February Issue

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“BLUE” 18...SET,

HIKE!

ISSUE 3, FEB – MAR 2012 FREE!

FOR MORE INFO OR TO ADVERTISE, SCAN THIS CODE WITH YOUR SMART PHONE.

WHO’S MAKING INDY BLUE?A Legacy of Health & Hoosier HospitalityWITH MEISHA WIDE

BILLY BAD

Aspiring Music ProducersTIPS FOR ASPIRING PRODUCERS

THE REAL CUT ABOVE CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF SERVICE!

PG 2 | FEB – MAR 2012 FEB-MAR 2012 | PG 3

BIOGRAPHY:

Big Dave was born March 12, 1982 in Indianapolis, Indiana to a single mother. He was intro-duced to Hip Hop at the young age of six, deriving his early inspiration from the likes of Dana Dane, Kool Moe D, LL Cool J, N.W.A., Ice Cube, and Snoop Dog, as well asothers. Starting off just playing around when he was seven, Big Dave began to take rapping serious in 1997 and released two albums with his local group, Controversy.

After losing fellow group member and close friend, Lloyd Price Jr. aka B.L.A.D.E.S., in a car accident in December 2001, Big Dave released his first solo album entitled, “I Was Made for This.” In 2003, he entered and won Star Quest and followed this success with three more al-bums: The Take Over (2005), Alive and Well (2007), and Coalition (2008). Currently, Big Dave is working on his seventh album, 3850, and a Hip Hop project, Grown Man Music .

It is one of Big Dave’s goals to not only be a great artist, but also to be a great man and touch as many lives as he can with his music, inspiring others to live for their dreams despite what life might throw at them. Not only does Big Dave want to excel in his craft, but he also wants to excel as a businessman and hopes to bring notoriety to hishome town.

Lee’a RoLee’a Ro, born Leah Rowe, is an Indianapolis native who started singing at the very young age of three years. Inspired by her mother, a gospel singer who often devoted her vocals to those hospitalized, Lee’a always knew singing was what she was meant to do. “Everything! I love everything about singing and always wanted to do it since I was a little girl.”

At the age of 12, a dear friend who has since passed encouraged her to not only express herself vocally, but to try her hand at writing as well. She’s been writing honest, passionate lyrics that are sincere and captivating ever since. “It’s always been an outlet for me. There’s just something in me that I have to let out. It’s my story, and I have to tell it.”

After stepping away from her craft for three years to focus on becoming a moth-er, Lee’a Ro is back, continually growing, writing, performing and capturing life as only she can with sultry and powerful vocals mixed with edgy soulfulness laid over beats that definitely make you get up and dance. Look for her debut album, The Lee’a Ro Show, coming soon!

FEB-MAR 2012 | PG 5PG 4 | FEB – MAR 2012

Just in time for your New Year’s reso-lution “pulse check,” the Indianapolis Super Bowl has many health-focused offerings for you and the family to take advantage of. The super legacy that this event will leave in our grand city will be one of encouragement and empower-ment. Be a part of this once in a lifetime event by experiencing these events with your family:

Legacy Loop 5K & HealthBowlThis 5K race is unlike any other you’ve seen in Indianapolis. The course will showcase the Near Eastside homes, com-munity centers & commercial properties that have been renovated as part of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl legacy. All of the race proceeds will benefit NESCO (Near Eastside Community Organiza-tion). After the race, head over the Tech High School West Gym to the Health-Bowl to see Laila Ali, super middle weight champion and health spokeswom-an. This is a FREE event for the whole family to get health screenings, partici-pate in fitness classes with NFL players and see cooking demonstrations.

When: Saturday, January 28, 2012Time: 5K race starts at 9am, Health-Bowl 9am-12pmWhere: Arsenal Tech High School1500 East Michigan Street (10th & Michigan Street) Indianapolis, IN 46201-3098*Park at and enter through the West Gym. Enter off of Oriental Street.

