Meet Andy Toy: Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andy Toy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andy, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
This may seem like an oversimplification, but being a good communicator and putting people at ease goes such a long way! There is no substitution for effective, concise communication. If you can send a text or an email telling someone exactly what you need and expect, it can save so much time and stress for everyone. Likewise, the ability to make people feel comfortable, relaxed and good about themselves around you in a genuine way is an essential skill. After all, there’s hundreds of people (and probably robots!) that can do what I do, but emotion and personality make us human. If you always have a kind word and can put anyone at ease, you’ll stand out in any line of work.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Hello! My name is Andy, I’m a musician, engineer and producer in Los Angeles, CA. I’ve played keyboards and guitar on tour and in the studio for artists such as Miguel, Sabrina Carpenter, Kiiara, Jeremy Riddle and Tim Hughes, and have worked as a producer & engineer in commercial recording studios since 2008. As an engineer I’ve worked in the studio for artists such as NKOTB & Jeff Schroeder of Smashing Pumpkins, as well as for public figures such as Bill Nye (the science guy) and work as a second engineer for Bryan Cook (U2, OneRepublic). I also program shows for live performance for artists like Jordan Sparks, NKOTB, Naughty by Nature, Debbie Gibson, Salt N Peppa, & Tiffany.

Diversification has helped me stay busy and build a career in a very difficult industry. When I first moved to LA I wanted to be a session musician, but quickly became fascinated with the engineering side of the business. I love pushing the boundaries of technology in music and have embraced the versatility and efficiency of computers in my workflow. For me, my natural curiosity has led to asking questions, doing research, showing up early, staying late and trying to improve my knowledge and understanding of whatever job I’m doing happens to be at the moment.

If there’s one thing that I’m most proud of in my work, it’s that I treat every job the same intensity and professionalism and I treat everyone as I’d like to be treated. I truly believe that the music industry is hard enough as is, and if everyone was a little kinder, it’d make a big difference.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of my favorite things about LA is that the beach, mountains, and city are all within 20 minutes of each other! We have to hit the beach (my favorite is Manhattan beach), maybe hike Griffith park, get happy hour at Perch’s rooftop bar, eat dinner at Hippo in Highland Park, and then drink some natural wine at Good Clean Fun in DTLA. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to Bobby and Jen Hartry, my mentors, business partners, and incredible friends who inspire me daily! They were some of the first music professionals I met when I moved to California from Texas and helped me grow as a person and a musician.

Website: andytoymusic.com

Instagram: @andytoymusic

Image Credits
Doug Zamensky, Marcello Ambritz