M. ANDREW (ANDY) BENZ
Andrew
Benz has worked with Sound Ideas on specific projects for most of the last
decade, and became part of the organization in 2004.
Andy has been involved professionally in audio since 1972, and in the fields
of video and lighting since 1977. He has worked extensively in a
wide range of associated AV disciplines, including portable and installation
sound reinforcement, radio production, television production, live mobile
television, show and theater lighting and effects, video projection, video
production, and related data management for the above.
Mr.
Benz has worked nationally as a senior audio engineer in mobile television
production since 1982, and is one of the more recognized and requested live
telecast audio mixing engineers in Texas and the surrounding states. He
has worked in various capacities on projects for every major network, including
CBS, NBC, ABC, ESPN, Fox, and PBS. Andy has been Senior Audio Engineer
for many hundreds of nationally televised sporting events, including multiple
seasons in professional basketball, baseball, football, soccer, golf, volleyball,
rodeo, and hockey. Television projects with which Mr. Benz has been involved
have included the Republican National Convention, ABC Monday Night Football,
PBS The Firing Line, ESPN coverage for World Cup Soccer, and numerous
events in the Morton-Meyerson Symphony Hall with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Andy
received a regional Emmy award for Technical Excellence and has been nominated
for 3 additional regional Emmys.
Mr. Benz
has applied much of his technical career within avenues of various religious
ministries. He has served as Technical Services Director for the First
Baptist Church of Lafayette, Louisiana, and at Prestonwood Baptist Church in
Dallas, Texas. Andy has been involved in the design and installation
of many hundreds of church systems, beginning with his tenure as General Manager
of Hardin Electronics, 1973-1977, and during ensuing years with Crescendo Sound
Systems, Audio-Video Designs, and others. Andy is regionally recognized
for his work in Worship sound reinforcement, lighting design, video and data
projection, and audio and video recording technology. And from 1987-1992
Mr. Benz recorded and edited the nationally distributed religious radio program Hope
for the Heart with June Hunt, for which he designed and installed complete
digital recording and editing facilities.
Mr. Benz
was born in Abilene, Texas, and studied chemistry and music at the University
of North Texas. He and his wife Dona have 2 adult children, 2 granddaughters
(ask about them!), and both serve actively in Mimosa Lane Baptist Church of
Mesquite.