ISSUE 2, DEC – JAN 2012

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MAKING IT WORK
ANTWON TAYLOR

GOT PRODUCT? IT’S THE MOST

WONDERFUL TIME

5
TIPS FOR ASPIRING ARTISTS
OF THE YEAR
TIPS FOR FOR MORE INFO OR TO
ADVERTISE, SCAN

HEALTHY HAPPY THIS CODE WITH YOUR

SMART PHONE.

HOLIDAYS!
WITH MEISHA WIDE

THE REAL CUT ABOVE CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF SERVICE!

PG 2 | DEC – JAN 2012
DEC – JAN 2012 | PG 3
 DECEMBER – JANUARY 2012
CONTENTS
Health & Fitness
5. 5 Tips for Healthy Happy
Holidays

Indy’s Who’s Who

6. Nancy Ford-Winters

8. Iren Golder

Political Corner
9. The Smart Vote

Hair/Fashion
The Blended Family: Making It Work pg.10 14. Classic Style

Co-Founders: Darrell Johnson, Keith

Potter
Creative Director/Editor: Christina
Sparks
Sr. Graphic Designer: Brian Coyle
Staff Writers: Antwon Taylor,
Candice Broadus, Erica Scott,
Juanita F. Carothers, Meisha Wide
Photography: DLH Photography
Sales Associate: Jessica Johnson

It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year pg. 12

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Send comments about any aspect of GRANDSCALE Magazine to info@grandscalemagazine.com . 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.

PG 4 | DEC – JAN 2012

5 TIPS
HEALTHY
FOR
H APPY
OLIDAYS!
You may still be on a Black Friday buzz
with many retailers trying to stimulate
the economy with deals & steals that they
think you can’t live without, but don’t
forget about giving yourself the gift of
health while you’re filling your sleigh to
bring joy to others.
This holiday season let’s take a moment
(or two, or three) to focus on what it is
that you can do to improve your health
or maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you’re
anything like me, it’s sometimes a chal-
lenge to be a little self-centered so I’ve
given you 5 simple tips that you can in-
corporate into your life to help you focus
on YOU this holiday season and into the
New Year.
1.
Create S.M.A.R.T. Goals: Set
a weight goal for the holidays that is not
going to add more stress to your life.
Start small and be sure that you’re creat-
ing a S.M.A.R.T. goal: Specific, Measur-
able, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound.
This system of goal setting should also
be used if you’re planning to make life
changes in 2012.
2.
Check yourself: Recent studies
show that overeating during anytime of
the year is controlled more by our emo-
tions than what is in our environment. In
Obesity journal Heather Niemeier, PhD,
reports “We eat in response to feelings
-- and for many people, the holidays can
drum up a whole treasure chest of feel-
ings, both good and bad.” These feelings
are natural. Recognize them and reflect
on the memories but don’t rely on the
food to bring back or cover up those
feelings.
3.
Eat MORE fresh food:
Don’t settle for the 12 inches that your
favorite sandwich franchise has to of-
fer for $5, find some of the best fresh
produce grown right here in Indiana. If
you shop for fruits and veggies that are in
season you can find yourself saving some
money too. Win - win or should I say
“WINNING!”
Visit one of these winter markets: Down-
town-Indy Winter Farmer’s Market (Sat-
urdays, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., City Market,
222 E. Market St.), Northwest- Winter
Organic Green Market at Traders Point
Creamery (Saturdays, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.,
9101 Moore Rd., Zionsville), Northeast-
Binford Indoor Holiday market (Satur-
day, December 3rd & 10th, 9 a.m.-noon,
Hawthorn Plaza Shopping Center, 62nd
4.
and Binford Blvd)
Get physical: As much as you may
hear that there are other solutions for
weight loss, you cannot achieve the best
results without including exercise in your
lifestyle. Several local fitness centers will
offer trial membership passes, especially
if you are a “displaced” member from an-
other fitness center. Take advantage of the
free introduction or orientation to speak
with a fitness professional before you start
any regimen. If you over do it, you’ll have
more of a negative effect than you would
if you take it slow.
5.
Each one, teach one: In the spirit
of giving, share the wealth of knowledge
about these tips with at least one person:
your workout partner, a co-worker, or a
loved one. If your goal is to maintain,
share your story about how you achieved
your goals. You never know whom you
may inspire. Catching a good attitude this
season will go a long way.
For more about these tips or advice on
health & wellness, reach me on the web by
email widelens.wellness@gmail.com or @
MyWideLens on Twitter.
Meisha Wide
Community
Wellness Consultant
DEC – JAN 2012 | PG 5
PG 6 | DEC – JAN 2012
INDY’s Who’s WHO??
Nancy Ford-Winters
Nancy Ford-Winters was not your average government employee. As her career in the
Social Security field blossomed, she received a vision to further help disabled individ-
uals overcome the barriers placed in front of them. Years later Nancy stepped outside
of her government job and began her own company called Branches For-Disabilities,
Incorporated. This company quickly proved to satisfy a need within the local com-
munity. Branches For-Disabilities, Inc. provides individuals that are on social secu-
rity with guidance and information on various social security programs, including the
“Plan to Achieve Self-Support” (P.A.S.S.). This program, in particular, gives partici-
pants money with a goal of achieving self-support through career training, continued
education to acquire a degree, assistance starting a business, or any other facets that
would help the participant achieve financial self-support.

