We were lucky to catch up with Tyler Tafolla recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Tyler thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

I hope my legacy was that I created stories that were original, creative, fun-filled, entertaining, full of heart, made you think, let you escape for a bit, helped people through hard times, and made people want to write or get involved in the arts. I hope I created a work space where people felt heard & seen, where they felt like they could ask questions, where it was fun, where creativity & expression came before ego & notoriety, where story & character lead the way, and most of all, where people felt safe.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Tyler Tafolla and I am a musical theatre composer/playwright as well as a performer, director and producer. I graduated from AMDA Los Angeles with a BFA in Music Theatre and I created Tafolla Productions, my own little production company where I put on the original musicals I have created. I am one of the few writers in Southern California trying to create and produce original musicals from the ground up. I have worked for years to form an artistic rep of artists and performers who help bring these words on the page to life.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source when it comes to anything artistic or creative now is online services like Tik Tok, Instagram and YouTube. That is where a large chunk of Americans who cannot afford to dish out over $80 dollars for a Broadway show is getting their media. For some people, that may be there their one gateway into musical theatre. That is their one way they know that my career exists.

Any advice for managing a team?

Managing is truly not as complicated as a lot of people make it out to be. For me personally it comes down to a few basic rules; 1. Upfront transparency with every aspect of your project is key when coming to your team, 2. You must leave your ego at the door and serve the work/project first. It’s not about you. 3. The best idea in the room always wins, even if it’s not yours. 4. You must continue to make it fun for people. 5. Don’t stress the small stuff. Showing how stressed you are to people never made anyone want to keep working with you on a project. You must be the example. Because if you’re visibly stressed, they will be as well. 6. Remember why you got into the business and remind yourself of the joys that come with it on the daily.

Contact Info:

• Website: tylertafolla.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tatafolla/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TylerATafolla
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ_tR7Qk0jcah9wew4KNzfw

Image Credits
Tyler Tafolla