I am sick of radio! But not lovesick… where did the name come from?

The name came from our drummer. He was going through a break up at the time and was complaining that all the songs he was hearing were sad songs. He said it was like the radio was lovesick. We all kind of looked at each other and said, “Write that down.”

Where did you guys all meet?

The Josh, Josh and Justin went to high school together. One night, depending who you ask, Josh Masters literally ran into David at a bar and spilled his drink on him. They got to talking about music and the next week we decided to try playing some music. The songs we came up with sucked. But they were good enough to realize we were on to something.

There are two of you… is one Josh #1 and the other Josh #2?

For some reason people think they are brothers because they have the same first name. I don’t get that one.

The name is pretty long. Can I just call you LSR?

(Laughs.) Please do.

Some call it pop. Some might call it rock. I would call it alternative. What do YOU call it?

We call in all three… rock/pop/alternative. We listen to everything so it only fair those would come through when people listen to us.

I just saw you guys with Simple Plan and The Fray. Was that a one-night stand, or was there a tour involved?

We just did that one show. We have played with Simple Plan before so it was cool seeing them again. The Fray guys were great to us. We look forward to playing with them again soon.

Since the word “radio” is in your name… I bet you guys get a lot of airplay. Do you remember the first time you heard your work on the radio? What was that experience like?

I remember every time. Every city you go to and your song comes on the radio is rad. We have it on film when they played us for the first time in Chicago. That’s a pretty cool clip that I’m glad we captured.

So I am in LOVE with Spotify. Do you guys use that? It’s WAY better than Pandora in my opinion.

Spotify is great! I’m a music junkie so I love having access to most CDs at any moment I want.

You guys have a street team. What do they do for you?

They spread the word about us online, help with flyers and help out at shows. We love the people that enjoy this band. They make every moment worth it.

Back to the Internet for a second… in your opinion, how has the Internet changed the way people absorb music?

You have easy access to anything you want. Sometimes you have to dig through some not great music, but at least if you do you can find somethings you won’t hear on the radio.

January is almost over… but did you guys have a good NYE?

We played. Anytime we are on stage I’m very happy. So yes.

What are you listening to these days? What’s on your iPod?

That’s a tough question. I know Justin is digging Drake’s new CD. I’m listening to Aerosmith, Richie Kotzen, Bowie, Radiohead , INXS & the Stones. I’m trying to add some old school rock into the mix for our new CD. People need to hear some good guitar music on the radio.

Do you have any rituals before a show? You know… like chanting or hugging?

We put our hands together and Justin will say some crazy thing. It brings it back to the four of us before we head out to win people over.

Yes, I want you! Who writes all of the lyrics? 

We collaborate on everything. So it just depends.

I have seen it both ways… is it Lovesick Radio or LoveSick Radio?

We cap the “S”. We are very creative. Just kidding.

What is your connection to Z99.5? You guys know Smiley?

Z99.5 played my old band at a lot. We have some history there. We love those guys. Smiley and his whole crew are great.

What are you drinking on stage?

Probably vodka. Sometimes water.

What’s the biggest crowd you have ever played for? The smallest?

We played Meadowlands Stadium with Bon jovi and Kid Rock. That was 80,000! So that’s the biggest so far. As for the smallest, I would say when we played just for the staff and a few drunk people because no one we were playing somewhere in northern Illinois.

I see some tattoos there. Who has the most? Don’t they hurt?

I think I have the most. Justin is a close second. Not too bad. You should get one.

What’s the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you on stage?

One time when we where playing oversea Masters hand locked up right before a bass solo. For me, my strap has broken a few times from me throwing my guitar around. Now I check the strap before we play and sometimes during.

When you sit down to write a song, where does the inspiration come from?

Life or something you see or hear about. Sometimes you are just playing and inspiration hits you.

What’s next… is there an album in the works?

We are making the second album now. It’s about time. I can’t wait to have people hear the new music and for us to start touring again.

Who runs the Twitter account? What about Facebook?

That’s me. I’m the online guy. So if you like what you see, it’s my fault. If you don’t… that’s my fault too. Our tour manger Noah helps sometimes.

When it’s all said and done, and the band is no more… what’s the LoveSick Radio legacy?

That’s the great thing about music. Our songs will live on forever.

In all of the interviews that I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.

We just want to say thank you for asking us to do this. We also want to thank anyone that listens to us. Come see us play and tells people about us. We owe you everything. See you on the road this year.

Click here to “like” LoveSick Radio on Facebook.

Click here to follow LoveSick Radio on Twitter.

Your last name is Angel… that must mean you are the original Angel. Is that really your last name?

I am indeed the original Angel. I am the founder and CEO of Angel Burlesque and so it follows naturally to call my performers, Angels. That is really my last name, although my husband says that he was born an Angel but I had to marry one.  Jeff Angel was a producer and air personality with radio for a huge portion of his life and everyone assumed that Jeff Angel was a fake DJ name but nope, it’s real. When we married, some people asked if I would change my name—my maiden name is Kalb which is German for “calf”. Really, do you think I want to be a cow or an Angel?  That was a no brainer.

I love it that your husband is also associated with the show. He was hilarious as a host, if I do say so myself. How long have you guys been married?

Jeff is a fantastic host—thank you for agreeing that he is hilarious. When I initially got involved in burlesque, I was performing with another local troupe, and in my debut show our dressing area was in the building next to the bar so while it wasn’t a big deal before our routine, I sure as hell wasn’t comfortable walking down the street in my pasties (plus it was in a slightly sketchy neighborhood) so I encouraged everyone to get robes AND I enlisted my husband as a bodyguard, so to speak, to make sure all the performers made it to and from the dressing room building. (The hot dog cart guy had the best night that night—especially when some of the girls forgot their robes.)

People often ask if he’s okay with me doing burlesque and he always says, “My wife is asking me to watch other girls take their clothes off… ow, ow, twist my arm, don’t make me do that.” He’s tremendously proud of me as both a performer and a producer. We’ve been married for six years and have a beautiful daughter together. We met in the theatre—I was stage managing and he was acting. He jokingly told a group of kids that I was supervising, “I’m going to marry Miss Katie someday.”  About ten months later we started dating and then another year or so after that we got married. Be careful what you joke about in the theatre!

Jeff and Belle do a wonderful job as the hosts of our show. We’ve had a few other people host and they’ve all been great in their own way, but Jeff and Belle have a lovely chemistry (people often assume they are married) and are very quick on their feet. Hosting is very demanding—you have to be charming but strong. It’s important to encourage the audience to be responsive but not be too chatty.  It’s a fine line that they walk very well. We had a very early review once that likened Jeff to a “pervy middle school principal” which I don’t think is fair… but then I always had crushes on my principals so maybe there’s something to that. Jeff does a great job! He helps me so much as a front of house schmoozer pre-show—he tries to take care of the audience and me and I appreciate him so much. There would not be an Angel Burlesque without Jeff Angel.

Your last Deluxe show was my first burlesque show. It won’t be my last! How do the shows change from one night to the next? Is it always something new?

I’m so tickled you enjoyed the show—I knew you would! The shows as a whole are always completely new. You might see a very few routines from one show to the next but it’s very important to me that the audience gets their money’s worth of show, and I personally get irritated when I go to shows and see the same routines over and over. With the show you saw at Deluxe there was one routine that had been seen at Deluxe before—Patsy Blue Ribbon did her Polar Bear routine at the December show but putting it back to back with Penguin’s Lament made me giggle so we repeated it. Layla Seduisant’s Nun routine had been performed at an Open Bra before but never Deluxe and it’s such a raw and sexual routine that I wanted to throw it into this mix. I keep the shows fresh and exciting for the audience—they are first and foremost in my mind.  It’s a huge challenge to come up with fresh routines but my Angels are game. We also can help keep the shows exciting and new by inviting guest performers to come and play.

The music you guys use is awesome. Who picks the soundtrack?

Each performer picks their own music so that they can find something they are personally attached it. By the time you are done rehearsing a routine you’ve heard it at least fifty times so if you don’t love the song at the beginning you’ll really hate it by the end. The soundtrack reflects a huge range of tastes and we’ve had music ranging from classic bump and grind to modern pop to children’s music. Jada Bella’s Penguin’s Lament is literally a children’s song that my six year old loves and we listen to in the car together. I’m entranced with this routine because Jada Bella is such a gorgeous performer and she brings a depth to this character – a penguin that is short and cute but longs to be tall and mysterious (like the polar bear guys). We have other routines that are based on children’s songs, completely re-imagined as narrative pieces and they make me laugh. (Oooh, I’ll give you the links…)

This is how Rod Tollhouse got his name.

This is my second solo ever (my first being a Darth Vader striptease).

This is another from the lovely Jada Bella. This is our take on how Hollywood deals with the paparazzi.

I am sure you guys practice the routine. How often do you practice?

We definitely rehearse! Each routine represents hours of rehearsal not to mention the time spent costuming. Each type of show determines how much group rehearsal we’ll have. For the full length themed show like Boo-lesque, Erin Go Braghless or Welcome to Heaven we will set a rehearsal schedule that usually ends up being about sixty total hours of rehearsal time spread over a month and a half at least. For the solos in the Deluxe shows, the performers will prepare the routines and then come in for an approval session where I’ll look at the routine and help polish. For the Open Bras we offer coaching sessions to give performers a little more help. Personally, to prepare a solo I will constantly listen to my song in the car while I’m driving, prepare the costume, choreograph and then polish. It’s definitely a time commitment but that’s absolutely necessary in order to have polished, professional routines.

Tell me more about “open bra”. That sounds fun!

I am really proud of the Open Bra nights and from what I can tell they are a unique form of show—I haven’t been able to find anything else like it (from my extensive Facebook creeping). Ray Gunn, a Chicago boylesque performer who guest-starred in our Halloween show, told me that he had never heard of it before and was really impressed with the people who were willing to get up there and give it a shot! Our third full length production, Erin Go Braghless (a St. Patty’s Day Parade on steroids) was at the Crackers Comedy Club in Broad Ripple and Ruth Anne, the manager there, was interested in getting us to perform on a more regular basis. The full length shows take a huge amount of preparation (from the rehearsals to writing the script to blocking the group numbers, etc.), so I was trying to figure out a way to have a show that did not involve as much prep time. I am also getting constant inquiries about how to join and become involved.  Producing these Open Bra nights is a great solution to both problems. The idea is that they are just like an Open Mic Night but with Burlesque! You do have to sign up in advance, so random people don’t just come in off the street and whip off their clothes… random people have to sign up and plan to come in and whip off their clothes. We have an application that goes up on our websiteand it is usually first come, first served.

