yet) be able to become that musician that 6 year old AJ wanted to be. Playing for Dispositions and The Dark Divide, various fill in projects, and production for bands in the DFW area has been my dream come true.

AJ, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Anthony “A.J.” Tate, drummer for Dispositions and The Dark Divide, and owner of AJ Tate Music (Independent recording artist, record production, content creator, and music products) I am a musician in the DFW area, originally from Upstate New York. My primary form of expression is through the drums. New York was my first taste of becoming a musician. I performed with the band Declension and released my first record a decade ago called “Destroy Hope.” Our reputation grew in the Upstate New York scene playing with numerous nation acts at bigger and bigger shows. As a musician this grew my confidence and began giving me the knowledge and tools needed to grow my brand.

Fast forward, I moved to DFW Texas in 2016 where I began to learn a whole new (and quite different) scene. Again, I gain knowledge and experience through bigger and bigger shows, now with the tools given to me from my work back in NY. COVID put a damper on things but my obsessive nature did not stop and I began to work on online content creation, learning new skills, and developing products to push my brand. This is where AJ Tate Music began, a website, and service where I make drum videos and music related content. Go check out my drum covers on YouTube and my Instagram (@a_tate8).

Post COVID I was happy to hit the ground running and have since pushed more content through my work in Dispositions and The Dark Divide. Allowing to push myself during a tough time in all of our lives allowed me to learn and prioritize online marketing. This shows in the (so far) 7 music videos I have since recorded with these bands and this train is just getting started. Go check out my latest work in “South of Saints” EP by Dispositions and “Follow the Weak” music video from The Dark Divide

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The reaction That’s why we all do this right? It’s the small things that mean huge impacts for pretty much every artist. A like on Instagram, a comment on Facebook, a share of a YouTube video. It’s that little reaction that we live for. Of course, the bigger the better, but we work to achieve everything that we can, and we work DAMN HARD to do it.

Also, this really is a positive for my mental health. I was just talking to a friend who “meditates” through video games. He has told me his struggles with it and how even after playing he hasn’t found a release for the anxious, depressive, or overwhelming feelings. It made me realize that being a creative person means more to us than we even realize. To have a release, a thing in our lives that we can mold, and tweak, and tinker with, and at the end have something we can “hold in our hands” is immensely special. It gives me confidence in areas in my life that have nothing to do with music or the drums.

Showing the world what I can do and putting myself out there, all while getting to create truly feeds this machine.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

COVID was obvious a very tough time for many of us. I am proud that in many aspects its was a time of growth creatively. However, it was also a horror when my father passed away from COVID related complications just one month before he got to meet his first granddaughter. Becoming a father is one of the greatest parts of my life, but loosing the one person who I looked up to, and would of been a beacon of light for learning this part of life was heart breaking (honestly it still is). Having a creative outlet helped me in many ways.

Being a family man is incredibly important to me. This loss almost ruined both my family and creative life. Fortunately, I allowed my outlets and creative nature to give me hope and give me something I can be proud of. It let me open my eyes and cherish this pride for not only my music, but for my wife, mother, daughter, family. It gave me happiness, period.

Contact Info:

• Website: ajtatemusic.com
• Instagram: a_tate8
• Facebook: facebook.com/ajtatemusic
• Youtube: youtube.com/@ajtate/videos

Image Credits
Zalen Cigainero A Shot of Bailey’s Photo