Date & place of birth:
September 30 1971; Arlington, Virginia, USA.

Profession:
Sound designer & engineer.

What was your first full-time job?
Assistant sound shop manager, Smithall Electronics, Cincinnati, Ohio.

I studied theatrical sound design at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati where I met the wonderful George C. Smith, my professor of sound.

Why did the sound industry appeal to you then?
I’ve always been fascinated by the combination of artistic and technical disciplines that is required in sound. Virtually everything we do is subjective, so artistic sensibilities are a must in making these choices. On the other side of the coin, you have to make rock solid engineering choices to achieve the artistic choice you’ve made.

What is the one thing you’d change about the business?
I’m having a very difficult time finding and hiring talented people — a problem that I’m sure isn't unique to this industry — but the nature and economics of our business presents some obstacles in developing young talent. I would like to see the industry as a whole recognise the importance of bringing younger people into the business and investing in their training.
We’ve been quite fortunate with the staff that we have running Hairspray in the West End. We have Richard George, Chris Duncan and Charlie Dale on the show, and I have to say they have taken really good care and got us up and running, and sounding very good in short order.

What is the best thing about working in theatre sound?
I love the people. Theatre is a very collaborative industry so you build really great friendships with a lot of people over the years. I also do a lot of travelling for the shows and getting to work in such wonderful cities is a really great part of the job. In the past year, I've been in as far ranging places as Shanghai and Johannesburg working on shows, and I’m having a wonderful time in London.

How does working on Broadway differ to the West End?
In many ways it’s quite similar. We’re using all the same equipment in the West End as on Broadway and the show sounds very similar in both places. One of the main differences has been that I’ve not had to be nearly as involved in the little details as I usually would be on a show in the US.
Mike Walker, Richard Ryan and the rest of the guys from Loh-Hum were in charge of installing the sound system in the theatre, a process I would usually have to supervise on Broadway. Both Loh-Hum and Orbital Sound, our hire shop for sound equipment, really took charge of translating all of the little differences in how things are accomplished over here. Orbital Sound is a really great company full of dedicated, hard-working people, and I’m very pleased to have had this opportunity to work with them.

What do you think is special about the West End theatre community?
There is a real sense of community. There is also a little more of a “we’re doing this because we like it” vibe, which reminds me of why I got into this business. Broadway has a little more of a “we’re doing this to pay the mortgage” vibe.

What do you do in your free time?
My hobbies include in-line skating, jogging and baseball. I live very close to Central Park in New York, so when I’m home I spend most of my time there. I have a dog named Shadow, who is a Vizsla [Hungarian Pointer] and she can easily run 20 miles a day.
Every morning, Shadow drags me out of bed so we can go running. I can usually manage between three and five miles, but Shadow is probably doing double that (I'm much to slow for her so she runs ahead and then runs back to me as if to ask what the hold up is, then repeats the cycle). In the evening, she frequently manages to drag me back out to the park, even if I’ve been in the theatre until late.

Your ‘Desert Island Disc’?
It would HAVE to be a top five. In no particular order: ‘Baba O’Riley’ (The Who), ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ (The Beatles), ‘So What’ (Miles Davis), ‘Lay, Lady, Lay’ (Bob Dylan) and ‘Apologies’ (Grace Potter & The Nocturnals — this is new, so time will tell if it stays on the list).

What would be your advice to a teenage Andrew Keister?
Remember to share your life with a canine. Man’s best friend plays such a positive role in our world.