Nancy guides individuals through the application and appeals processes to help them
get the approval for the program. And while she has helped others accomplish these
tasks regardless of their disabilities, many are shocked to learn that Nancy has her own
disability - blindness. Nancy lost her vision over the years but her disability has not
slowed down her drive to assist others. Utilizing “text to speech” technologies and a
personal assistant, she has helped at least twenty individuals to establish successful
businesses, and countless others acquire the training they need to achieve self-support
through the P.A.S.S. program.

Despite her own disability Nancy has refused to be held back. She herself is a mother,
grandmother, and successful businesswoman. Recently, The National Council for Ne-
gro Woman recognized Nancy by giving her the award of “Accomplished Woman” for
her efforts and successes. Being successful is what drives Nancy to not only continue
her work, but to also expand. The project she is currently undergoing is one that will
utilize information and technology as a means of self-education for others in order to
make social security programs less confusing. Dedicated to this line of work for eigh-
teen years, Nancy’s joy stems from others’ success stating, “There is nothing more
fulfilling than to watch others complete their path.”

by Candice Broadus

DEC – JAN 2012 | PG 7

INDY’s Who’s WHO??
IREN GOLDER
Gold shines best under the spotlight, and contracts, artist development, marketing,
thus we shine the spotlight on Mr. Iren and networking. But he still is not satis-
Golder. Iren, an Indiana native, had an fied with his current success. Currently,
early start in music. Raised in church, Iren is the driving force behind a move-
under his parents’ ministry, his love for ment headed straight for “Naptown”.
music started at a young age. Singing His plan is to come home, build a strong
and drumming for the lord turned that team, monopolize the industry with talent
love into a passion. from Indy, and take over. When asked
what his strategy will be to complete his
As a modern day Renaissance man and plan, he responded,” I’m coming, and
single father, with no formal educa- with God’s divine order and timing, we
tion in the music field, Iren has gained gonna do it!”
national recognition within the music
industry. Currently residing in the ”New -Candice Broadus
Hollywood” better known as Atlanta, he
uses his income and knowledge of the
industry to manage numerous artists in
efforts to help them reach success on a
“grand scale”. Managing local R&B art-
ist D.Golder, assisting his father with his
ministry, and setting an example for his
twelve year old son is only the beginning
brick in his ten year plan to build a musi-
cal empire.

Iren has a vision of something greater -

something more for himself and the local
artists in Indianapolis. Throughout his
early experiences, Iren felt there was a
city wide “crabs in the barrell” mentality.
It seemed as though no one was willing
to help anyone but themselves. But his
love for music motivated him to push be-
yond the local scene, beyond the borders
of Indiana, and on to a national scale.

