User:Andrew Barnum/sandbox

Andrew Townley Barnum is an Australian Designer, Educator and Singer-songwriter (Dual citizen AUS-USA). Born Greenwich Connecticut USA (1953), he arrived with his family in Melbourne Australia in 1960 (Aged 7). He then moved with family to Sydney where he grew up, completing his HSC in 1971. Attended RMIT (Melbourne) and completed an Associate Diploma in Arts: Graphic Art (1973-75). Began professional career in 1976 as a Junior Art Director (McCann-Erickson). He holds a Master of Arts (Research) UTS 2011 on 'Re-defining Creativity to sustain practice within the Creative Industry context,' and is currently a PhD candidate UTS focusing his study on 'Amplifying the voice of Australian Song and Songwriters to sustain local identity, artifact, and change in the age of digital music.' (Commenced 2014)

He wrote and performed songs with ragtime trio Metropolis (Udowenko, Wong-Hee, Barnum), and wrote national jingle 'Big kids little kids Lemonade lovers' for Leed Lemonade. Left Sydney arriving Los Angeles on 16 August 1977 (Day Elvis died). Worked as freelance graphic designer/ art director, joining Movie Design and advertising Agency Print, Film & Tape in Burbank, where Andrew & Director Barry Shareshevsky won a a Key Art Award from the Hollywood Reporter for a poster image for a film festival run by the NSW Film Office in New York City. During this time Andrew began his singer-songwriter career performing as an Acoustic, solo singer-songwriter performing at open mic nights in LA clubs. His first LA band The Adults (1978) was formed with South African author Rian Malan playing bass, then another songwriting duo called Odd Sox.

Then followed The Decades (1979) with New Zealander Alastair Riddell (Space Waltz) performing in LA New wave/post-punk scene playing gigs like Madame Wongs, Troubadour, and Whiskey A-go-go. Then met future soul mate Lissa Mendelsohn and formed pop/funk/performance group Live Nude Girl (1981) performing and recording in LA in similar gigs and venues. Simultaneously to founding their music partnership, Andrew & Lissa, also began their freelance Design bureau Droid-E Designfocusing on the design of Corporate Identity, Album art, Illustration and Imagery, and Art direction of photography for a small group of clients.

Andrew & Lissa were married in 1981 in LA. During this time a demo tape of 4 songs by Live Nude Girl (written by Andrew, sung by Lissa with keyboardist Solo Goodspeed) made its way to Sydney via Mentor Tony Wong-Hee and found the ears of Sydney producer Mark Moffat. Andrew & Lissa travelled to Sydney as wedding present from family (Xmas 1981), met music producers and Designers. A&L then re-located to Sydney, arriving Easter 1982 as freelance graphic designers, and forming electro-pop duo Vitabeats.

Vitabeats was initially signed to Warner Bros. Music (John Bromell - Neva Jakich 1982) and Festival Records. First single Produced by Mark Moffat, Sam McNally and Tim Kramer was released in 1983 with video by Paul Nichola. What followed was a signing with manager Brian Peacock which led to Vitabeats exiting Festival. Now as independents, A&L began work on new songs with producer John Bee at Studios 301 in Sydney. These songs became the Vitabeats 12" EP 'Cake Mix released in 1984 and released by Hot Records. The EP contained the national Australian hit Boom Box and follow-up Audrey Hepburn with videos produced by Lissa Barnum as director of concept and art direction, then directed and shot by Paul Nichola.