After graduating with a degree in Sociology/Psychology, Alphonso spent the first few years of his career working as a Welfare Officer for Reading Social Services. His dissertation Ambiguities in the Diagnosis of Schizophrenia Amongst Ethnic Minorities motivated him to work with the black community in Reading, helping young adults on remand to re-integrate into society. The second phase of his career saw Alphonso pursue his passion for IT and software, selling telecommunications and AI solutions for various blue chip companies for over 20 years throughout silicon valley in Berkshire and London.

Throughout his career, Alphonso pursued his other passion, music, playing the guitar and piano in numerous bands and various solo writing projects. After a prostate cancer and brain AVM diagnosis in 2016, Alphonso decided to follow his dreams and love of music by setting up a private teaching practice. The work expanded into the more specialist provision of creative music services for children with a primary diagnosis of Autism.

Alphonso set up the creative music department at Venturers’ Academy in Bristol, which has expanded from one to three sites involving hundreds of children. The work inspired Alphonso to pursue a master’s degree in music therapy, which he completed in September 2022. His master’s dissertation focused on how black men use music to cope with the psychosocial symptoms of prostate cancer post-treatment. 

Alphonso facilitated a workshop at the October 2022 BAATN conference