'THIS MIGHT NOT WORK'

“I made a piece of art which emboldens me to go up to

people I would really not go up to otherwise…

All of a sudden, I have this piece that is the bridge, and I use it.

I feel much more confident when I have artwork

than if I were empty-handed”

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As we approach New Year’s Eve, one cannot help but reflect on the year that is coming to a close.  Although there have been many negative descriptors for 2016, and the year that was, I wanted to focus on one of the positive experiences that emerged from my personal goal-setting last December.

As an avid listener of podcasts, I’ve been impressed with the medium.  Often I found myself deeply immersed in a topic that was only presented through audio.  The long format interview allowed for a deeper conversation, and more meaningful connections with the subjects. I wanted to be a part of it.  It was important for me to explore the possibilities of storytelling and connecting with this new outlet.

A few of my favorite Hip-Hop podcasts are The Combat Jack Show, American Riddle, and The Library with Tim Einenkel.  Malcolm Riddle’s American Riddle podcast was my entry into the podcast world; when he invited me on his show to share my Hip-Hop adventures.  Not only did that experience help me bring my art to a new audience, but I now consider Malcolm a good friend. We routinely converse about the state of Hip-Hop, the top five MCs of all-time, and which live show we should attend next.

My first podcast interview – American Riddle episode #77

I was hoping to generate more stories, and eventually share them through the podcast format. It seems to be a great way to archive the experiences, and my hope is that it will complement this blog.

Through Twitter, I set my 2016 goal of being a guest on The Library or Combat Jack. It felt quite narcissistic to invite myself, but I had been empowered by a few Seth Godin books about making art and self-promotion (aside:  My blog is titled “This Might Not Work”, which is inspired by Seth Godin’s approach to creative risk-taking”  It’s a p.c. version of Curtis Armstrong’s advice to a young Tom Cruise in Risky Business :

“Sometimes you gotta say ‘What the F#$k’ – make your move”

Much to my pleasant surprise, Tim Einenkel was open to having me on his show.  Tim has interviewed many of the icons of Hip-Hop: Chuck D, Ice T, Big Daddy Kane, Grandmaster Caz, etc.  Although I jumped at the chance, somehow ‘Andy Katz’ didn’t seem to go with the amazing list of his past guests. That being said, I enthusiastically took part in an interview with Tim.  The following, is the result of that collaboration.  I’m grateful that Tim and Malcolm have offered me a platform for sharing my ideas, opinions, and my art.  It’s special when you have that level of support.  I look forward to exploring additional avenues for sharing my art and my stories. I hope you give these episodes a listen.  Thanks, Tim! Thanks, Malcolm! – AK

Part 1:  “The Library: Artist Andy Katz Interview”

Part 2: “The Library: Artist Andy Katz Interview”