Register online for the Legacy Loop 5K: $20 pre-registration, $25 onsite registra-tion www.healthbowl2012.com Get a Kick Out of Health: Tony Dorsett Health Spectacular Come meet Tony Dorsett & NFL play-ers and celebrities at The Tony Dorsett Health Spectacular. Free and open to the public, offering $1000 in free health screenings including prostate exams, breast exams, diabetes testing, and more plus a variety of activities for all ages!

When: Wednesday, February 1, 2012Time: 12PM-7PMWhere: Ivy Tech Community College (26th & Illinois Street)50 W. Fall Creek Parkway North Dr.Indianapolis, IN 46208

Presented by: ARP, Best Buy & MHSProduced by: Dorsett Roundtable, T Julian Gipson & IMHC

NFL Experience Are you ready for some football!? Get a hands-on experience of the Super Bowl ac-tion at the NFL Experience, a pro football interactive theme park offering interactive games, displays, and entertainment attrac-tions. The Kids can learn football skills in the Play 60 Youth Football Clinics. Get in line early. First come, first served basis. Come to the free autograph sessions and see the largest football memorabilia show EVER! This 500,000 square-foot space at Indiana Convention Center will give you & the family the ultimate NFL Experience.

When: Friday, January 27-Saturday, February 4, 2012Time: varies throughout the weekWhere: Indiana Convention Center

Get your tickets online at Ticketmaster. Check http://www.indianapolissuperbowl.com/nfl-experience/ for Family Pack Pric-ing & special discount rates!

FEBRUARY – MARCH 2012

CONTENTS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:Send comments about any aspect of GRANDSCALE Magazine to [email protected] . We may or may not be able to respond to your letter. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. Letters published in GRANDSCALE Magazine become the property of GRANDSCALE Magazine.

“BLUE” 18...SET, HIKE!: Who’s Making Indy Blue? pg.10

The Real Cut Above: Celebrating 20 Years pg. 12

Health & Fitness5. A Legacy of Health & Hoosier Hospitality

Indy’s Who’s Who6. Claude Anderson, O.D.

8. Lisa Steele

Political Corner9. Right to Work

Hair/Fashion14. New Look, for a New Year

By Meisha Wide, WideLens Wellness Concepts

Co-Founders: Darrell Johnson, Keith PotterCreative Director/Editor: Christina SparksSr. Graphic Designer: Brian CoyleStaff Writers: Antwon Taylor, Candice Broadus, Erica Scott, Juanita F. Carothers, Meisha WidePhotography: DLH PhotographySales Associate: Jessica Johnson

A Legacy of Health & Hoosier Hospitality

PG 6 | FEB-MAR 2012

“Doctor” is a title that Claude Anderson has worked very hard to earn. He obtained his bachelors degree at St Augustine’s University and his graduate degree at the New England School of Optometry. After years of study an optometrist in the industry mentored Dr. Anderson. Being mentored helped him gain experience and important insight into the field of optometry. Shortly after learning all there was to know about his profession, in 2004 he opened Eyeworks, located at 4150 Lafayette Road, Suite C - Indianapolis, IN. With only one location for his practice and competing with other known Optometry practices, the initial start up was no piece of cake. He began by per-sonally passing out over five thousand business cards, informational flyers and brochures per month, along with advertising in local newspapers, and relying on good old fashion “word of mouth”. Quickly Dr. Anderson’s practice grew to be one of the leading practices within the state of Indiana. His success can also be attributed to the fact that his practice is one of the few in the state that work with most insurance, including Medicaid.

Eyeworks’ customer base has grown over the years. To better serve customers, Dr. Anderson expanded Eyeworks into a full retail eyeglass store. The store offers a wide variety of frames - including the stylish high end names such as Coach, Gucci, and Armani Exchange just to name a few.

Dr. Anderson’s reach is not limited to the optometry world. As a major entrepreneur Dr. Anderson has spilled over into auto sales, business promotions, and the restaurant industry. You may have visited one of his more successful restaurants - Sea Island! Sea Island is one of the most talked about seafood restaurants in the city.

