Date & place of birth:
May 16 1967; North Hollywood, California.

Profession:
Executive in charge of suspending heavy things that can kill people if not done correctly; keeper of the antacid. (a.k.a. the founder of ATM Group, Inc.)

What was your first professional job?:
At 14, I worked for my father's construction company for three months in the summer repairing electric construction tools that were beaten to death at the construction site. I was basically thrown to the sharks in the mechanics department. Being the boss's son translates into work twice as hard and get three times as much done or you are a freeloader.

Why the early interest in sound?
Since the age of 11, I had been playing musical instruments; mostly loud ones such as drums and electric guitar. Playing was fun, and the musical diversity was terrific, but mostly I enjoyed making others feel emotional through the music - usually anger at the way I was butchering the song. This valuable experience eventually gave me an understanding of what I really enjoyed about sound, and why I would pursue a career in recording, then sound reinforcement, and then rigging hardware: Emotion, Power, Awe.

Your biggest inspiration?
I think my inspiration for the entertainment industry came at the age of 15. I was entranced by what I experienced one evening at a Missing Persons concert. There he was, Terry Bozzio, with his drum set positioned downstage left. His drum kit was set like no other I had ever seen: the kit literally surrounded him in an ergonomic design, with a window so the crowd could see his extreme body movements.
I heard complicated rhythms and accents while he seemingly threw his arms all over the place without missing a beat - amazing! So from that day, I began beating on my 10-piece custom Gretsch drum set trying to mimic the man I saw that evening. I never could keep up with him, but I am still trying today.

What's been your biggest professional achievement?:
I don't know about achievements, but I can identify a few life-changing events that have made a real difference. One was when I bought out my sound reinforcement company business partner after he had thrown a garbage can at me in the wood shop. I was then able to take ATM Audio/Visual in a different direction. The most recent has been managing to go back to college to obtain a masters degree in business, just because life wasn't busy enough.

How would you change the industry?
Make everyone with a cerebral cortex eat, sleep, and breath risk management and industry self-regulation. Also make every loudspeaker fly along with every video wall or LED wall. Ouch! I had to pinch myself to wake up from my dream.

What was the last record/CD you bought?:
Jack Welch's Straight From The Gut and Missing Persons' Spring Session M (to replace my worn out vinyl).

The last live show you attended as a punter?:
KROQ Punk Rock Reunion 2002. This show made me feel like a grandfather since just about everyone out there was a teenager.

Do you have time for hobbies?
The stuff that I don't use - Marvin Martian original art and limited edition animation cell collection, fine watch collection, Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, scuba gear, Suzuki 450 enduro, roller blades, mountain bike, snow skis, water ski, golf clubs. If I only could make the time...

If you were to meet up with the teenage Andrew Martin, what advice would you give him?
Set a course for the unknown; engage.

mail Andrew