Every Open Bra has had at least one person who has never done burlesque in his or her life getting up onstage and trying it out. Yes, it takes a tremendous leap of faith, BUT, I’d have to say that we are incredibly supportive as Angels and offer coaching sessions which is a private rehearsal session with me. Our audiences are so kind and loving. It’s completely unacceptable to be rude to someone onstage and the hosts don’t let it happen. The audience knows that this is tough for the performers and they give them all sorts of love. Is every performer knock-your-socks-off-amazing… no, but, again, what is not sexy to me might be the next guy’s fantasy.  We’ve found our last two Angels from the Open Bra nights. It’s also a great indicator of performer’s level of interest—it’s very easy to say, oh, I want to do burlesque, but to actually take the time to find a costume, choreograph a routine and get your butt onstage to do it, that takes effort.

I got the chance to see Red Hot Annie at the Deluxe. How do you know her? When she comes down and does a show like that, does she charge a fee or does she do it for the exposure?

Red Hot Annie has a burlesque production company in Chicago called Vaudezilla that both produces shows and teaches classes. She sent out inquiry emails a few months back because she was going to be in Indianapolis in January and was interested in performing. We were so glad to have her perform with the Angels. With our guest stars we generally negotiate a performance fee in advance and then any exposure they get is a bonus. Her studio had an Ostrich blowout sale last year and my family drove up there to check out the bargains (I bought $2,500 worth of feathers for $1,000… I seriously have a problem but the deals were too good to pass up! I have a few feathers that haven’t made it onstage yet.) It was nice to meet Annie then.

Angel Burlesque has been very fortunate to have some top quality guest stars perform with us. My very very very first show that I produced guest starred Michelle L’amour who is ranked as the number three burlesque star in the world, two of her Chicago Starlets and Jett Adore from the Stage Door Johnnies. We had a surprise guest star with our GenCon show in August—Bazuka Joe from the Stage Door Johnnies was performing at GenCon on Thursday with a group from Chicago, the Glitter Guild. Desda Moana and I were thrilled to perform with this group also—it was such an honor to perform at the convention center in front of all the GenCon fans (those are our people and it was great fun to do my Klingon routine in such a huge room.) Bazuka Joe was hanging around all weekend while Ray Gunn was busy gaming and we persuaded (okay, out and out begged and bribed with promise of lots of alcohol) to have Bazuka come perform with us at the Vollrath the next night (his Lion-O routine brought the house down).

In October, the third of the Stage Door Johnnies, Ray Gunn, came down to perform five shows with us for our Boo-lesque: Things that Go Bump and Grind in the Night. He taught a private workshop for the Angels—it was an honor to learn from him. The Stage Door Johnnies won the award for Best Group at the Burlesque Hall of Fame weekend in Las Vegas and are ranked in the top ten of Best Burlesque performers, internationally. I think it’s all shades of awesome that the Angels have been on the same stage as all three Johnnies. They are sexy gentlemen with a lot to bring to the burlesque world… as Desda Moana would say, “They’re kind of a big deal.” The Angel name is getting out there and as we get more guest stars, out of town guests will know that we are professional and wonderful to work with. Jeez Loueez is booked for the March 2^nd show at Deluxe and she’s a powerhouse of a performer.

Pasties are a pretty popular feature of your show. Has there ever been an accident… you know, where a pasty didn’t “hang on”?

Oh, pasties.  How we love and hate them. What I think is fun is that my first pair of pasties (my Darth Vader pasties) literally took me like four hours and a lot of crafting anxiety… now I can whip a pair out (and by whip out I mean make not show) in less than ten minutes. I can whip a pair out (and by whip out I mean show not make) in less than ten seconds. I personally have never had pasty failure but I’m sort of meh about it… if if happens it happens.  I don’t really care.  There are many performers who stress about it (if one pasty falls off, rip the other one off and be a rock star). With Desda Moana’s very first appearance in our “Holler Back” cowgirl number she accidentally ripped off her pasty when she took off her bikini top.  She realized when the pasty fell off and just covered up with her hand.  Pepper Mills used to be very worried about her pasties but now proudly says she has “pasties confidence”. I’m enchanted by the different styles of pasties we have come up with.

You are getting a ton of exposure lately. Has that affected show attendance?

I think we could always use more coverage (ba-duh-bum). We’ve been very lucky that our last three shows at Deluxe have been official sell outs and our Open Bras are very popular. It’s not easy to get people to come out on a Monday night but we do and are so grateful to our fans who are loyal and super supportive. We work very hard to make every show different so that even though we’re doing a lot of shows, they are new and different and definitely worth seeing! Our shows are not for everyone… just people who like to laugh and have fun.

I didn’t really know what to expect coming in. But a lot of people look at burlesque as stripping and naughty. But it’s not. Sure, there is some not safe for work humor in there, but it’s about the music and the art of dance in my opinion. But for you, what is it all about? Why do you do this?

I completely agree with you that burlesque is about the art of dance and telling a story. Most of our new audience members say that the show was nothing like they expected and they had no idea they would laugh so much. For me, burlesque is an art form that allows for complete artistic freedom and celebrates real bodies. I love the ability to create my own characters and be as ridiculous as I want to be. Angel Burlesque definitely tends towards a very theatrical style with fun characters that tell a story.

You ran a Groupon for your last show. What successes have you see with running discounts on deals sites like that? Have you worked with any of the other popular deals sites?

I adore the excitement of the Groupon and it’s fun to see everyone scrambling to get their ticket because it is such a great deal. The Groupon is something that the Old National Centre set up and we do our best to get the word out to our fans.  We have not worked with any other deal sites… I’m not terribly social media savvy… I have Angels who tweet for me (thank you, Pepper!) and also update the website (our goddess of digital media and a super talented lady that you didn’t get to see in January because she is in “Debbie Does Dallas” at TOTS—Brigitte Petite.) I don’t even know any other popular deal sites…tell me about them!

I didn’t expect to see a guy in the lineup. I actually know Rod Tollhouse personally! How did he end up as an Angel?

I’m a huge fan of boylesque. The first great boylesque performer I ever saw was Hot Toddy from Chicago. His routine actually made me blush and if you know me, you have to know that it’s very hard to make me blush. Rod Tollhouse was in the first Angel production, Welcome to Heaven, and it’s been so cool to watch him develop as a performer and every single routine he does is better and better (and he was awesome to start with!) We have a few other male Angels and a couple of gentlemen who might be Angels in the future. Rod answered the first call for open auditions and I loved what he had to offer. Boylesque performers are in the minority but it’s a refreshing change of pace to see a gentleman onstage.

During the show, after each performance was over, there were girls that came in and cleaned everything up. Are they volunteers? Do they ever dance?

Those are our stage kittens and an essential part of every show! The stage kittens that you saw, Bunny Van Doren, Ricki Swizzle and Cora Noire are all Angels and each have some wonderful solos! Bunny’s mirror ball disco sparkle outfit made me happy.

Not all of the dancers are skinny. And I like that. Everyone seemed so happy in her own skin. It just goes to show you don’t have to be a rail to be sexy. How does that affect the way you pick new dancers? I just want to learn more about the perception of larger women being so fun to watch perform!

One of Angel Burlesque’s main tenets is that “Real is Sexy!” What I tell the new performers and what I believe is that every performer has something special to offer. I know that my body type is not going to appeal to every single audience member BUT there is one person out there, at least one, who has a fetish for what I have to offer (mmm… big hips, stretch marks!) In general, women tend to really get down on themselves and think that men (or women, we’re very LGBT friendly) only find one type of woman sexy… but that’s not true at all. Sure, not every Angel is going to be your ideal type but wait three minutes, there will be a different type. Could I be a healthier weight? Absolutely! But will my self-image magically change if I’m forty pounds lighter? Not really. Our self image has so little to do with reality so we might as well love ourselves as we are.

Tell me a little bit more about your Valentine’s Day Heart-On Open Bra. By the way, I LOVE the names you have for the events and for the dancers.

Our Valentine’s Day Heart On encourages performers to celebrate what they love or hate about Valentine’s Day… some people really get into the schmoopiness and some people just want to kick Valentine’s Day in the face so this is a forum to show however you feel about it.  The show titles are a fun group effort. Jeff came up with the idea for Erin Go Bragh…less and Jada Bella added the tagline for Boolesque—Things that Go Bump and Grind in the Night.

Do you have a job outside of Angel Burlesque?

I am a professional stage manager and a stay at home mom. After I graduated from Butler University I did a lot of work at the Indianapolis Civic Theatre—I stage managed, taught acting classes, worked in the box office, helped in the scene shop, did some electrics over hire and worked in pretty much every crew position possible—lightboard, soundboard, fly crew, run crew, spotlight operator… the only place I didn’t work was the costume shop because the first time I sewed a pair of pants I put the crotch on slantways. I’ve been Dance Kaleidoscope’s stage manager for nine years now and tremendously enjoy working with them (p.s. You should come see Super Soul at IRT—it’s going to be beautiful and sexy and fun—the first weekend is already sold out.) I’ve picked up stage management gigs for some interesting productions like travelling to Little Rock, Arkansas to stage manage a Nutcracker that literally had a cast of about 200 dancers. I’ve been to Connecticut with the Indianapolis Symphony and have stage managed a televised NCAA award ceremony event for the Final Four last year. Fun fact, I’ve stage managed for events that have featured performers who have been on American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, and So You Think You Can Dance, so my six degrees of separation to Kevin Bacon is that much closer. (Laughs.) I’m such a theatre nerd that when I met a few of the American Idol singers my first question to them is, how is it working with Debbie Williams? (She’s the AI stage manager.) Being a professional stage manager definitely helps Angel Burlesque—I think it would be fair to say we are the most organized burlesque troupe in town.

Speaking of the dancer names, who picks those? Rod Tollhouse told me how he got his name… but where does a dancer like Ginger Peach or Pepper Mills get her name?

