Andrew Hammond

I am at home. but my mind is elsewhere.
I was once young
I ran free…..like one of my prehistoric ancestors.
I am alive but I am also tired. I am tame but the wild dreams remain.
A dream is simply a want over a need.
I want to run free but everyone needs shelter from the rain.
I want to be a hunter. Those who gather need not kill.
I am settled….I can eat because the masters feed me.
In the worst of storms I sleep dry.
I am the rare happy slave. I leave nothing behind.
Tell the Old man to bury me in the yard.

-Andrew Hammond

Somehow my big little brother always seems to be up on his game with the ladies. I would like to think it’s because I have kept him in cool shoes for the past 10 years, or because I made sure he never fell into that horrible baggy-pants-spiky-hair crevass that many fellas never crawled back out of. However, his thoughtul words and the voice he’s seemed to inherit from Nina Simone and Leonard Cohen, make him, not only a great writer, but also a talented poet and a brilliant actor. And as much as I like to take credit for his coolness I, unfortunately, did not school him on the piano, creative writing or how to fit your entire body into a pillow case. He figured all that out on his own.

PICTURE THIS:

Beth and Court perched on a stoop in somewheres—middle of nowheres—downtown ATL this past February. Discussion ensues about how culinary arts are extremely under appreciated, which somehow morphed into the subject of our next show Ants and Grasshoppers.We have no direct path in any of our conversations, I’ll paraphrase:

Beth: Something about how we are a really great platform for obscure arts.
Court: Agrees, then mentions we should have a focus on one obscure art per show.
Beth: Agrees. Brings up creative writing and cartoon voices, naturally. “Oh, ooh like that guy from Police Academy.”

One of us recalls Andrew, can’t remember who, but I hope it was me.

Courtney Hammond/DashboardCo-Op: I have tried doing voice work myself - not so good. What do you do to get in character? I like to think you wear an array of colored hats.

Andrew Hammond: I wish I could say that this is a loaded question, one that would be incomprehensible by a non-voice artist. The fact is, I think I get into character by simply trying to be that character. One of the sweetest things about acting behind a microphone is the fact that the actor has the opportunity to build the character from the ground up. Let’s just say, I’m playing an old man. First I’d hunch over like an old man, and tense my face and body. I may pull my arms in and shake a bit, wheeze for a sec or two and then start rattling off. If a visual actor did this on camera it would be gag worthy. Most characters are just bad impersonations. In voice over, I get to suck at being a subtle. I’m good at that.

Dash:How long have you been working as a writer or voice artist…and which do you prefer to be called? You are both these in your work as some are either the writer of the words or the speaker.

AH: I’ve been working as a writer since I was 18. I started making audio plays on Windows Sound Recorder when I was around 13. Thank god I didn’t have Youtube back then. That would have been embarrassing. Would I rather be called a writer or a voice artist? Put “working” in front of either of these and I’m happy.

Dash: Having the ability to be both writer and actor must hinder your ability to let go a lil bit when someone else is in charge eh?

AH: I really think you could change the way you asked that question. I’m not a control freak. That’s all I have to say. Can I edit this after?

Dash: Did you throw up in your mouth a little when you got to work with Porky Pig?

AH: Yes! Meeting Bob Bergen was bittersweet. Good, because he had groovy stories from his life as a cartoon voice actor and a lot of insight on how to be one myself.  Bad, because this guy is veteran “actor” (he was nominated for an Emmy this year fyi). A voice actor is an actor. That means auditions and agents and head-shots and voice demos and lots of “NOs”.  He made me realize how difficult becoming a career voice artist was and continues to be. A day-job in radio hasn’t hurt, though some may disagree.

Dash: How do you feel about voice art as a fine art? Do you feel it has a place here?

AH: I think it fits in quite nicely. If it’s a question of difficulty, think about how hard it is to record a satisfactory voice mail message. If it’s a question of it’s value as a form of expression, record yourself sometime and just listen to it. Recording your voice really makes you think about yourself. It’s like a mirror for your personality.

Dash: Do you find that giving someone the finger is a lot more impactful with your piano hands?

AH: I don’t know. It may be the opposite. If a baby flicked me off I’d probably be pretty wounded.

Dash:Any voice you could do on any platform - give it…what would it be?

AH: Jimmy Carter in an alien abduction scenario. That would be neat. And maybe if it involved Elvis somehow too.