We were lucky to catch up with Andre Tan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Andre, appreciate you 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?

The main thing that I’ve had to learn to create content these past few years is video editing. I asked a friend for recommendations on software to use (I’ve been using Davinci Resolve for a couple years), and from there I spent a lot of time Googling things. There would be times where I would allocate an hour or 2 to editing a video, but then I would just spend half of that time watching Youtube videos on how to do things.

In some ways I’d like to believe that there are actually less obstacles than ever before preventing people from learning whatever they want. There is so much you can learn to do for free online: how to edit videos, edit audio, play an instrument, write code, cook. There are so many well educated individuals and groups on the internet that are happy to share information to anyone who’ll listen. In this age, we truly live on a mountain of knowledge.

Even given the opportunity, I actually wouldn’t be that interested in speeding up my learning process. I think the early stages of learning a new skill are the most enjoyable and rewarding. Although one thing that I do a better job of now is documenting what I know. I have a short Google Doc with best practices, simplified step-by-step instructions on how to edit audio and video, and a list of resources on how to do specific functions in Davinci Resolve (how to split screen, how to export thumbnails, how to keyframe, etc). Without something like this, since content creation is just my part-time hobby, I would have to relearn things after taking breaks, which would be frustrating and inefficient.

Andre, 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 Andre, and I have a Youtube channel and podcast called Disc Junkie where I talk about music history and also just recommend music that I enjoy. I listen to hundreds of albums every year, so I like to think I’m at least qualified enough to curate some interesting sounds and artists. Even from a young age I’ve always had an immense love for music, and it’s a sort of underlying purpose in life of mine to simply discover as much music as possible. My current most notable ongoing project is called 2 LPs in a Pod. It’s a series where my longtime friend Shawn and I each recommend an album to each other under a specific theme per episode. Then we get together and discuss our listening experiences and takeaways.

In terms of what sets me apart from others, I think I’m still trying to find a presentation style that is unique to me. There are plenty of music Youtubers/critics/reviewers out there. As a fan, mostly it comes down to finding people whose personality you like and whose taste resonates with yours. It’s a cliche answer, but I do try to listen to everything. I love discovering artists across the globe from all different genres: metal, hip hop, jazz, rock, folk, electronic, pop, you name it. Maybe you could say that my appreciation for variety is what I bring to the table.

The project that I’m probably the most proud of is my very first episode where I attempt to break down the entire history of the album format. It was a very ambitious goal that also involved essentially explaining the history of popular music over the past 70 years. I guess I wanted to start things off with a bang. Looking back on that first video, there are a lot of things I wish I could improve (the lighting is horrible!). However, you can’t draft something forever. A great piece of advice that my sister gave me is that sometimes ‘done’ is better than ‘perfect’.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Honestly I don’t know if I can give you a concrete goal or benchmark that I’m trying to hit. Probably the obvious answer for any Youtuber or podcaster would be more views/listeners. For me that would certainly be nice to have, but it isn’t a driving factor. I think the main motivator is that I enjoy challenging myself. It’s an accomplishment to learn new things, create content, and put yourself out there.

I might also just have an innate desire to share music recommendations and talk about art that I love (hopefully that will encompass video games and films on my channel soon). I’m an avid user of the music cataloging websites ‘Rate Your Music’ and ‘Album of the Year’. On those sites you’ll find thousands of users writing eloquent reviews, making lists and charts, and having discussions about music. Those users, like myself, think critically and write about music as their own form of expression and reflection. Articulating your thoughts and feelings about music also tends to deepen your understanding and connection to it. I suppose taking on a visual medium is my way of making my expression a bit more personal.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I have 2 video essay Youtubers that I want to recommend although they’re a bit niche. I’ve admittedly put video essay creation in my backlog, but when I did make them (for a short while) I quickly realized that they require a substantial amount of time, effort, and research. I also have a hard time condensing what I want to say, as almost all of my videos are over 30 minutes. Because of this experience I now have a much greater appreciation for well-crafted video essays.

One Youtuber who does an incredible job of presenting information through skillful editing and presentation is JxmyHighroller, who makes content analyzing the game of basketball. I highly recommend his video titled ‘Three Pointers Have Ruined Basketball’, as it’s an extensive look into the history and statistics of basketball and how the 3-point shot may (or may not) be a problem in today’s game. The essay is also somewhat formatted as a story, leading you to believe one thing before presenting you with conclusive evidence that points you in another direction.

The other Youtuber I want to shout out is Spirit Of The Law, who primarily makes video essays breaking down the mechanics of the history-based real-time strategy game Age of Empires II. I believe he has an advanced degree in mathematics or something along those lines. His video titled ‘Is AoE2’s starting Elo too high for new players?’ breaks down the complex issues of the Elo rating system (originally designed for chess). His presentation is entertaining and easy to understand despite the seemingly dry topic.

My apologies if this doesn’t directly answer the question as I basically hijacked this opportunity to recommend 2 content creators whom I enjoy. I just appreciate that you can make a video essay about really any topic at all, and it’s fascinating to see how other minds approach the process.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/discjunkie
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doubleentandre
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andre-tan-refersion268
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@discJunkieMusicNerd