Despite his early experiences in the local

scene, Iren is now looking to pull others
up. His experiences over the years have
provided multiple lessons in negotiating

PG 8 | DEC – JAN 2012

 POLITICAL CORNER
November 8th, the day of great political
participation. This is the day where we,
as citizens of this nation, are supposed to
be energized, eager, and inspired to cast
our votes for our next political leadership.
However, local elections hardly receive
the same type of enthusiasm as does the
national elections. Why is this? Does
this mean that we care less? Perhaps, we
are undereducated in the ways that our
local leadership impacts our lives? Or…
could it be possible, that our lack of vote
actually represents our political stance?
Some so frequently cast an ignorant or a
forced vote because they feel pressured
to do so. They vote even if they have
limited knowledge on who the candi-
dates are. They vote even if they do not
really approve of any one candidate or
the other. I am here to say IT’S OK NOT
TO VOTE! “No vote” is better than an
ignorant or undesired vote. To be a true
active participant in the political system
is to be honest.
As everyone is aware, many of our
country’s young adults are engaged in
one of the greatest acts of civilian politi-
cal participation - protesting. Occupy
Wall Street (OWS) is a protest that began
in New York and has spread to over
1500 cities globally, with the purpose
of fighting back against the large banks
and corporations with power against the
people; and, Wall Street’s role in creating
one of the biggest economic downfalls
this country has seen. It aims to fight
against the rich who seem to set all the
rules for everyone else corrupting the
democratic process. So if people don’t
educate themselves as to what is going on
within the political arena – both locally
and nationwide, an uneducated vote could
further a situation that may already be
working against them.
This is not to suggest that we throw in
the towel on voting, but this is to say that
political participation comes in many
forms. Be mindful of your options. Be
mindful of what is taking place in our na-
tion and on a local level. Educate yourself
and know what is right for you and your
neighbor. November 8th may represent
a day of great national political participa-
tion, but so does every other day that you
spend living and working freely in this
country.
Juanita F. Carothers
Photo Credit: Globalization Perspective and
Occupy Wall Street Movement Growth
DEC – JAN 2012 | PG 9
 THE
BLENDED
FAMILY

