Andrew McKnight

Since permanently leaving his corporate environmental engineering career in 1996, award-winning folk/Americana artist Andrew McKnight's musical journey has traced nearly a million miles of blue highways, and earned him a wealth of critical acclaim and enthusiastic fans for his captivating performances and nine recordings. His latest album and book project, Treasures in My Chest was inspired by amazing discoveries and experiences exploring his family history.

Andrew's finely-crafted songs and nimble flatpicking seamlessly weave together humorous stories and poetic drama, while the musical soundscape traverses influences from Appalachia, spooky slide and jazzy blues, feisty anthems, and rustic folk. His shows are as likely to include humorous songs written with kindergarteners as some of his powerful collaborations with combat veterans coping with PTSD.

Andrew did his first video webcast while stuck at home during the February 2010 "Snowpocalypse" that brought more two feet of snow to the mid-Atlantic region. Using his Macbook to reach a captive audience whose generous donations during the show covered the mortgage payment as he did a full concert from his dining room. Since then Andrew has done several weeknight video webcasts each year including his annual Winter Holiday special, in large part to reach West Coast and European audiences more frequently. During the 2020 pandemic, audiences worldwide arrived en masse where Andrew's environmental instincts long hoped they could grow comfortable - at home enjoying an interactive live broadcast experience using a fraction of the fossil fuel energy that he'd use driving several thousand miles each tour.

In 2020 Andrew has done many of his own concerts from home on YouTube and Facebook, produced a series of "livestreaminars" on researching family stories, and done Special Music Services live via Zoom for a dozen different Unitarian churches across the country.

Technical Expertise

Equipment - Andrew typically uses Neumann and Shure condenser mics through a Focusrite Saffire 2i2 preamp and onboard FaceTime camera to broadcast through his 2020 Macbook Pro (16 GB RAM, 10th generation i5 2GHz processor).

Connectivity - using Ethernet cable direct to modem, Andrew can broadcast at an average 4Mbps with a usual available upload range of 4-6 Mbps.

Platforms & Experience - since that initial "Snowpocalypse" show in Feburary 2010, Andrew has used a variety of platforms including YouTube Live, Facebook Live and Zoom. He routinely uses OBS Studio for broadcasting solo shows from home, and often utilizes green screens, images and webcards, and even video clips to add depth and context to the broadcast viewers experience.

Andrew also helped produce the 2020 Mountville Folk Festival in virtual format using Streamyard, mixing eight live performances from across the US with short videos, guest hosts, and an online campfire circle.

Additional Support. If needed, Andrew has in-house support for additional Live Chat engagement. In addition to his home broadcasting studio and equipment, he has access to the Franklin Park Performing Arts Center in Purcellville and Cabin Studios, a full-featured recording facility on nearby Mt. Gilead.

Additional and Miscellaneous

Fan Donations (Venmo/PayPal/Credit Card): https://andrewmcknight.net/donate

Letter agreement and W9 available as needed upon request.