Sometimes picking a name is agony, sometimes the girls walk in with a name that they’ve thought about for years and I think both Ginger Peach and Pepper Mills actually had those names in mind before they started burlesque…??? I think Pepper Mills was her proposed drag queen name. Having a stage name allows performers the freedom to embrace a larger, glittery version of themselves. Sometimes picking a name is a long process of throwing out different options. A few ladies have tried something… changed it… changed it again. Katie Angel is my real name because I couldn’t think of anything better.

Do you have any rituals before a performance?

I usually end up doing my hair and makeup fifteen minutes before the show starts because I don’t have time before then… I have to ask someone to keep me focused and if they see me out checking on something backstage they shoo me back to the mirror to get my lashes on. We generally will do a performer circle so I can make announcements… if there’s time someone tells a dirty joke and I end with the saying, “Remember, if you’re not having fun taking your clothes off…” and then everyone yells, “why the hell are you doing it?”

Do you ever get nervous up there?

I was so nervous before my fan dance because it was such a different style of performance for me—I’m so much more comfortable being ridiculous and making fun of myself. During this performance I was trying to be on the serious side and was a little terrified of falling over in my heels (my plan if I bit it? Do a little extra floor work while I was down there.) I get more nervous that there will be no audience—the analogy that we make (Pepper and I) is that it’s like in sixth grade when a mom rented the whole skating rink and ordered six supreme pizzas and no one is going to show up, wha wha wha… .but I’ll have to say that even when we’ve had audiences on the smaller side, the size of the cast has never outnumbered the audience (I’ve been to plenty of community productions where that has happened!) and the audience is always very loving and loud.

There are a lot of photo galleries on your website and videos of performances on YouTube. Photography is actually encouraged during a performance. Out of all the photos ever taken of you, do you have a favorite?

Matthew Mayer is such a huge friend to us and has taken beautiful photos and video of us. Benjamin Swisher from zaptownmag.com takes wonderful photos too and we’ve been very lucky to have so many great photographers at our shows that I couldn’t name them all. It’s funny because we could have three or four photographers shooting the same show and the perspectives they have are all so different. You can tell when each photographer finds a particular performer sexy because there are tons of pictures of that person and not so many of others. I will try to remember to attach one of my favorites—it’s definitely not the most flattering shot of me but we all have such joy on our faces—the shot really sums up what I love about being onstage. (And the audience is giving us a standing ovation so that’s cool!)

Girls get pretty close to naked on stage. Do you ever get requests for more? How do you handle requests like that if they come in?

I don’t really ever get any requests for more nudity… although I did see that Ben Swisher who spent a lot of time editing photos from the Deluxe show went into booby overload and just wanted to see more. As we’ve progressed, I’d have to say that our confidence has grown and our pasties have gotten smaller and our style of panties has gotten more daring. Angel has broken our “merkhin cherry”. Merkhins used to be essentially wigs for your lady parts that prostitutes would use to hide their thinning hair. The burlesque version of merkhins are a pasty for your naughty bits so that you don’t have any panty lines or strings on your hips and gives a great tease, especially with fan dances. The only requests that we often get on our website is for performances at private bachelor parties and we don’t do those. We will teach workshops for private bachelorette parties or ladies nights in. Every so often one of the ladies will get a creeper alert on facebook… usually it’s pretty harmless but we try to give each other heads up about people who are being inappropriate. I’ve heard about girls getting requests for pictures of their feet but no one has asked me. (Laughs.)

Tell me a little bit more about Bunny and her blog Backstage with Bunny.

Bunny was the sparkly disco ball stage kitten you saw at the show. That adorable logo is the product of Brigitte Petite and we’re all completely jealous! Backstage with Bunny is a very new feature—Bunny has a crafting blog and she offered her blogging services to help add new content to our website and I’m grateful for her help.

I love the tagline “sassy… and always classy!” That is a pretty accurate description of what I saw. Who came up with that?

I think that’s mine but I might be wrong… I like the word sassy. Our other tagline is “Real is sexy” which I also thinks sums up AB very well.

Belle Breeze and Desda “Mae Q” Moana are “head angels”. What makes someone a head angel versus an angel?

Belle and Desda are my right hand ladies. They each bring something different to the table in terms of their sexy, sexy talents and have been very supportive of me and helping this company grow. Along with Jada Bella, Desda and Belle have been with me at the first show I produced, before there was an Angel Burlesque. (I was working with Belle at a community theatre show and said, “Hey, I’m going to produce a burlesque show… want to be in it? And she did. And she was awesome.) They can help run rehearsals when I can’t be there, Desda does a lot of our choreography, Belle does a lot of poster and graphics design for us and they both are great for bouncing off ideas. Belle, Jeff and I co-write the full length productions—I will come up with the first draft and then we’ll go to La Hacienda and edit… they think we are insane there but I think we’ve come up with our best jokes over chips and salsa. It’s usually after a rehearsal, and I’m exhausted and a bit punch drunk but you can’t say, “Tippytoe Princess Dance and Charm Academy” without giggling a little. Most of the Angels have been incredibly helpful—Belle, Desda and I teach the workshops, Jada Bella has guest taught a workshop, Pepper Mills is our “Union Rep”, Twitter lady and official ambassador to the drag and LGBT community, Bunny Van Doren is starting the blog, Brigitte Petite handles all the website details, and I could not function without them.

How do you pick new performers? Have any ever come out of an Open Bra before?

The very first show consisted of me drafting my friends to come and take their clothes off (one of my superhero powers is getting people to take their clothes off… comes in handy when producing burlesque.) The first two full Angel shows had open auditions and then I found myself with twenty-five performers that were amazing so I stopped holding auditions. Our Open Bra has turned into the chance for new people to “audition” for Angel Burlesque. Both Layla Seduisant (who did the Nun routine) and Cora Noire have come out of the Open Bra shows.

I saw you post a picture on Facebook the other day… that “all bodies are good bodies”. I love that picture too. What was your first reaction when you saw that photo?

I love that picture and my first reaction was to figure out how to take an Angel version of the photo. I was laughing to read the comments – so many of the gentlemen commenting were talking about how hot the “woman on the right” was—the lady with the most athletic body. We have comment cards at Deluxe and will routinely get one card per show (probably the same person) who complains about the fat girls… 1. I’d love to see what that guy looks like, I’m sure he’s a beefcake, 2.  if you want to see super skinny ladies, allow me to direct to you to a Playboy magazine with huge fake boobs… they are fairly easy to purchase, I do believe. The negative cards just make me laugh.

What’s next for Angel Burlesque? What does 2012 have in store for you and all the angels?

We have so much going on! We have our monthly Open Bras on the last Monday of the month and our Deluxe shows on the First Friday (except for February because apparently the entire Old National Centre is occupied by something going on… I haven’t really heard, something about a football game?) I plan on bringing even more special guests to the Deluxe shows—Jeez Loueez is booked for March and I’m in talks with more spectacular performers. We are appearing at the Days of the Dead Horror Convention and again at GenCon with the Glitter Guild from Chicago. Angel Burlesque also is performing in the Indianapolis Fringe Festival for the first time and I have some ridiculously fun ideas for that. We keep our fans up to date with our website, Facebook page and Twitter.

Do you ever perform outside of the Circle City?

Some of the Angels are starting to apply to perform at the regional burlesque festivals which I find very exciting. I am applying for festivals in St. Louis and Chicago this year; fingers crossed! Ricki Swizzle and I are heading up to Muncie in a few weeks to perform with Ryder Cox’s Femme Fatale show. Some Angels have performed with the Bloomington Burlesque Brigade in Bloomington (we loves the B3 girls and Jada Bee).

“What’s a burlesque show all about?” How would you answer that to someone who has no idea what to expect from a performance?

Burlesque is fun, sexy, good-natured fun that celebrates real bodies. Our performers don’t take ourselves too seriously and we want to make sure the audience has a wonderful time.

Katie, thank you so much for taking the time to sit with me today. I could ask you questions all day long. In all of the interviews I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.

Real is sexy. Come see a show.

Click here to “like” Angel Burlesque on Facebook.

Click here to follow Angel Burlesque on Twitter.

Click here to watch Angel Burlesque on YouTube.

Flanked by as-yet-unnamed supporting acts spanning a variety of genres, Axwell and Cosmic Opera will transform New York City’s historic Hammerstein Ballroom on Friday, February 24. Justin Cohen, Founder & Creator of Cosmic Opera said, “When I was formulating the idea for Cosmic Opera, finding the right venue was one of the most important decisions I needed to make. Hammerstein’s legendary history of iconic performances and profound architecture gave me much of the inspiration for the vision of Cosmic Opera. When I first walked in to discuss the idea, I immediately knew it would be the perfect home for this event series.”

As reported by the New York Times earlier this month, founder Justin Cohen has ambitions to change the way people experience electronic-dance concerts, turning them into theatrical events with dreamlike imagery. Mr. Cohen said that Cosmic Opera will also have a storyline, with costumed actors mingling in the crowd.

While the announcement of the globally renowned DJ Axwell will surely make the Cosmic Opera kick-off the first must-see event of 2012, the production will not stop there. The team behind this new brand of unique events does not drop the word “extrasensory” lightly. If the latest Cosmic Opera teaser video is any indication, this show will be like nothing ever seen before.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be collaborating with Justin and his highly creative, forward-thinking team. Manhattan Center continues to set the venue bar in NYC, showcasing unique and diverse events, with the 3 upcoming Acts of Cosmic Opera in the Hammerstein Ballroom.” said Sarah-Jane Bennison, Director of Sales & Marketing for Hammerstein Ballroom. Cosmic Opera… This Is What We’ve Been Waiting For. You can visit The Cosmic Opera for more excitement!

Click here to “like” Axwell on Facebook.

Click here to follow Axwell on Twitter.

Click here to watch Axwell on YouTube.

I love the name. Mainly because I love Arizona! Where did you guys come up with that band name?

When I joined the group they were trying to call themselves Kung-Fu Grip. I hated that name. I talked them into changing it and we underwent two weeks of tossing ideas on our white boards. When I got to practice one day Phoenix On The Fault Line was on the board. I knew that was it. A week later we voted, and here we are today. We all have different ideas of what it means. To me it means… brotherhood.

I also like the logo. Who designed that?

We currently have two logos floating around. One designed by Liegh Miller and the other by Dan Mecca at Bleeding Media.