A health fanatic, weightlifter, and a doctor are just minor accomplishments to Dr. Anderson. Entrepreneur and mentor are the titles that give him the most freedom to do what he enjoys, start new ventures and encourage others to do the same. And because he is no stranger to perseverance and hard work, Dr. Anderson shares his keys to suc-cess with the most impressionable of his patients - the youth. As an advocate for youth, he makes sure to encourage youth to push for success everyday in all they do.So if you are in need of glasses or vision services, be sure to give the “Doc” a call!www.eyeworksindy.com(317) 280-0114

INDY’s Who’s WHO??

FEB-MAR 2012 | PG 7

by Candice Broadus

Claude Anderson, O.D.

FEB-MAR 2012 | PG 9PG 8 | FEB – MAR 2012

In today’s society, teachers play a major part in the development of the youth, so a teacher with this kind of compassion and devotion to her students is definitely an asset to our community.

Over the years Lisa has seen and touched the lives of many students. Of course see-ing her students becoming college gradu-ates and professionals is a great symbol of accomplishment, but truly her work is never ending. As more students come through her class, she continues to influ-ence and positively impact their lives. In efforts to not just teach her students “book smarts”, Lisa strives to create an environment with an ending result of students who are able to thrive as produc-tive, caring citizens. She has brought mentoring programs to her school to present her students with information and resources that she may not be able to of-

INDY’s Who’s WHO??

Author Jim Rohn was once quoted as saying, “for every disciplined effort there is a multiple reward”. At Eastwood Middle School, Eighth Grade Teacher Lisa Steele focuses her efforts in teach-ing - not to reap her multiple rewards, but to enjoy the fulfillment of their results. As one of ten finalists for Indiana’s teacher of the year award, Lisa utilizes various teaching philosophies in order to “play a role in building the whole child,” as she stated. Approaching her sixteenth year as a teacher, her desire to give back has allowed her to hone what she’s learned and turn it into a formula to help others succeed. Her success springs from the ap-proach of taking the time to build a rela-tionship with her students, which allows them to feel connected and have a sense of “belonging”. By appealing to her stu-dents emotionally and spiritually, she is able to reach students on a deeper level.

“Right to Work”….I know you’ve heard about it. It’s been all over the news. The Republican Party is pushing to make the state of Indiana a “Right to Work” state. What is this law and what does it mean?

Right to work is a law that would prohibit unions from collecting dues from each employee that benefits from the negoti-ated terms of a contract in the unionized workplace, regardless of whether they join the union or not. There are some people that feel if an employee does not join the union, they should not have to contribute dues. However, let’s keep this in mind – whether they join the union or not, those same employees can still receive representation from the union and still benefit from the contractual terms negotiated by the union. Unions act as the ‘voice’ of the employee and seek to obtain the best benefits and compensation for the workforce.

Currently there are 22 states that passed the right to work law. And it seems that Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has implied that those states have seen significant job growth as a result of the right to work law. There are many commercials running on our local stations also claiming that passing the

right to work law will create more job opportunities. Let us not forget that there are many factors that play a role in job growth. Labor laws are not the sole driv-ing force behind that growth.

As of current day, Indiana is NOT a right to work state. If this becomes law, unionized workplaces may take a major hit. Unions could stand to lose significant amounts of financial support that allows them to operate and administer the con-tracts. Without having the funds to sustain, unions ultimately will be rendered power-less and eventually eliminated altogether.

Of course there will always be someone that can make a strong argument for or against a political issue and the right to work law is one of the issues at hand. So I’m not trying to convince or sway you one way or another. I’m just here to say do your research, contact your legisla-tive officials - ask questions, and find out the facts. In the end, whatever decision is made, one way or another it will affect us all.

- Christina M. Sparks

POLITICAL CORNER

fer to them through her own knowledge. An exceptional woman of many hats – teacher, volunteer, mother, wife, and student – Lisa manages to keep everything well organized. She volunteers for different community events, contributes to a safe and stable environment for her family, and still manages to continue further-ing her education. Although she is dedicated to the many facets of her life, Lisa’s dedication to developing the youth never wanes.

