📺 Watch the Video on Spotify & YouTube

"Take advantage of your circle and the people around you that are already doing it, and don't be afraid to ask for help," says TNA, a rising star in Minneapolis’ house and electronic music scene. In this episode of Behind the Decks MPLS, TNA shares how moving from Dallas, Texas to snowy Stillwater shaped her eclectic musical tastes—from her parents' soulful R&B and Nigerian influences to her solo trek into electronic music with a Disclosure concert that sparked her DJ journey.

She reveals how being active and intentional in the local scene—as both a partygoer and performer—helped her find her groove, eventually landing high-profile gigs opening for acts like Chris Lake. Now shifting her focus from gigging to honing her craft as a producer, TNA reflects on building community, the thrill and nerves of breaking into DJing, and how showing up, being authentic, and connecting with others opened every door. Whether you’re a Minneapolis music lover or an aspiring DJ, Tina’s story is a blueprint for finding your sound and your scene.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/rlzuU8fypJ4

CATCH THE B2B:

TNA + Harry Duran YouTube: https://youtu.be/WKY9h9HCMNU

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-344089927/tna-b2b-harry-duran-behind-the-decks-mpls

5 Key Takeaways

1. Don’t wait for invitations—attend local events, introduce yourself, and get your face in the scene.
2. Take advantage of your existing network—ask for help, collaborate, and practice with friends to sharpen your skills.
3. Say yes to opportunities early on—experience and “doing the reps” in different settings build real confidence.
4. Challenge yourself to find and play unique, underplayed tracks—curate intentionally to stand out from the crowd.
5. Shift from doing everything to being intentional—focus your energy where you can grow most, whether it’s gigging less or deepening your production craft.

Memorable Quotes"Take advantage of your circle and the people around you that are already doing it, and don't be afraid to ask for help. For practice sessions, a lot of us practice by playing with one another, having sessions at someone's house before a show to get some practice and bounce ideas off each other.""I just wanted to play as much as possible and get the practice so I wasn’t nervous about not exporting my music correctly, or not turning off the filter after it’s been on for thirty seconds, little things. I think I just kind of said yes to a lot, which was good because it gave me a good framework and good practice.""I want to play less because I’ve done a lot already, and right now my focus is more on production and developing something that’s more unique to me. I’m still doing events and playing a decent amount, but just being more intentional about the shows that I’m doing and not saying yes to everything because I’m not really practicing anymore; I’m more solidifying the craft."Connect with TNA

Instagram - https://instagram.com/akadjtna

Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/akadjtna

Resources Mentioned

RESOURCES

Connect with Us

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkPG6MJDADxPDad9Dkzg2ewN4Ry7BOnnL

Listen + Watch on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0nuAdLB1RSemf51PCsTLba?si=ea696f6013d542ba

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-decks-mpls/id1868466897

MPLSHOUSE

Website: https://www.mplshouse.com/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/mplshouse

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mplshouse3333

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@mplshouse

Angel Sandro on Instagram: http://instagram.com/angelmsandro

Credits

Podcast Track ID: (Feel For Yuh) - Jeff Swiff feat. MPLSHOUSE on Real Feel Records

https://itstherealfeel.bandcamp.com/album/jeff-swiff-mplshouse-six-won-two-ep-rfr004

Hosted by Harry Duran

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djhdbeats

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/djhd

🎙️🎙️🎙️

Podcast Production & Marketing by FullCast - https://fullcast.co