You guys have some pretty mature lyrics. Who writes all of the lyrics?

Thank you! I write all of the lyrics. Sometimes the guys come up with the song titles though. On this last album I would say 80% of the titles were the original working titles for the songs. I just make it fit in with the mythology.

Your sound is very polished. It seems you have a pretty professional setup. Do you guys practice a lot to nail that down?

Yes we do. I am also very fortunate to be in the room with eight other extremely talented musicians. Separate we would have all taken different paths through this musical odyssey but together we form something much bigger than ourselves.

Where did you all meet?

Johann and I met playing in the band REBUILT several years ago. The rest of the guys have known each other for years. Some since childhood. When they first began this project, a mutual friend of ours put us together. I loved the sound and camaraderie so I stuck around.

There are a LOT of guys up there on stage… As you said, nine of you. Does it ever seem crowded up there?

Hell yes. Our combined weight is a little over a metric ton. It is kinda like a mosh pit, but on the stage. I collide with people and instruments nightly. I know better than to spill Jon Ball’s beer though. And if I do, I promptly get him another.

What’s with the nicknames… The Prospect and “Big” Andy?

Well sir, thats a long story. The name Johann 51 aka “Nate Gray” had to do with an incident involving an android on one of our adventures. The details of that incident are currently being scribed by our guitarist, Chip Strohs. He is our resident historian/journalist. Ocho was the eighth member. Big Andy and The Prospect are giants (and really brothers). Hence the “big” in Big Andy. The Prospect was our prospective final guy. Once he earned his way into the fraternal order that is POTFL he decided to keep that name. It’s a right of passage really. Once you are reborn into our brotherhood you choose your name and your numbers. Darby is just Darby. I don’t know if that is his first or last name. His wife calls him Darby so that’s good enough for us.

Why do you guys say 3317 A.D.?

I believe it has some sort of numerological value that has not been determined yet. The date itself was an accident. I was only trying to push us ahead by three days and well… I am not the mathematician of the group. Poof! We had gone too far. Time travel is an exact science with many coordinated factors. I, however, believe that everything happens the way it was destined to, so sometimes we just spit whiskey and go, go, go! It took us about a year to get back home but it was an awesome adventure that brought us all closer together.

Original rock in the city of Indianapolis is rare. How do you guys raise the bar night after night?

We tell our stories with the conviction of a dictator leading his troops to war! People seem to like the escape from reality that we provide them. Yes, we are talking about spaceships, zombie robots, and time machines but like in any good sci-fi experience, sometimes those things are just metaphors. Today’s music is a sad state of affairs indeed. Too much carbon-copied, mainstream media manipulation and over-processed corporate consumer nonsense. We don’t wear our sisters jeans, and we don’t use auto tune.

What’s your favorite venue to play in Indy?

I personally love The Melody Inn. We don’t quite fit in there anymore, but I love that place. There is a nostalgia that is thick in the air of that bar. Lots of blood, sweat, and whiskey tears have pushed through that place over the decades. I am glad we have gotten to be a part of it.

What’s the biggest crowd you have ever played for? The smallest?

The biggest show we have played so far was when we opened for Clutch last year. It was a sold-out show and an amazing opportunity and experience. I’d say the smallest show was when we traveled to a festival in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I think there were five people in the bar. The promoters messed that whole experience up. We still had a good time though.

The horns are so unique. What made you want to add horns to the band?

I don’t think we have ever had an intention of adding any instrument. We all just came together like the gravity of a collapsing star. Jon Ball was already part of the show when I walked through the doors. He was the reason I felt that we were on to something special. What he was doing with that baritone sax was not something I have ever heard being done. It was like the band Morphine had a bastard child. It made the sound they were creating unique. We added Darby about a year in and The Prospect jumped in last year. It’s not my lyrics that give us that sci-fi sound. It’s them.

I see you are whiskey drinkers. What’s your favorite whiskey?

I am a Kentucky bourbon man myself. James and Chip seem to like the Irish stuff. Darby is fond of Canadian sipping whiskey but I can’t speak for the rest of the gentlemen. With nine guys, favorites are never a cohesive thing. The consensus, however, is that whiskey is a good thing.

I want that logo on a shirt. What kind of merchandise do you guys have?

We have shirts, hats, hoodies and more. We are currently working on making a LOT more of a variety too. We are a DIY kinda group.

Really digging your website… what content management system do you use for that?

Thank you again! If you asked any of the guys what content management system is used they will tell you it’s called Tony Ferreira. I think they are under the impression that I manage the site with the power of my mind.  It is just bits and pieces of code I have collected and modified to meet our current needs.

P.O.T.F.L. is being featured on the X103 tribute to Nirvana. What does being a part of that project mean to you guys?

It was an honor to have the opportunity to cover one of the greats. Like them or not, Nirvana changed the game. With that respect in mind we tried to make the song our own.

You don’t play a ton of shows in Indy. Are you branching out of the Circle City and playing in other Midwest markets?

We traveled a lot at first but for the last year we have been at home building an army and finishing our new album, “Basement Of The Coliseum”. We will be branching out a bit in 2012 and even more in 2013.

Tell me a little bit more about your relationship with Shoot The Hostage Records.

Shoot The Hostage Records aka STH Media & Publishing is our label/company. We own and operate it. Our mission is to create a legacy of entertainment for the masses of this new interconnected society. Back ten to fifteen years ago you needed to sign with a label to get advertisement and distribution. Now the business model is totally different. I can make quality products and distribute them electronically to all points on the globe. Harnessing social media for advertisement purposes cuts out the millions I would have had to spend getting us out there into the eyes and ears of the world. Social media is the game changer. If you can overthrow governments with it, then you can build empires too.

Where do you guys practice?

We built a bunker in an undisclosed location. I could tell you where, but the Men in Black would undoubtedly show up at your door. I assure you they are not as fun or as witty as Will Smith portrays them to be. The bunker is pretty awesome actually. There are lots of fun electronics, a lab, music room, and of coarse a Jon Ball custom bar. There are NO time travel devices allowed at the bunker though. We learned that the hard way. I keep that stuff locked away safely out of Ocho’s idle hands.

You have a couple of albums under your belt. What have you learned along the way from one album to the next?

We have three now and a fourth one under construction. Through the process of making them we have learned how to work as a unit. We have also learned to check your ego at the door. We don’t hold each others hands through the writing process. I can make a suggestion, but ultimately if it’s your part, you make the decision of what to do there.  Newton’s first law of motion also applies. We keep charging forward with writing new songs. We have to keep that fire alive.

Do you guys have jobs outside of music?

Yes. We are swords for hire. We are basically like a time-traveling A-Team. If you can find us…. you can hire us.

I haven’t seen you live… yet. What can someone who hasn’t seen you perform expect from a show?

Exhilarating adventure! We take the listener on a journey. I expect to see you in the front row soon, sir!

You are getting a lot of radio play. You have been featured on stations here in the United States as well as overseas. What was it like the first time you heard your work on the radio?

Words can’t describe it really. We had not even released our first album yet and it was being played on the air. The best is when I am driving and I randomly catch us being played. It’s an awesome moment. Makes me proud of what we have accomplished and it never gets old.

I have to thank Anton Swartz for introducing me to you. How do you guys know him?

Anton and I used to work together at a tech company here in the Indianapolis/Carmel area. I have not been able to prove it, but I am pretty sure he is an extraterrestrial alien. I think he may be a little touchy about that subject, though, so I don’t push it. I will say this, though… if I am in a jam with my website, I call him.

I LOVE the “Basement of the Coliseum” album cover. Who designed that? What’s the meaning behind that image? It’s pretty powerful.

The original art work for the album was done by Faith Mullins. She also happens to be the sister of Jon Ball. She read the lyrics to a song off our album (SteamPig) and that is what she saw. Josh Smith (who also did the graphic design work on our first album) did the design work around Faith’s art. My favorite part of the picture is the two old men in the corner with their ale glasses held high in salute to the ship. The name of the ship is Parsifal. That is our salute to three extraordinary inventors. Hammond Van Ocher, Thomas Birks, and Joachim Jensen. They designed and built the first steam-powered flying pig and named it Parsifal. It is an amazing feat of engineering, truly. It is an even more amazing feat that Birks and Jensen have convinced people that it is just a  piece of art when really it is one of the most powerful airships in the galaxy. You can read more about them at steampig.com.

Are you familiar with rickyleepotts.com presents six bands for six bucks? I would love to chat with you guys about getting you on a bill.

I am indeed familiar with that idea, and we are totally down to rock out with you.

What’s 2012 look like for you guys? Got anything big planned this year?

We plan to release another album, hopefully in October. It’s a concept album tentatively titled “Dethiachi”. We are also hoping to work with a local film company doing a short film of the same name. I can’t tell you much about the concept behind the album but I’ll tell you this much. If Danny Trejo had thirty minutes of zombie killing to do this is what he would want to be listening to while he did it. We also have the novel that Chip is writing about our ridiculous adventures through space and time. If I get my way, there will be graphic novels too. Other than all that, we just plan to rock as much as we can all over Indiana and the Midwest.

When it’s all said and done, what’s the P.O.T.F.L. legacy? What do you want people to remember you for?

There is a lot of irony in asking a time traveler what he wants to be remembered for, don’t you think? We want to be remembered as game changers and adventurers. We take a lot of risks just being us. I want to always look back on what we have created and smile.

Thank you so much for taking the time to sit and chat today. I appreciate it guys. In all of the interviews I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.

Thank you so much for the interview, Ricky! I only have a few things to say and I’ll be on my way. Please support local art and music. We have a ton of exceptionally talented people in this town. With your support, we can make Indianapolis an epicenter for creativity in the years to come.

I would also like to tell any would be time travelers out there one extremely important bit of information… avoid 2217. That is all.

Click here to “like” Phoenix On The Fault Line on Facebook.

Click here to follow Phoenix On The Fault Line on Twitter.

Header photo compliments of Liz Nicol of 110db.

I’m starting to get the hang of these PGA professional interviews. There is so much I want to know about Jason Helman. Where do we begin… well, let’s start with your career of choice? What made you want to get into golf?