PG 10 | DEC – JAN 2012

 MAKING IT WORK
According to The Merriam-Webster
dictionary, a blended family is defined as
a family that includes children of a previ-
ous marriage of one spouse or both. The
year 2010 accounted for thirty-eight per-
cent of blended family marriages in the
United States, and that number increased
exponentially in 2011. “Blended families
“or “Step families” have been an ever
growing trend in this country. Of course,
there are the associated stereotypes with
this trend such as “the wicked stepparent”
or “evil sibling,” but the more com-
mon these types of
families become, the
more those stereo-
types begin to fade. “The high expectations for
The blended fam-
ily scenario has a uniting families typically
history of complica-
tions due to a lack
of the two families’
add stress, as it is crucial
that the union is successful.”
ability to mesh - but
quitting is not an
option! The “golden
rule”, do unto others
as you would have
them do unto you, is one of the main
concepts that should be applied heavily
in these delicate situations. Teaching the
children how to correctly apply this will
help them to “blend” gracefully into one
family. Stressing the importance of all
parties respectfully speaking and listen-
ing to each other will help establish a
line of open communication. Essentially finger of blame. While it is instinctive
when it is easier for everyone to under- to protect your own children, all family
stand each other, it is easier to create an members and their opinions need to be
atmosphere absent of tension. All family considered equally. This helps to avoid
members in the blended family can then the common problem of unbalanced dis-
be on the same page, remain involved, cipline. Finally, DONT allow the children
and can help in situations where deci- to cause confusion in the relationship.
sions are made as a family - helping Confusion between the parents will cause
everyone to feel respected. the creation of sides, putting the parents
against one another.
The high expectations for uniting fami-
lies typically add stress, as it is crucial Always remember that communication
that the union is successful. With that between all members of a blended family
is essential. Al-
lowing everyone
to express their
opinions and
thoughts, at the
right time, will
establish a sense
of unity and the
guidelines for
respect. Quality
time as a family
and between the
spouses shows
the children that
there is a mutual love and respect for
in mind these simple, but rarely applied everybody. All family units have differ-
“DONTs” need to be considered. It is ent personalities that can clash; however
important for the children, regardless of sharing the love and putting God first
age, to see a united front. DON’T address helps to place them all on common
spousal disagreements in front of the ground.
children. Following this rule will help
the children feel a sense of unity within -R. Shelton
their new family. Next, DON’T point the -Candice Broadus
DEC – JAN 2012 | PG 11
 IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL
TIME OF THE YEAR
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
The holidays have made it around once
again. Once all your shopping is done,
the mistletoe hung, and the presents are
wrapped, you don’t have to sit around wait-
ing for Santa to come sliding down your
chimney. Get out and enjoy what Indy’s
holiday season has to offer.
Be sure that everyone dresses in layers and
takes their mittens with them to Pan Ameri-
can Plaza for a spin around the ice skating
rink. Located near the heart of Downtown,
the Pan American Plaza is full of fun activi-
ties for the novice to the expert skaters.
Want the holiday experience without the
frost bite? The Indianapolis Children’s Mu-
seum offers warm fun for the entire family
at their annual “Jolly Days Winter Won-
derland” where ice skating requires only a
clean pair of socks!
At the Indianapolis Zoo not all the animals
are hibernating. The dolphins are wide
awake and in the holiday spirit as they put
on their show. Although you can bring your
own camera to capture memories of the in-
door exhibits, the zoo offers photo ops with
Mr.Claus himself in Santa’s Village.
Put a great ending to a great evening and
head down to the Canal, White River State
Park, and Monument Circle to be marveled
by beautiful light displays. From our family
to yours we wish you a Merry Christmas...
PG 12 | DEC – JAN 2012
And a happy new year! Making it through
another year was the task, and with the
completion of that quickly approaching, its
now time to plan your celebration. Don’t
have any ideas on how you want to ring in
your new year. We’ve got a few!
This year there seems to be a party for
everyone. Dave and Busters, in its popular
Castleton location, is offering a package deal
of games, food, and beverages, with no need
for a designated driver, as a shuttle to your
hotel room is also included in the package!
The “grown and sexy” party this year will be
held at the Chase Bank Tower with a Ciroc
sponsorship. This party pledges the “best
of the best” for the most memorable New
Year’s party ever!
The “fairytale evening” this year is located
at the Hyatt. The available packages include
a romantic four course meal at the pres-
tigious Eagles Nest restaurant, a “fantasy
casino” players lounge, accommodations,
live music, and a massive balloon drop at the
stroke of midnight.
Whether you welcome 2012 at a public cel-
ebration, private celebration, or at your local
place of worship, we at GrandScale wish
you a happy and safe new year!
by Candice Broadus
 GOT PRODUCT?
First off I would like to thank everyone
for the overwhelming response to the
Inaugural issue of Grandscale Magazine.
This section of the magazine will be used
to reach out to the Independent Artists,
and Producers trying to break through the
barriers and red tape to get their foot in
the door. I hope that this information can
be used by all as a baseline to evaluate
their current situation, and as a means for
improvement of their product. With that
said, this month we will fo-
cus on just that PRODUCT.
“...THE PROBLEM THAT I SEE WITH A
Do you think you can rap?
Do you think you can sing?
LOT OF “PRODUCT” THESE DAYS IS
