Meet Dennis Preston Jr.: Preston | Music Producer & Mental Health Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dennis Preston Jr. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dennis, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
The most important thing is to start. And you don’t have to wait for the “perfect” moment to start because that opportunity may never come. Once you start, keep going so you’ll learn more about the process and about yourself. Sometimes the journey is more valuable than the destination. Even if you fail, you’re able to take those lessons and apply it to the next thing. If you have to quit, make sure you gave your best effort first. If you have to sacrifice your mental or physical health, I believe it’s not worth it to keep going.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The COVID pandemic encouraged me to change my daily habits in order to be fulfilled in life. Before it spread across the US, I’d planned on doing a lot of traveling, start dating again after years of being single, and stepping out of some of my introversion to be more sociable. I was only able to do the latter, except digitally. I joined TikTok just to have fun and hop on trends like many others, but it became very serious as I started to talk about mental health. Mental health discussions were usually something I kept between close friends and I, but I was ready to get some broader conversations going with more people since this global pandemic also started a global mental health crisis. I put my DJsNeverEndingStory music presence on pause for a bit and revealed Preston to the world, the private guy behind the music. I went viral a handful of times talking about mental health on TikTok and eventually Instagram. I’ve made some great connections with all types of people that find value in my content and also we’ve learned from each other. I found my sense of humor changing. I was no longer self-deprecating and making light of my own trauma. Engaging with people of different cultures has helped me become more empathic and compassionate. Just looking at the audience I have now makes me hold myself more accountable to keep upholding the self care values I talk about. I don’t know how, but in the future I want to help make mental health care more accessible and affordable for everyone. I already knew the long term impact from lack of mental health care while growing up in a low income, high crime neighborhood. Talking online with people of different backgrounds, yet with the same mental health issues, it just shows me that the pandemic only exasperated the already existing mental health crisis in the US.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a nature guy and probably surrounded by more trees than people most of the time. Something I’d love to do with a friend is drive the Pacific Coast Highway from San Diego to San Francisco. We’d take our time and make it a multiple day trip. I’ve never done it before and it’s been something I’ve dreamed about for a few years. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to Tori, my best friend for over 20 years, It’s only a few people that’ll see you in every season of your life, stick right by you, and even help facilitate your growth. He’s one of those people to me.

Website: http://prestinfinity.com

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

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@prestinfinity