Well, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do after graduating high school but in 1991 I tripped across an advertisement in Golf Digest for the San Diego Golf Academy, now the Golf Academy of America offering a degree program.  I was already working at a resort that owned a course and I was helping manage the day-to-day operations so, I figured I would turn pro. The program and education I received was phenomenal. I still have many of those relationships today.

You are all over Twitter. Did you enjoy 7 Nights At The Twitter Academy?

I’m very active with social media; I really enjoy Twitter. It has led me to some amazing people in the golf industry such as John Graham and Jason Sutton to name a couple… and the rest of the 7 Nights At The Twitter Academy team.

The Project – “7 Nights At The Twitter Academy” that I developed and put together involved an entire team of people. Rob McGill, Sara Dickson, Jason Sutton, Andrew Marr, Kirk Oguri and Dennis Sales. I came up with the idea after hearing an ad for the Golf Channel’s preview and thought to myself why don’t we do this on Twitter? So, I recruited 7 Coaches from across North America, put a few movie trailers together for the show, sent them the agenda and we were off producing and tweeting about it.  It wasn’t really to rival the Golf Channel; they have a slightly larger budget than us but it was a huge success. We managed 1,719 video views in total for the first week by just posting the unlisted videos on Twitter. In the second week, we blew the videos up on our blogs and Facebook pages and the views tallied up to 2,485. This was kind of a social media experiment as well, to see just how and what works best to get our message out to our clients, golfers and fellow professionals. The videos will be public very soon.

You said “take the “hit” out of the chip” in your video from 7 Nights At The Academy. Past watching the video, what exactly does taking the “hit” out of chip do?

Over the past 19 years I continuously see people trying to make a full golf swing within their short game in an abbreviated, often, inconsistent tempo. They get to the top of a back swing, then they realize they’ve gone too far back, slow down as a reaction then speed up at the bottom. Instinctively, they use their hands and wrists as leverage, to gain speed after they’ve slowed down which turns into more of a “hitting” movement as the majority of the rest of the body has ceased to engage, or essentially stops. If I can get players to use their body parts in the correct sequence they will be able to achieve more solid shots versus this type of segmented motion.

Wait a second… you were the 2010 PGA of Canada Teacher of the Year? That’s pretty sweet. Did winning that affect your lessons at all? How did they deliver the news?

Yes, I was much busier this year and I have a lot of new customers. I got a phone call on a Monday night in February. I was grocery shopping and I almost didn’t answer the call as it was only a 5 digit number that showed up on my mobile, so I thought it was a telemarketer, but, luckily, I picked it up anyway, on the other end was the PGA of Canada President, Glenn Cundari. He was happy to advise me that I had won the coveted award. We had a brief chat, I thanked him and the selection panel and had to sit on it for 7 days until they released their press release which actually gave me time to do my own as well, then of course straight to the social media platforms. I was allowed to tell a few people so of course I called my parents up and texted a few close friends immediately.

By the way, I like that belt buckle.

Thanks; gotta represent. Callaway has been great to me.

Not too many left-handed players out there. Is it weird hitting from the other side of the ball? (I’m right handed… if you couldn’t tell!)

Actually, in Canada this isn’t as much of a rarity as it is in the USA. Our past time is hockey and the majority of players are left-handed and the motion or movement simply carries forward into golf for the most part; it’s in our DNA. But golf is booming here. I read an article this summer that stated more people in Canada play golf than they do hockey. 7 out of 10 times I get the old joke, “Oh you stand on the wrong side of the ball.” So, whenever someone let’s me know that I’m on the wrong side of the ball. I’m quick to call them out and ask them how many right-handed Masters champions from Canada are there? “Pardon,” did you say, “None. I think it is you that is on the wrong side of the ball,” with a small chuckle and grin. Although, I find it way easier to teach right-handers as I can stand opposite them and they can mirror me. I have a great title for my book that will hopefully be finished soon that will touch a little on this issue.

Callaway hat… Callaway shirt. Let me guess… they sponsor you?

Callaway has been very supportive. I’ve been with them for the last 5 years. Thanks to Scott, Preben, Tally and Barry. I hope I can do more with them. I would love to do a series of instructional videos in the future. Cross your fingers.

Where are you originally from?

I was born in Ottawa and then we moved to a very small town called Westport where I grew up. Population 700 at the time.

Tell me a little bit more about Tip It Up Golf Talk Radio.

I did a few radio shows as a golf insider but found it starting to get tough to stay in the media spotlight, so I figured I’d start my own radio show. It’s fun and I do it all from my home office, wait, I mean in a big radio studio. (Laughs.) I defer and bow to the power of my Mac. I choose the people I want to interview. All the shows are pre-recorded a couple of days ahead, so they’re “live to air”. I have a lengthy list of contacts and respected people within the industry and try to align myself with people that are willing to reciprocate in building our brands or businesses together. I’m going to start uploading them to iTunes very soon.

I would love to be on that show! Anyway, I’m looking through your blogroll… there are some pretty great blogs on there. I LOVE  John Graham’s blog. Do you read all of those on a regular basis?

I’m happy to give some blogroll love. If you’re listed on my blogroll it’s a huge sign of respect, admiration or in some cases reciprocation. John is a great guy. I’m happy to call him more than just my colleague; he’s my friend, and we did an AimPoint Technologies clinic together this year. It was the first one ever to be scheduled in the Toronto area. I try and read as much as possible, but as you know, “content is king”, so I’m fairly busy with my own projects trying to keep up with the Jones’ so to speak or the Graham’s and Guru’s in this case (wink, wink!)

Starting with your driver, what’s in your bag? I even want to know what golf ball you play!

Well, of course you’re going to see a little Callaway represented here:

• Driver – Callaway RAZR Hawk 9.5 Tour (with an Accra M5 S3 Dymatch (75g) shaft)
•  3W – RAZR Hawk Tour (with an Accra Accra M5 S3 Dymatch (85g) shaft)
• 2H – Diablo hybrid (18 degree) (with an Accra Accra M5 S3 Dymatch (95g) shaft)
• 3 iron – RAZR X Forged Cavity – KBS – Xflex
• 4 – PW – RAZR X Tour Prototype – KBS Xflex
• SW (56) – 10 bounce & LW (60) 8 bounce – Jaws X-Series – KBS Hi-Rev shafts
• Putter(s) – Odyssey Black Series #1 Wide or #2
• Ball – Callaway Tour iS

What’s your favorite golf course? You are NOT allowed to say Wyndance G.C.

Well, that’s good this opens it up to North America. I was narrowed down to Canada on the Morning Drive when Erik light heatedly jumped on me for picking my own course. It really is a tremendous test and property that Mr. Greg Norman sculpted together. Okay, I will have to go with the Olympic Club in San Francisco. A friend of mine was an assistant there and I was fortunate to play both courses. The Cliffs course is probably the most fun par 3 course that I’ve played in the world. I actually had so much fun I played it again… picture perfect ocean views, double tees and double greens; it was a cool experience.

If you meant in Canada, I will go with Bigwin Island Golf Club, a Doug Carrick design fun to play and from a picturesque standpoint it’s amazing. The National Golf Club of Canada for the tougher test of golf; it’s been ranked #1 for I don’t know how many years.

Speaking of Wyndance, do you get to play a lot of golf being the Director of Instruction?

It depends. As you know it’s a short window here in Canada to earn revenue. I try and play in as many men’s nights at the club as possible. I look at that day as my day off. I guess I probably play about 20 full rounds a year with some late evening 9 hole rounds here and there. For the most part I spend the majority of my time coaching.

Let’s say I wanted to book a lesson with you. What’s that first lesson like?

Well, I would let you know that I don’t teach “lessons”, I provide “coaching sessions”. This concept or paradigm shift has to change for golfers. People need to understand that taking a “lesson” really isn’t going to make much of a difference in their game.  I’m trying to get golfers to comprehend that they should be adopting a coaching model.  I recently wrote a practice article that will be out this season that discusses a similar comparison to this concept. I will not be offering a single session option this year within my academy.

As for your first coaching session, firstly there’s an intake form for you to fill out and then we do a short interview with a series of questions pertaining to how long you’ve played, short term goals, self correction attempts, pertinent injuries, and other questions that I routinely go through to interact and engage with the student. We then move onto a short athletic screening followed by the student showing me their current talent level.  I usually have them hit six shots.  After that I have a pretty good idea of what direction I want to go with the student. Depending on what we’re doing I will sometimes have a fun little match against them at the end of the session.

 You are all over the place… you were recently on Golf Channels hit show the “Morning Drive”. I LOVE those guys. What was that experience like? (I feel like I’m interviewing a celebrity here!)

I graduated from the Golf Academy of America and came down to speak for about 6 hours to 6 individual classes. We parlayed it into a couple of other visits to ESPN Radio and the “Morning Drive” was certainly a highlight of 2011 without question. The people at the Golf Channel were awesome! I was kind of nervous, but simply tried to think that I was just sitting down with the guys talking golf.  I’ve been on TV before but they advised me I was giving a tip about an hour before the show when I was sitting in the green room. The studio is very small; it’s definitely not super safe to swing a club. So, with the “safety first” mentality, I decided on a short game bump and run shot so we didn’t take out a flat screen.  Everyone was very friendly and accommodating they made me feel just like I was part of their team and wow did 6 minutes go by fast… seemed like 30 seconds. I hope I get to do it again. We’ll see.  I’m working on that celebrity status. One of my goals in life or golf is to leave a long lasting memory on the sport and be one of the most prominent teachers to ever come out of Canada. It’s a process but I will get there.

What’s the Digital Golf Coach?

This is a new piece of equipment that I’m going to start training my athletes with. It can do a variety of things that I know will assist players in developing skills faster. It helps with developing putting feel as well as sequence or pattern training in the swing. You can use it to train with specific clubs, positions and/or swing techniques, and practice rhythm and tempo with the metronome functionality or play a practice round with it to capture the data and come up with real raw data of what you do during a round versus what you accomplish on the range range. It also has the ability to upload the data to a digital web portal for the coach to analyze the information even if he/she wasn’t present during your practice. Through the use of more advanced software on the portal, the golfer can see his or her swing through 3D animations. No doubt, It has a cool factor but the information it provides the golfer will far outweigh that in results.

You are a member of the Golf Business Network. How has being affiliated with those guys helped you grow as an instructor?

