Today we’d like to introduce you to André Santana
André, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My first year of college in the Berkshires, I’d stretch out in a field of grass the whole day and read a book in preparation for class. it was the result of procrastination, but it was also one of the only times I could throw everything out of view and commit fully to reading a text. I might have fallen in love with reading then if racing through books hadn’t exhausted me so much. Years after college, deep into a hiatus from most kinds of reading, I started again with audiobooks. It wasn’t long before I fell in love with stories fully, and with the art of storytelling. I spent the next year diving into narration until I bought a booth and set out on a journey to narrate audiobooks full-time, which I’ve been doing since 2023. As a narrator, I’m obsessed with the books I work on, ranging from emotionally transformative middle grade to prosaic and explorative adult literary fiction, and all the juicy genres in between.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I learned how to be a freelancer at the same time I learned to become an adult. When I was nominated for my first Audie award (affectionately called the Oscars of audiobooks), I was 5 months out from turning 26 and was still short on so many of the lessons that came with age. I had spent the past year struggling to work full-time in recruiting while pursuing audiobooks with no consideration for time constraints. I was working alone from home throughout the year and battling executive dysfunction, finding that the better my personal life became, the more my work slipped through my fingers, and vice-versa. It felt like every inch of progress came with a foot of loss, and I was drowning in what should have been by all accounts a successful career. I haven’t solved those issues, but I’ve been fortunate to evade many of their symptoms as I’ve moved almost exclusively to recording in-studio and leaning on co-working with colleagues to buckle down on home records. By the end of the year, I’m hoping to be settled into my schedule of Tuesday through Friday work, Mondays dedicated to business admin, and weekends actually kept for myself. Having artistic pursuits that aren’t sinking under the weight of making them profitable businesses helps keep me psychologically afloat. I want that more than anything, since I’d like this work to be with me for decades to come.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
There are tons of audiobook narrators out in the world, so many of which are cherished friends and colleagues for me. I’ve heard techniques and approaches that I’ve loved and learned from as I try to make my own style and space in the audio world. What I’ve always loved are movies, and I’ll often find myself standing at the top of a street in the Sunset District of San Francisco looking down to the sea, or just under the trees across the grass at my mother’s house as the twilight strengthens against the warm glow of the kitchen lights. I see a lot of moments and visuals as cinematic, and I’ve always felt like films carry an inertia and energy with them that characterizes the story. That’s been my goal as a narrator, to zero in on the energy and momentum of the book and convey it with my voice. I love finding characters in their cadences, in their deliveries; I love hearing music vibrate in me as a scene escalates beyond the point of no return. I adore growing with my characters and grieving and loving with them, and try to perform in a way that makes the screenplay within the text come alive. I find myself laughing in the lines, breathing along with the thought patterns of my main characters, and pulling from the film reel that’s playing in my mind. I see almost everything in my head as I narrate, and have tried to perform in a way where listeners can hear the world I see.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I’ve been grateful for the people supporting me along the way, particularly those who leaned in and gave their own time. Even though some would consider coaches to be in a different category, I’ve appreciated and felt invested in by the teachers I’ve hired to work with me in audiobooks. I do think it’s powerful and considerate to pay someone for their time and expertise, especially when they’re able to cater recommendations to you and match your excitement for moving forward. In audiobooks, there are also different places where formal mentor pairings are created, and those experiences were great ways for me to learn about the industry. So, to be explicit: In the audiobook world, I found a mentor (Hope Newhouse) through the Audio Publisher’s Association DEI mentorship program, and in the process of taking classes like The Great Audiobook Adventure with Elise Arsenault and Acting for Audio with Joel Froomkin, I found mentors and friends who were great sources of camaraderie and connection. Finding coaches has been fundamental as well, especially when I’m zeroed in on the kind of knowledge I need and can ask for specific help (I loved working with Carol Monda and will frequently recommend Narrator.Life coaches). Find communities and ask your questions, but always be considerate of people’s time and how you can support them in return.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.AndreOnTheMic.com
- Instagram: @andreonthemic
- Twitter: @andreonthemic
Image Credits
Headshot by Eileen Descalar Ringwald Photography
Photo of Joel Froomkin & André Santana owned by Acting for Audio
Photo of Jennifer Aquino & André Santana owned by Jennifer Aquino