- Candice Broadus

LISA STEELE

PG 10 | FEB – MAR 2012 FEB-MAR 2012 | PG 11

The Vision behind More Fun liqueur (MF) started with three friends who wanted to add More Fun to a party. They knew club-goers just couldn’t get enough of a popular blue mixed drink as they ordered countless glasses at nightclubs. But Ken Thorpe, James Wide and Don Johnson also knew if they added their own special twist to the popular cocktail and pack-aged it differently, they could provide party-goers with a better and More Fun alternative. The idea has turned into a booming business—by putting a pre-mixed, ready-to-serve cocktail in a bottle so people can keep the party going, not just at a club, bar, or restaurant but at home as well. The original party in the bottle hit the club scene on October 1, 2011 with the launch of Blue MF at ICE Ultra Lounge in Indianapolis. The new drink became an instant hit—so much that the nightclub sold-out on its first night of introducing the liqueur.

“In less than three hours of the launch party we sold out of Blue MF. We’ve developed a drink with a taste that people enjoy and now there’s a buzz amongst party-goers, entertainers, and night clubs,” said Thorpe, MF Liqueur CEO. “Having More Fun now means a better drink and a better time at the party and what’s even better is that you don’t have to be in the club to have your favorite drink.”

Blue MF isn’t your ordinary party drink. The bottle contains an extraordinary blend of premium vodka, rum, and exotic fruits. People can drink it straight or add their favorite mixer such as sprite or pineapple juice. At 40 proof (20% alcohol by volume), the liqueur already ranks as a top pick. In fact, the liqueur won a 2011 MicroLiquor Spirit Award in November, earning a medal for its taste—a significant achievement for a brand that had only been on the market for a little more than a month. The drink competed against more than 300 other brands from around the world, many of which have been established for years, with only a few selected for an award.

“The recognition is awesome and means a lot because industry experts are telling

us we got it right,” said Wide, Mid-west Partner. We worked really hard to develop a taste people would enjoy from the club to their couch or from the bar to their basement. We decided to introduce Blue MF in Indianapolis first because this is our hometown and this is Naptown’s drink! Of course we’re going to share

More Fun with the rest of the world, but MF Liqueur was birthed in the Circle City, and we have to show the rest of the world our MF experience.”

Celebrities are giving the thumbs up. The MF Liqueur founders received a special invitation to attend star-studded events during the 2011 American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California. Blue MF instantly won the attention of entertainers at the GBK Gift Lounge at the SLS Hotel where a range of celebs including R&B legend Chaka Khan, Jersey Shore reality show star Mike “The Situation” Sor-rentino, and cast members of the movie Twilight tasted and loved the cocktail.MF Liqueur is distributed by Johnson Brothers and is being carried in many Indiana liquor stores and nightclubs in-

“We worked really hard to develop a taste people would enjoy from the club to their couch or from the bar to their basement.”

cluding all Indianapolis Community Spirits locations and all Fort Wayne Cap –N- Cork stores. This is just the beginning of what’s already become a highly requested party drink that’s creating quite the explosion on the social scene. The next step is to launch nationally in 2012 with additional flavors that include Peach and Apple.

“It’s an exciting time, and Blue MF is the answer to the de-mand for pre-mixed alcohol in a bottle,”

said Johnson, Western Partner. “Since we received our taste award and our presence at the AMA’s, celebrities have been buzz-ing. We have had several celebrities ask us to get Blue MF to their parties, and a few others asking about endorsing the brand. We’re looking forward to a promising 2012.”

For more information, go to www.mfliqueur.com or stay connected by following on Twitter @MFLiqueur, or liking MF Liqueur on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoreFunLiqueur.

“BLUE” 18...SET,

HIKEWHO’S MAKING INDY BLUE?

The brothers behind the “Blue”: Ken Thorpe, Don Johnson, and James Wide.

PG 12 | FEB – MAR 2012 FEB – MAR 2012 | PG 13

20 years ago, no one would have believed that a young artist named Keith Potter, who dreamed of being a Barbershop owner, would quickly achieve and sustain success for many years to come – but that is exactly what happened. Potter didn’t want to work for anyone else, so with a little help, he opened “The Real Cut Above” Barbershop and history quickly began to be written. Men from the surrounding commu-nities began to frequent the neighborhood barbershop – rapidly growing the popularity of The Real Cut Above. It seemed finally there was a place where both “young and old” could get a nice “cut” while bonding, learning from each other, and creating a sense of “family” within the shop.