The Golf Business Network is an organization that specifically identifies the necessities required for specific categories of the golf industry and they provide valuable information and seminars that help members of those specific categories grow or develop their business model.

Will we see you at the 2012 PGA Merchandise Show?

You bet! I will also be there for the #tweetup #2012!

You look good in green… nearly all of your magazine covers you’re wearing a green shirt!

Thanks… I’m not even Irish! (Laughs.) I’m of Scottish/German heritage. It wasn’t really feasible for me to fly down to Florida for the last cover so we got approval from a previous shoot to use those photos. I have a running joke with one of the girls (Sarah) that I used to work with at the club that I wore it just for her because she likes lime green shirts on me too. I sent her a couple of signed copies just for fun. I guess I’ll have to do another photo shoot with some new headshots.

You have a degree in Professional Golf Management. Where did you go to school? Did you play golf in college?

I had originally been accepted to a couple of universities here in Canada to play football and go through to be a school teacher. I was a quarterback but certainly had the foresight to see what the future might offer given my size, 5’9, 185, quick with a good arm but also a realist. I was more the Doug Flutie style but I could see the forest through the trees. So, I took a year off and figure out what I wanted to do in life. I saw an ad in Golf Digest as mentioned above and I chose to attend The Golf Academy of America and choose golf as my passion to follow.  It was a great experience and if anyone wants to get into the golf business I would recommend they enroll in this program. I learned and gained so much from the instructors and coaches at this college. Brad Turner, Charlie King, and the late Coach Conrad Rehling were all mentors to me in a variety of facets that relate to the industry.

What does being a class “A” member mean?

In my opinion, becoming a Class “A” Member of the alliance of PGA’s certainly proves that you were willing to complete a program and achieve a higher education in industry knowledge. An apprentice in any trade always strives to complete the set program, it provides the ability to earn more money, earn higher job positions, gain a certain amount of respect and support within your industry as a member of the organization. Here in the PGA of Canada we have candidates for Membership and Assistants, once you earn your Class “A” certification you become an official member of the association.

There are a LOT of great PGA teaching professionals out there. Putting the top 100 list aside, who is the best teacher in the world?

That’s kind of a loaded question. There are a number of them that are great marketers and brand builders. I don’t really favorite one teacher over another. I think the best teacher in the world is the one that can communicate, bond, build relationships, develop and present clear concise concepts and information to their students in a fun, creative learning environment so that we can continue to grow the game and our students continue to love the game.

What does it take to hold PGA TOUR credentials? Do you have to apply for that every year?

The tour sends them to you every year but you have to have a player on the PGA, Nationwide or Champions Tour that you work with. Yes, your player applies for them every year and signs off on the paper work to the tour headquarters and they issue your new one.

Speaking the TOUR, what player(s) have you worked with on TOUR? Do you follow them to events or just coach from home?

I’ve worked with several players over the years. Tyler Martin, Bryn Parry, Keith Nolan, Sara Brown, Alana Johnson, Seema Sadekar, Stacey Bieber and Rebecca Lee Bentham to name a few. And it depends… I’ve traveled regionally if their close by the area or they’ve flown me to events such as US Open Sectionals or other big events. I also Skype with them, usually just to share lots of positive thoughts and re-assurance as well as Facebook, Twitter or the old school text message. But, nothing is better than being there for the hands on experience if it’s cost feasible.

Calling text messaging old school… I love it! You are all over social media outlets… you even blog. In your opinion, how has that changed the way your business operates? How has the Internet changed the face of the golf industry?

Well, if you’re not participating in the social media arena in this day and age, you’re in the dark ages. I’ve set aside time every Monday morning during the season to accomplish or keep up with this side of the marketing/communication or attend to new business. As for changing the industry, there’s a lot more information out there for golf that’s for sure and if you’re not one of the people presenting or engaging the very people that are seeking the information I’m afraid you’re going to be left behind.  The customer will simply seek out other information providers and your potential client may have just clicked on your competitor’s site.

I know you have a Swinkey… what color? Mine’s pink!

Mine is tile wrapped with my company logo. Are you surprised? I didn’t think so. (Laughs.)

Do you listen to music when you practice?

I don’t listen to music when I practice. One would have to have enough time to actually practice for me to do that. My “to do” list is way too long. I probably had 2 quality practice sessions last season where I actually had the opportunity to focus.

What’s a lesson (coaching session) with you cost? Do you set your prices, or does the facility? 

As mentioned earlier, I won’t be offering any lessons. If someone wants a single it will probably be something like $250/hour for a couple of reasons. One, I’m not interested in teaching one off band aid sessions and it’s my objective to steer people to a learning/coaching model. My coaching plans will be 3 Month, 6 Month or 12 Month plans. I set my own pricing according to the other facilities within the current model of the club and other pros in the area. You get what you pay for in this world.

Do you do playing lessons?

Yes, more and more people are finally finding that these are more beneficial than range practice. I find myself coaching more on the course than on the range every year. This is where the game is played and this is where people should learn after they have developed some of the skill sets we worked on or patterned.

You are a pretty active member of the Business of Golf Instruction on Facebook. Have you learned anything in the group? What value do you see in sharing all of that information?

I really like that group. Most of the people that participate are friendly and willing to share their ideas. I try and help as much as possible where I can in expressing some of my experiences over the years and hopefully some of the group members can benefit from that knowledge. I have learned a few things and tried to incorporate some of those ideas into my business in order to grow my customer base as different things work better for certain demographics.

What’s next for Jason Helman… what does 2012 have in store for you, your golf game, and for Jason Helman Golf?

Well, 2012 got off to a good start. I was named to the Top 50 US Kids Instructor Honorable Mention worldwide list and while this is certainly an achievement being one of the few Canadians named to this list, I’m still striving for the top. So, one of the goals for next year will be to move up a list to the US Kids Top 50 Teacher List. I have a number of things/goals to accomplish for 2012, setting up a school in the USA and China, finish and launch my book, do another episode of “7 Nights At The Twitter Academy”, attain a couple of more tour players, attend a couple of trade shows, booking some corporate outings, the PGA of Canada Coach of the Year award is on my radar, try and line up some speaking engagements for social media and instructor business development.

I will shut up now… but I could talk to you all day buddy! Thank you so much for taking part in this. That was a lot of fun. In all of the interviews that I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.

I’m sure we’ll have lots of time to chat at the tweet up and PGA Merchandise Show. I had a great time and thank you for the support. If any other professionals would like to partner up with a clinic or school I’d be happy to join forces. Having said that if any fellow professionals require any opinions or assistance I have an open door, open contact policy, feel free to drop me a line. #howgolfprosroll

Click here to “like” Jason Helman Golf on Facebook

Click here to follow Jason Helman Golf on Twitter.

Click here to watch Jason Helman Golf on YouTube.

Dan, I heard part of your story on the radio one day.  I have been intrigued to learn more about you since. You were on there talking about prostate cancer. Before we get too far into this, what’s your story?

I have to admit, there is a bit of irony to my story… I was already working at the Prostate Cancer Foundation for two years in my capacity as VP of communications… I had been having my annual PSA screening and DRE since I was 40 and suddenly, I was diagnosed with what appeared to be an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Within a year my PSA nearly doubled, going from 3.1 to 5.8. The biopsy revealed more than 50% involvement of my gland and a Gleason Score of 7 (4+3).

As my urologist dutifully started to pencil out my treatment options, I stopped him and said, “You can stop… I know we are headed for surgery.” He looked at me with surprise in his eyes until I told him where I work. I shared with him that I was tracking with everything he was telling me and that I understood the potential severity of my situation.

If I had known that I was going to one day be diagnosed and decided to set my sights on my current job, I doubt I would have been able to make that happen. Life doesn’t work that way!

The PCF says, “accelerating the world’s most promising research”. What has the research done over the last few years, and where is that research headed?

Prostate cancer research is one of the most promising areas of cancer research—in terms of results—for both patients and researchers. More progress has been made in the past two years than in the entire preceding decade. We’ve identified twenty-seven genotypes or varieties of prostate cancer—some are very aggressive and life-threatening while others are indolent or so slow growing that they are not life-threatening. We seen five new drugs approved for patients with advanced prostate cancer and we are making progress in developing better diagnostics so we can someday soon overtreat less and cure more.

You studied at the University of Southern California and are still living in LA. Do you ever travel outside of Cali? (Not sure why you would… it’s gorgeous there!)

LA is great, but my wife and I actually left LA in 1988 for Portland, Oregon. It’s one of the most beautiful areas of the country with a much gentler lifestyle. We’ve also lived in the Netherlands for several years which was a fabulous experience.

It looks like you grew a mustache for MOVEMBER. Did you shave? Someone told me that December was also a “no shave” month!

Actually, the blue moustache you saw on Facebook was the work of Photoshop. Following my radical prostatectomy, the post-surgical pathology showed that my cancer had metastasized to my lymph nodes. Since then I have had seven weeks of radiation treatment and I am currently in two to three years of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). It cuts the production of testosterone which is a fuel for prostate cancer. It certainly makes for an interesting life: hot flashes, cold spells, night sweats, sleep problems, mood swings, laughing fits, muscle loss, extreme fatigue, etc. It’s why I call it a slow-drip chemo!

But it is doing what it is supposed to do. My testosterone level is way down and my PSA levels are imperceptible. But there are upsides: I don’t have to pay for a brazilian wax on my arms, legs and chest, and my male pattern baldness has reversed. (You see, testosterone creates a bi-product called di-hydrotestosterone which causes baldness!) When my surgeon first brought up ADT I remember asking if I would grow more hair on my head…

PCF raised over $14 million to support cancer research this year. That is impressive. How will those funds be spent?

Actually, PCF will have raised approximately $40 million to support research this year. Since 1993, we have raised more than $475 million. MOVEMBER raised $14 million in the US this year. We will split the proceeds from MOVEMBER with Livestrong in the U.S.

All proceeds that come to PCF are deployed rapidly to support game-changing research. We do not operate with an endowment. It’s cash in, cash out to support the research enterprise. It’s why we have been able to accelerate discovery in prostate cancer research. We also require our funded-researchers to share their data at our annual scientific retreat (a heretical idea when we were founded in 1993).

You can read about all of our research programs at www.pcf.org.

What are some of the symptoms of prostate cancer?

