Primary Source Interview — Andy Hernandez

Cool Andy, tell me about what you do on the road for Jonas Brothers 

Andy Hernandez

I am their monitor engineer. I also help with audio advance for them and managing the crew so the bender crew, and that our case was global. So couple different hats and sometimes kind of working alongside with the MDR our production manager they kind of figure out how to pull stuff off, so it's kind of a trio of us that we get kind of the creative direction and then kind of jump in and make it all happen you know 

You

I love it because you just teared me up my next two questions so doing all of that how did you build trust and rapport with your client with the artist? 

Andy Hernandez

Hold on a second I'm just hopping in the car. Let me get in to switch over. 

You

Yeah, of course 

Andy Hernandez

Can you hear me OK? 

You

I can't I think we've successfully switched Bluetooth yeah so how how did you build the trust and rapport with your client with the artists? 

Andy Hernandez

I think it's just overtime. It's doing the right thing consistently over and over and you know being kind and showing up and saying yes, even when it's not convenient and. Doing things to the best of your ability at all times you know and that doesn't mean saying yes to everything cause you can't but trying to see their vision in the bigger picture and you know it takes a while but overtime they see all this guys got us in at some point it's like they just stopped almost like I wasn't there. Sometimes you know they're just doing their thing which has a monitor engineer like that's the. The goal right for them to forget they're wearing anything or hearing anything you know just be in the moment 

You

So that just brings up a quick question what is the 

Andy Hernandez

Yes 

You

actual role of a monitor that when you hit that level when it's working when you become 

Andy Hernandez

Yeah 

You

invisible what what is what is that real role? 

Andy Hernandez

The role monitor engineers to basically Give the artist and any performers on stage a sense of what they're doing on stage you know through controlling what they're listening to in their inner or through the wedges or sides. It's really kind of like you're giving them an accurate picture of what's happening, but also giving them confidence to. Trust what they're doing and feel like the crowd is I'm bored and into what's happening you know 

You

I love how you say the confidence to trust which goes right back to what we were 

Andy Hernandez

Yes 

You

talking about how do you 

Andy Hernandez

Yeah 

You

take that same trust building that same trust and rapport not with your client but with your rest of your team members 

Andy Hernandez

Yeah, I think that comes through sticky situations right where things are an ideal or maybe you got a better situation for a certain show or event and Just trying to kind of do the right thing and jump in so a lot of times sometimes for me that was helping set up backline if I needed to which is not my job sometimes that's helping DMD with something sometimes that's you know lifting a riser that has nothing to do with audio you know it's just whatever it needs to get done to push the organization forward 

You

And I was trying to think of how we know each other. I wanna say it's through an introduction through JK. Is that right? 

Andy Hernandez

Would you I don't know JK you saying JK from SIR or was that at the ball yeah 

You

Yep, yep is that not who introduced us first 

Andy Hernandez

Not initially, I think it was Pavan Graywall, who introduced us yeah 

You

OK 

Andy Hernandez

So he kind of made the email introduction and I think that, but I'm sure there's a lot of overlap of people that we know that could've potentially you know done it 

You

There's gotta be soap so I wanted to touch on that. It's just a what is the role of your network in business especially for being in life sound 

Andy Hernandez

I'm not sure I understand that question 

You

Yeah, look a bit rather than seeing your network your friendship, your relationships like how does that all what is the interplay the 

Andy Hernandez

I think it's it it's it's the core of 

You

balance? 

Andy Hernandez

everything you know I think that transparency and you know a lot of the reasons why you get called is cause people know you're gonna do the right thing you know so I've been keeping good relationships with not really having formal agendas although sometimes you know it's good to communicate about things all of more intentionally but Just kind of keeping Keeping things clean on all sides of the tracks and meeting people and being authentic and transparent. I think you know that's what business is built on it. 

You

In speaking of that in your new venture, what business lessons have you learned from your time on the road that you're now 

Andy Hernandez

Yeah 

You

applying to your venture going forward 

Andy Hernandez

Well, it's kind of funny yesterday. Our van died and we got a load in today at the forum and it was just one of those days were here like why does it gotta happen when we got our high profile stuff but basically it's like keep your head up you know and there's gonna be hard days and one hard date does not mean failure or it's gonna be hard all the time and just. Picking yourself back up and kind of jumping into the action And You know, making sure You know you are you know going up and being present and so I feel for me. It's just like some of that stamina of not having a lot of sleep sometimes. Just not getting phased by much I guess you know and just letting it roll off and obviously in some moments it doesn't feel great, but just knowing that if you do your best in the moment More times and not it's gonna be enough to get the project done to fulfill your clients you know 

You

Yeah, I do know. Tell me tell me one last line about this about you're really talking about is about resilience and do you think you 

Andy Hernandez

Yeah 

You

learned that trait from the road from being a modern engineer? 

Andy Hernandez

I think partially I think you have to be on the road because it's not always some ideal conditions but I think you know a lot of it comes from my upbringing in my parents. They were just always like if you're gonna do something we do it 100% we don't like tiptoe into something you can try something but once you commit to it, you're doing it you know. So I think the combination of those two you know just to work ethic and you know being in those tough situation over and over and making it out on the other side you know kind of led to that resilient you're talking about 

You

I love that and tell me the name of your new venture of your company what you specialize in the service they 

Andy Hernandez

Yeah, it's his father in the 

You

provide 

Andy Hernandez

audio Full service audio provider because of the world that I'm in it's a lot of touring music but we also do recording sessions for life like music videos or performance videos, corporate events so we kind of anything that needs you know high Equipment or operators we can provide services for those people 

You

I love it. OK I was one minute longer than I promised Andy thank you for making the time. 

Andy Hernandez

No worries, yeah so how does this work now? You just kinda take little little. 

You

I've gotten I've got more than enough to build an actual article that will show up in headliner and then an EP that will run separate. You will have a chance to look at both of those before I publish anything to make sure 

Andy Hernandez

OK 

You

that it's in the best light, this is, it's all part of the show I want you to feel really good about and that it's something that you wanna share with everybody. 

Andy Hernandez

Call yeah 

You

And I'm just gonna bug you for some photos that you can go along with that like you in action you work and just things that convey your essence 

Andy Hernandez

Yeah, I can send that stuff along to you. Yeah that's great thanks. 

You

Easy thank you thank you thank you good luck with everything and I hope 

Andy Hernandez

Yeah 

You

today ends up a little better than yesterday 

Andy Hernandez

It will thanks man appreciate that all right. Have a good one. Take care, Mike bye 

You

Thanks babe take care bye 

‍