Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andrew Braach. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Andrew, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
My story has been one of learning different layers of being successful. In the beginning I had to learn I had talent to sing. It took a little time to build my confidence, but once I found it, it was hard to keep me off of a stage. It’s safe to say I’m more comfortable there than most other places. My autism has made it an interesting adventure along the way too, like when I first met my voice coach and didn’t say anything… the whole lesson. When I finally got my confidence up to sing, we connected and have been working together for the last 7 years. When my brother took guitar lessons I was really interested too. It was neat to be able to sing and play at the same time, even not knowing much at the time. Eventually I got a nice Gretsch acoustic guitar and happened to find a great guitar coach at the same store I bought the guitar. For me, conversation, especially small talk, can be a challenge; there are so many things I could say, but it’s hard for my brain to pick one sometimes, especially in the moment. It’s kind of like having too many things open on a computer and you ask it to do something else. That spinny wheel just keeps going and going you have to give it a minute to sort things out. Even saying “Thank you” at the end of a song or when a fan gives me a compliment. To help with that some we brought in a performance coach. We run through performance ideas and work on places to improve.
Up until I was around 15, pretty much all my conversation came from echoing what I heard from TV and movies. From that I started working on voices of different characters and accents. In 2020, during a young soloist singing competition I was connected with a professional to coach me. He turned out to be a professional voice actor and, since the competition, he helped to produce my demo for commercials. I hope to expand voice acting as part of my entertainment business, along with possible stage acting opportunities also.
My business has been a matter of expanding and growing layers of knowledge and resources. When I find a new interest, I find a coach to help me.
Andrew, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Andrew Mark Braach and I am a singer, songwriter, and actor with Autism and low vision due to Albinism. I love the older, traditional country western music. Am a huge fan of Hank Williams Sr and Johnny Cash, but cover a good collection of the classics. I also have written some of my own songs and skits. I’m a voice actor focused on commercials currently, but have plans to expand into character voices and narration. I love the stage whether it is acting or singing and my main hope is that people are entertained by what they see and hear.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I haven’t always been confident in front of people. I was confident enough to sign up to sing at the little church we went to, but when it came time to get up and sing, I couldn’t do it. I tried, but I just couldn’t do it. I went into one of the back rooms and practiced by myself a couple of times and then tried it again. The only way I could make it work was if I was out of sight. Luckily they had a small side room I tucked into and they set up a special mic for me. I sang the song, “Why Me, Lord?” The church enjoyed it and invited me back to sing again. This time I walked up on stage, turned around and saw everyone looking at me and I walked back off. Again, they gave me some time and I eventually made it through. That church was a big support for me to gain confidence. Since then, I’ve been able to sing on all kinds of stages from churches and bars to senior centers and play houses. I’ve even been able to sing in a cave venue, on the stage at the Grand Ole Opry house and was honored to be asked to sing the National Anthem at a Nashville Sounds Baseball game. Now I love the stage whether I’m singing, speaking or acting.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
To me the most rewarding part of art or creating is the art itself. It’s about looking back on something and being able to say, “I did that”. I think that holds true if you are covering a song or writing your own. It is true about voicing a commercial or a character voice or acting in a play. Also, when you decide to do it again, there is art and creativity all over again to try to recreate it the same way or if you try something new to make it just a little bit different. I also appreciate the community that surrounds art and gives it value. It includes the fans that enjoy listening or watching and the fellow artists that love music and creating as much as I do. I can write or perform a song and think it turned out great, but what really makes it rewarding, is when someone else likes it too.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.AndrewBraach.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrewmarkbraach
- Youtube: @andrewmarkbraachmusic2387