Unfortunately, prostate cancer is often a symptomatic, meaning that patients do not experience symptoms before they are diagnosed. The most common symptoms include pain in the lower back and hips, frequent urination, and interrupted urine flow. These could be dismissed easily by the average man. Other symptoms that are more likely to prompt a man to see his doctor are painful urination and blood in either his urine or semen.

Is there a way to check for that?

For years, the best first step in spotting a potential cancer has been the PSA test and the DRE (digital rectal exam). Men should speak with their physicians about a proactive plan that is right for them based on their physical shape and medical history when they reach 40.

But it must be clear, the PSA test is not a cancer test. It is the first diagnostic step in determining if there are any potential problems, including infection or enlargement, in the prostate. Prior to PSA testing, the majority of men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer were already had metastatic disease. Today, the reverse is true. What’s more, the death rate is now 40 percent lower than what was once projected.

A lot of diseases of there have cures… are we close with prostate cancer?

We are closer than ever to making prostate cancer a chronic or manageable disease rather than a life-threatening one. We are also closer to discerning which of the twenty-seven varieties need to be treated aggressively, which require moderate intervention and those which do not require immediate treatment and are suitable for active surveillance. This will enable us to prescribe personalized treatments and overtreat less while curing more. Ultimately, our goal is to find cures for the aggressive varieties.

With the progress we have achieved, many men are now living longer, more productive lives.

I don’t know many people affected by this… is it wide spread?

More than 16 million men worldwide are affected by prostate cancer. For 2010 in the U.S., 244,000 new cases were projected and 33,000 men were projected to die from this disease. In incidence and mortality, prostate cancer is to men what breast cancer is to women.

Who started the PCF?

PCF was founded by our chairman, Mike Milken shortly after he was diagnosed with advanced disease and told to get his affairs in order. He quickly discovered that prostate cancer research was virtually non-existent at that time. Thus, PCF’s model of venture philanthropy was born to support high-risk, high-patient-benefit research—the type many government programs do not sponsor. PCF’s involvement and model has helped build a global PCa research enterprise, built human capital to support research and enabled many—if not most—of the advances we have seen to date.

You haven’t always been at PCF. What did you do before?

I have worked on both the agency and corporate side of public relations and marketing communications for a wide spectrum of industries, both here and abroad. For the past eighteen years, my work has focused on life sciences and healthcare.

You work in and around communications… and I ask this all the time to the bands that I interview. How has the Internet changed the way that you do business? Has it changed the way you communicate on a daily basis?

Above all, the Internet and social media provide a wealth of opportunities for getting an organization’s message out to very specific, highly-engaged audiences. Blogs, user communities, Facebook and Twitter are very effective ways to communicate with targeted audience. It makes it easier to rise above the clutter. Of course, all of these venues require a high level of content generation. It’s a constant challenge to maintain a steady stream of high-quality, timely information. It has set a new standard. There is also a lot of poor information on the Internet. Those who can provide the quality information consumers are seeking, can set themselves apart from the rest.

It’s not easy getting published… but you have been published several times. Tell me about some of the things you have had published.

It’s as difficult as many think, especially in this time of reduced budgets and editorial staffs. If you have some of value to share, the expertise to back it up, and knowledge of where to pitch the idea, it’s achievable. My two recent favorite were Where’s the Prostate? (something many do not know, much less understand what it does) and Ladies, Check Your Prostates (women still make 85% of the healthcare decisions in households while men tend to neglect their regular checkups).  In my previous life, I published several articles on nanotechnology.

What exactly is nanotechnology?

That’s a whole other discussion we could spend hours on. It’s fascinating. Prior to ten years ago, we were working largely in the micro level. New technology has enable us to see and work on the nanoscale. Thus, we can increase storage capacity on disks—storing more data in less space and we can produce faster, more powerful computer chips and processors. In life science, we can now study cells on the molecular level and develop new nano-formulations of pharmaceuticals with new capabilities. From better paint jobs on our cars, to our iPhones, self-cleaning surfaces and lighter, more durable materials, we are surrounded by nano-enabled products and advances.

In my past job, I saw gold atoms dance on the edge of their surface. Those poor guys—trying to find their bonds and equilibrium just don’t get a rest. I’ll stop there.

You are the main point of contact for all media inquiries at the PCF. Do you get a lot of requests? What’s the weirdest request you have ever had?

We and many of our partner researchers serve as leading sources of information on prostate cancer, so we naturally get a good number of media calls on a routine basis. These are generally straight forward.

The oddest requests we get are from concerned patients who do not have access to good information. I once received a letter from a woman whose partner had prostate cancer. She was worried that she might get prostate cancer through oral sex. When it comes to health matters, no question is too weird or off the table. We provided her with a simple and direct answer. No.

Were there any major milestones in 2011?

Please see our just-published Progress Report at www.pcf.org/ourstories for more information on that.

Let’s say I have prostate cancer… what’s next? What are my treatment options?

First, don’t panic. Don’t put any carts before the proverbial horse. Remember early detection and treatment provides a five-year survival rate of nearly 97%. Also key to remember is that there are twenty-seven varieties to deal with. Do your research and become your own advocate so you can make informed decisions with your physicians. No one sized treatment fits all. Discuss your test data with your physicians to determine the perceived aggressiveness and, based on your personal health and age, make the decision that is right for you. Remember, you are also entitled to second opinions. They can often provide valued clarity in the decision-making process.

Also, be sure to take your partner or a trusted family member or friend to your consultations. They can help make sure you have “heard” everything and that all of your questions are answered to your satisfaction. www.pcf.org also provides valuable information for newly diagnosed patients and their families.

It looks like you guys have embraced social media. Do you have a team of people dedicated to those efforts, or is that just delegated to others in the office?

We have a team of two working together on social media. My cancer blog, www.mynewyorkminute.org, is all mine. I never know what I am going to write but I always find inspiration. I tell fellow patients and their caretakers that the content is there for them to pick and choose. The most important function of the blog is to remind all of us that we are not alone on this journey.

Oddly, I started thinking about initiating the blog while my urologist was giving me my diagnosis. Half of me was listening to him. The other voice in my head was saying, “You’re the communicator… you’ve spent the past two years telling men they need to make prostate cancer something to talk about… this is no coincidence… you need to be very public about this…” It felt like a moral imperative.

Two days later, totally unprompted, my wife turned to me and said… you know, being in your position, I believe you need to talk about this… you need to start a blog and talk about your “New York Minute”. There it was—agreement AND a name for the blog. No wonder we’ve been married almost twenty-seven years.

Breast cancer has pink… prostate cancer has blue. Is there any reason behind the colors? (Maybe a girl/boy thing?)

It’s been that way from the start, but I belive that is the thinking…

You have written a few blogs about your journey. I bet that takes a lot of courage to write about what happened.

Courage? Not really, once one gets past the whole macho thing. Passion is what’s required. As I said, it seemed like a moral imperative. My job, for which I long had a passion, now seems like an avocation. I often look back over my shoulder thinking I’ll find the boney finger that brought me back to LA… this position… and this journey.

What is MyBridge4Life?

It is an online forum where patients and caregivers can share their stories and provide support for each other.

Your diagnosis isn’t simple… can you walk me through that? When did you find out? What was that process like going from a healthy young man to having cancer?

I was diagnosed at age 51. I was surprised, but not shocked. Working at PCF, I knew the statistics. I understood that 1 out of 6 American man falls into those stats and and a diagnosis. I like to say my Pachinko ball simply fell into the cancer slot.

How do you stay so positive?

What else can you do? I draw great strength from my loving wife, family and friends and the many inspirational patients I have meet along the way. I’ll be honest—prompted by my reality and hormone treatment, I still have my down moments and can shed my share of tears. It’s important to allow one’s self to do that. You need to let it out. But I know I am not alone. There are many cancer patients who are doing better than me, and there are many who are in worse positions. We need to realize this is life and life has its challenges.

The journey isn’t over… what’s next for you? What does 2012 look like?

I look forward to just two more quarterly injections of Lupron and hopefully seeing the side effects start to wane in the fall. I’m told that it could take up to a full year to feel like my old self again. Just knowing I am close is comforting.

Of course… that means I enter my “wait and see” period. I’ll be giving up my active fight to see if my cancer recurs and if additional ADT treatment will work, or if I will become resistant to it and need to move onto chemo and other treatments. It’s all part of the journey. If I am fortunate, in four years I will hear my oncologist say, “You are cancer-free.”

Dan, this was a long time coming. I am glad that we finally got the chance to sit down and do this. I could ask you questions all day! In all of the interviews that I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.

Come on guys, for you and your loved ones, take care of your health. Make prostate cancer something to talk about and, once you reach 40, talk to your physician about your prostate health. Life is good. Don’t waste it!

Not sure if you have had a chance to check out the blog, but I have interviewed over 350 bands and DJs from all over the world. Recently I decided to get into PGA teaching pros. Made sense! Anyway, this is a new concept for me… I am glad to have you on board. Have you had a chance to look at any of the other interviews I have done with PGA guys?

I have checked out your interviews with quite a few of the PGA pros; exciting stuff. I am glad I can be a part of it. Thanks for bringing me this opportunity!

My pleasure! You are an Indiana boy… where are you originally from?

I am originally from Evansville, Indiana. I spent the first 23 years of my life growing up there and then going to the University of Evansville for 4 years. Then I moved to Orlando about 8 months after graduating and haven’t looked back!

You teach at two clubs, one in Ohio and one in Arizona. Tell me about the two places you teach. Do you prefer one club to the other?

They are both higher end private clubs. My club in Cleveland, Beechmont Country Club, has close to 400 golfing members, so it is very active. Mirabel in Scottsdale is a little more laid back, but I think that has a lot to do with it being more of a vacation spot for the members in the winter months. Most of the members there live somewhere else during the summer. As far as preferring one over the other, they both bring about different challenges and excitement.

How do you go about that… working at one club in the winter? Are both clubs aware and OK with you doing that?

Yes, both clubs know that I travel from one place to the next. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Cleveland, but you are lucky to get 3 months of good weather. So for me to stay there past the summer season would make it difficult for me to be successful as an instructor. Therefore, my contracts are structured for 5-6 months at each place and it actually works well for both the clubs and me.

You recently launched a new website. It looks great by the way. Is that your first site?

It’s my first site. I worked with IMAVEX and they did a great job on the new site!