As of today the shop continues to be a popu-lar place for many to frequent and due to the strong reputation of the shop, Potter makes sure the place remains family oriented. He stated, “I’m always ear-hustlin’,” imply-ing that he pays attention to all discussions within the shop to make sure all topics remain positive and appropriate for his clientele.

With the help of all the barbers in the shop, Potter has managed to build a solid repu-tation for his company far exceeding the expectations of the common barbershop. Clients leave his shop not only feeling good about their haircut but also feeling a sense of “belonging” due to the atmosphere.

Within the last few years, Potter was able to expand his business to include a salon next door. Managed by Cathi Robinson-McClain, the salon is under the same guise – ensuring the atmosphere is family oriented, but with

a focus of catering to women. The shop was opened in support of his daughter, Kierra. With her skills as a hair stylist, what better way to show support than to open a salon – right next door!

As Potter continues on his path of success, he is prayerful for another “20 years and more” of success. With the support of his wife Denise, and daughters Kierra and Kali, Potter strives to continue growing his busi-nesses’ clientele. With no plans to expand beyond the location he currently has, his focus is to just remain humble and become the first place that people think of when they need his services. With “The Real Cut Above” celebrating its 20th anniversary in business this January, he certainly seems to be on the right path!

- Christina M. Sparks

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS!

Indy’s local music scene is heavily satu-rated with Hip Hop. This article is geared towards all the aspiring Hip Hop music producers! We were able to get some tips from National producer, Billy Bad. Billy Bad has produced for national artists such as Keith Sweat, Kut Klose, and more recently Robert of Day 26, and many more.

Tips From Billy Bad:Ever wonder why your 808 kick doesn’t hit as hard in your mix as some of your favorite producers and artists? So did I until I learned a little tip to make it have the punch as well as the low-end bang I was looking for.

One sure way to make it “bump” is to use

a technique called “layering”. Layering or “stacking” is when you play two or more sounds together in the same pattern

to create one fat/thick sound. For ex-ample, if you play a sub bass line as the low end pattern that will cover the “bot-

tom” (the part that moves the club), then add a kick drum playing the same pattern as the sub bass line, you will hear and FEEL the difference as they play together in the track.

It is important to use a kick drum that has little or no sub in it to give the track some “attack” or punch, other-wise the tracks will rumble together and cause your mix to be muddy. Try this and enjoy the difference in your beats. Remember, practice makes perfect!

- Billy Badwww.facebook.com/billybad

Aspiring Music Producers

PG 14 | FEB – MAR 2012 FEB-MAR 2012 | PG 15

With the New Year here, make sure to start it off in Style! That means adding some classic yet trendy pieces into your wardrobe. In 2012 the concentration for the ladies are 70’s looks. That’s right ladies! Bring on the wide legs, wedges, and blouses! The 70’s look crept onto the scene later in 2011 and it will con-tinue on full steam ahead throughout the new year! The 70’s were all about earth tones, accentuating curves, and luxurious fabrics such as tweed, suede and leather. Here are some fashionable options for you to stay ON TREND!

For the men, a trend lately has been the varsity jacket and military inspired looks. Every man looks good in a uniform! No need to go full on uniform but epaulets and varsity are key themes to embrace. Here are a couple options. Take inspi-ration from both! As always for men

By Fly Won, Fly’s Nest BeautyqueNew Look,

For a New Year!

and women, you can find these trends at your local thrift stores. Saving money is ALWAYS in fashion. And as trends change you don’t have to spend tons to stay current.

Arden B Chiffon Blouse $34.99 Dr Jays $25

The Brooklyn Circus $490

1969 lightweight wide leg trouser jeans Gap $69

Steve Madden Whisstle Pump Nordstrom $99

PG 16 | FEB – MAR 2012