Do you have the hottest MUCH OF IT SOUNDS THE SAME.”
tracks in town? Chances
are that you have answered YES to one of
these questions. The problem with that
is EVERYONE thinks they can rap, sing,
dance, and make the best fried chicken.
As of this rapping, current market value
on aspiring rappers is about a dime a
dozen. So to each of these artists I ask
the question, “What separates YOUR
music from everyone else?” In this over-
saturated market of sub-par talent, the
supply is much greater than the demand.
The bottom line is - no artist, business, or
corporation can survive without a solid
“Product.”
From a producer’s standpoint, the prob-
lem that I see with a lot of “product”
these days is much of it sounds the same.
Instead of being cutting edge and ground-
breaking, artists are finding it easier to
mimic the sound of commercial artists.
To those artists I tell you that you must
be able to fill a void. By that I mean that
you must do your homework and evalu-
ate the current industry. Identify what the
game is missing and channel your energy
in that direction. There is already a Lil
Wayne, Nikki Minaj, Drake, and Gucci
Mane. Another major problem that I see
with artists’ product is the time invested.
Bottom line, If you have only recorded
2 songs in your entire career - chances
are you are not ready to put out a CD. If
you are planning to release a 15 track CD
and you only have 15 tracks and a skit
recorded - chances are your PRODUCT
is not ready. I advise artists to record
at least 50 songs and from there choose
only the best. PRACTICE MAKES
PERFECT! It takes years for an artist to
develop their craft - their SOUND. As
an engineer, I think of the artist vocal
track as another instrument and it takes
practice for the artist to be able to utilize
their voice in such a manner to bring a
different vibe and tone to each track. I
like to say that by the time you have
recorded 70 or 80 songs, then you should
be comfortable enough to make a Record.
By RECORD I mean PHYSICALLY
RECORD ON A MICROPHONE INTO
A MULTITRACK ENVIRONMENT.
You can rap in circles and ciphers, in
bathrooms and bars as long as you want,
but until you actually start RECORDING
you will never truly know how GOOD or
BAD you sound.
One of the final things I will leave you
with is QUALITY. Over the years I have
recorded thousands of songs for many
artists, and the relationships I have built
were because I never sold beats, I never
sold music, I SOLD QUALITY. Having
a SUPERIOR PRODUCT comes down
to the QUALITY of the product. Con-
sumers want to feel like they are getting
a PRODUCT worth their hard earned
$$$. To the artists I say “NEVER CUT
CORNERS”. There is a PROCESS to
making good music. This
process involves having a
good PRODUCT to start
with, the RECORDING
process, the MIXING pro-
cess, and the MASTERING
process. One of the easiest
ways to separate your music from the
rest is to always follow these processes.
Never take shortcuts and approach each
process individually so that all attention
and focus can be given to the PRODUCT.
With the advent of digital technology,
artist’s no longer need 6 figure record-
ing budgets to make quality recordings.
However, spending the extra time and
money to make sure that your project is
mixed and mastered by a qualified engi-
neer will only enhance the overall quality
of the PRODUCT. In conclusion, there
is no template or formula to becoming a
successful artist in the music business.
However focusing on having a qual-
ity PRODUCT can only improve your
chances of being a successful entertainer.
Twon Taylor
If you would like to have your music
reviewed please submit your recording in
MP3 format to TwonTaylor@grandscale-
magazine.com
DEC – JAN 2012 | PG 13
 With an objective to “help educate the
market on hair, fashion and music,” Clas-
sic Style, established in 2006 by Keith
Potter of “The Real Cut Above Barber
Shop” and Tazae Hughes of “Blades
Entertainment”, has achieved all that, and
more.
This year’s installation of this annual
event took place on October 23 at Cloud
9 Bar and Grill. Complete with energetic
and appealing hosts, a variety of salons,
barbers, stylists and models, Classic Style
provided its attendees with a look into a
world many of us are not regularly privy
to. From start to finish, the show pre-
sented enough entertainment to keep you
tuned in. VIP guests were also treated
with gift bags, containing various edibles
and products from a wide range of spon-
sors. Providing guests with stellar perfor-
mances from acclaimed artists including
Lee’A Ro, Big Dave, Young Tone, and
A’nem, spoken word, Christian-themed
PG 14 | DEC – JAN 2012
works and various vendors, Classic Style
attended to your hearts desires. The
show also allowed for designers such
as Kevin West and “thrifters” including
Fly’s Nest to display their pieces.
Contrary to the belief that the ending of a
show is to be lackluster, the final pre-
sentations proved to be the best! Ebony
“E-Styles” Stroder’s performance spot-
lighting Breast Cancer Awareness and the
acrobatics presented by “B Extravagant”
salon brought the crowd to its feet! Being
an attendee of previous Classic Styles’,
this year proved to be “different”, in its
efforts to reach the audience, through dif-
ferent forms of entertainment. The show,
again, succeeded in showcasing a wide
variety of artists, with different styles, ex-
pressing themselves, without constraints.
Much applause to Keith Potter and Tazae
Hughes for continually bringing an event,
containing a wide variety of outlooks on
life...to life.
~Nicky Mac
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 as
others. 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 Ro
Lee’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!

DEC – JAN 2012 | PG 15

 S A V E T H E D A T E

SUNDAY JANUARY 15, 2012

www.bethbydesign.com
5pm - 9pm Location TBA

JANUARY 15, 2012

The Real Cut Above Barbershop
will be Celebrating it’s 20 year Anniversary!
This will be a Black Tie Affair by invitation & with RSVP only.
So if you’ve been down with The Real,
come Celebrate a milestone in our community.
PGContact
16 | DEC –Don Potter
JAN 2012 P ski or NaShay Ransom via Facebook for more information
facebook.com/don.p.ski facebook.com/the-real-cut-above-barbershop