You and I will be working together to build your brand a little bit too. Part of that is a Facebook/Twitter/YouTube campaign. Are you excited to share all of your thoughts with the world on these social media channels?

I am very excited! Most of that is new to me, but putting it all together has been fun while also challenging work. I look forward to seeing how much it grows and helps build my brand.

Tell me about your relationship with top 100 teacher Rick McCord.

Rick has been my mentor for the last 8 years, and no doubt I would not be where I am in my career without him. I began working at Orange Lake Resort where he has his academy back in 2004. My passion was in teaching, so I interviewed with him to see how I could get involved with his academy. I spent a lot of time watching Rick teach that first year, and fortunately he allowed me to do so. When you get to see a top 100 teacher give lessons on a daily basis you can improve as an instructor in your own rite very quickly. I was fortunate enough to be at an academy where the top 100 teacher is there on a daily basis, and not only that, but works with his staff to help them in their own careers. Rick helped me expand my career into Cleveland and now Arizona as well. We have become great friends through the years, and we still talk golf and golf swing on a regular basis to this day.

Did you play high school and college golf?

I started playing golf when I was 14 as a freshman and I was not good! However, I fell in love with the game, and by my junior year I was the best player in the city. I had options to walk on at some big schools, but decided to take a scholarship to my hometown university. I knew I would be able to play immediately at the Division I level there, so I couldn’t pass it up.

Do you still get to play a lot? I know some teachers who never play!

Define a lot… (Laughs.) I definitely play and make it a part of my business and profession to ensure that that stays a part of my practice. I love to compete, so I play in quite a few tournaments when I can, mostly in the summer months.  However, even if didn’t like to play in tournaments, I believe that actually playing the game of golf is so important to any golf professional’s business. It’s a shame to see golf professionals get into this business and fall into the traps of being inside behind a desk or computer all day. There are a lot of pieces to the golf business, but to me the most important pieces will always be teaching and playing.

I am sure you have played some pretty sweet golf courses… what’s your favorite golf course?

This is always a tough one for me. I tend to enjoy different things about many courses. Pine Valley is awesome and there is a lot more to it than just the course that makes it cool. Philadelphia Cricket Club and Caves Valley near Baltimore are also near the top of my list.

Starting with your driver, and working your way through the golf ball, what’s in your bag?

Taylor Made Everything!

• Driver – R11 10.5
• 3 Wood – R11 15 deg
• 5 Wood – R11 19 deg
• TP Rescue 2011 23.5 deg
• 4-PW – R9 B’s
• Wedges – 54 deg and 60 TP
• Putter – Rossa Daytona
• Golf Ball – Penta

How does being the Director of Instruction differ from being the head golf professional?

As the Director of Instruction, I am in charge of directing the entire teaching program at my clubs. Therefore, I coordinate clinics, golf schools, junior programs, and any packages or programs that we may have at the club. My sole responsibility is making sure the members are happy with the teaching program and the instruction that they are getting while also coming up with new creative and innovative ideas to present to them. As a Head Professional, you are much more in charge of the day to day operations of the club. The HP has a staff that he is in charge of; he has tournaments to run, and members to satisfy with everything from merchandising to pace of play.

Let’s say I schedule a lesson with you. What’s that first lesson look like?

It depends on the person. I’m not a method teacher, which means I don’t have a script that I go through with every person the same way.  I don’t believe in teaching everyone the same thing because everyone is different. I really believe that getting to know your students personality is important. Therefore, my lessons begin with asking questions. You can find a lot out about your students just by talking to them. Everything from what they are working on, to what they think they are doing in their swings. It’s important to understand your student and what type of a player they are before you can build a program for them. It’’ vital to understand their commitment to practice and the time they are going to put into improving before you begin working on them as well. I don’t believe you should expect everyone to work as hard as a tour pro or to be as talented as one. Therefore, I am going to structure the amount of changes we make based on a number of factors, including coordination and ability, as well as their time commitment.

Do you watch much golf on TV? I am the biggest Tiger Woods fan… who is your favorite player?

When I get the time I do try to stay up on what is going on with the PGA TOUR. Growing up I was a huge Fred Couples fan and then David Duval as well. Recently, I enjoy watching Dustin Johnson; just wish he would learn to putt!

Do you do playing lessons?

Absolutely. It can be difficult when the courses are busy in prime season, but that is the best way to really get your students to learn and improve. I tell my students that if we are spending a multitude of lessons on the driving range then we are not moving in the direction I would like to go. It always depends on each individual player, but I like to get them comfortable with an improving swing thought, and then move to the short game and on course. Most people think that to get better they need to improve their swing when actually you can improve most players’ game and scoring just by progressing in the short game and on course strategy.

What’s the lowest score you have ever shot?

In college, I shot a 60 in a qualifying round at a very easy public course. Most recently, I had a very streaky summer in 2010 where I shot a couple 63s and a couple 64s in tournaments which is always nice.

Let’s say I want 10 more yards off the tee. In 140 characters or less (thinking Twitter over here) what would you suggest?

Focus on hitting it more solid.

You are a member of the Golf Business Network. How has that helped you grow as a teaching professional?

I’ve only been a Golf Business Network member for less than a year, but it definitely gives you the tools you need to be connected in the golfing world. GBN is also committed to keeping their network small enough to where each individual can benefit from personal service which is nice.

There are four majors on the PGA TOUR… which is your favorite to watch and why?

The Masters. They each bring something special to the table, but I’ve been to Augusta and the place is incredible. I can’t describe it, but if you are a fan of golf you have to find a way to go.

Most PGA teaching professionals share lesson rates. Are your lesson rates public? Do you set those or does the club set them for you?

My lesson rates are advertised at my clubs, but are not posted on my website. If someone wants to take a lesson, I want them to take a lesson from me because they liked my philosophy or were recommended to me by someone, not because I charge less or more than someone else. I determine what I charge for instruction, but there is some discretion that I use since I am working at a private club and my job is to service the membership.

Let’s go back to the top 100. In your opinion, who is the best PGA teaching professional? You are not allowed to say yourself!

That’s such a difficult question. I’ve seen a lot of great instructors out there and I’ve seen a lot of bad ones. The top 100 list is very political and in my opinion does not represent the best 100 teachers in America, and a lot of people would agree with that. To me, Rick McCord embodies what every instructor should be. His expertise has taught the touring pro, but also is able to “dummy” it down for the average golfer. I believe he has the longest tenure on the top 100 list, which is saying something.

It gets hot in Arizona. Do you ever get sick of the heat?

Fortunately, I leave Arizona in late April before it gets crazy hot. However, I’d rather endure extreme heat than extreme cold. You can’t play golf in the snow!

Taylor Made has a white driver. Have you tried to hit that thing? No way you can stay comfortable over the ball!

Yes, I have tried and succeeded! The R11 is in my bag and is the best driver I have ever hit. Honestly, the color never was an issue. As a golfer, you begin to get used to your equipment. I remember when the titanium drivers first started coming out and they kept getting bigger and bigger. At first, I was like how can you hit these things, they are so big!  Now, if I see an old Big Bertha it’s the size of my 5 wood!

You are in Arizona during the Waste Management event at TPC Scottsdale. Do you go to that every year?

Well, last year was the first I was here during the tournament, but I did go. We sat on #16 for a while, and actually saw the first hole in one they have had on that hole in 6 or 7 years I think… pretty cool.

Do you think Tiger will break Jack’s record?

If he stays healthy, then yes. But I am a lot less sure about it now than I was 3 years ago. I do think he will return to Tiger form next year and I actually just wrote an article about this for my website!

On Facebook, there is a group called the Business of Golf Instruction. The idea behind this group is to share information from one pro to the next. What are your thoughts on sharing information? Have you seen a lot of benefit from being involved with that group?

I’ve just joined the group so I haven’t gotten involved a whole lot yet, but I have already made some connections and can see that it will be very beneficial in the future. As far as sharing information, I’ll never understand instructors who are too insecure to share information. I love to hear what others have to say about the golf swing and the business, and I hope they enjoy what I have to say as well. I believe networks and groups like this are what will help improve and grow the game.

I like to listen to music when I practice. Do you listen to tunes while you practice?

I’d like to, but when I’m practicing it is usually in between lessons and near members, so I don’t think it’s very professional to tune them out when they are around.

Have you ever had a hole in one?

NEVER!

2012 is here. What does the New Year have in store for you?

Well, I’m excited about my new website and being able to bring some of my ideas and talents to the public!

Will I see you in Orlando at the PGA Merchandise Show?

No. I am just too busy in late January to be able to miss a few days. That is the heart of the winter season in Arizona!

Jason, I could ask you questions all day long. I appreciate you taking the time to sit and chat. In all of the interviews that I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.

Stay thirsty my friend.

Click here to “like” Jason Reddington on Facebook.

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Click here to watch Jason Reddington on YouTube.

Let’s start with the name… bells and jars don’t really go together. Is there a meaning behind that? Where did the name come from?

BellJar is actually a Sylvia Plath reference. We had to read it as an English AP project. I don’t know if you know much about her, but it was released under a pseudonym. It talked about struggles and depression that a lot of novelists hadn’t dealt with. Her novel changed the landscape of literature. I hated that novel. I hated reading it. It was very depressing; it was hard for me to stick with.

What I walked away with, years later, was what she accomplished and what she was doing. It was our expression of our struggles and us succeeding and failing… what we have been through. We are just trying to connect with people just like she did with her readers. We want people to relate to that and understand that they are not alone. BellJar just seemed like a fitting title.

Did you need her permission to use that name?

The book is The Bell Jar; they are separate. I just took bell and jar and put them together. From what I have seen, bands have used song titles and sections for years. Godsmack stole Alice in Chains. It wasn’t trying to be infringement.

I haven’t seen you guys live before… really looking forward to it. For those out there who have yet to see a show, what can fans (or potential fans) expect from a live performance?

I think they should expect a lively show with sound that drives people to dance. We have a similar sound in all our songs, but they are all in a different style. It’s very upbeat. It’s not real heavy, but it’s not soft either.

We take a lot of pride picking our setlist. We don’t just pick a song to do it. We like to give it some flavor and not take away from the original writer, but try to give our interpretation of what it means to us. We put our own spin on it. We took Dansik’s song Mother and turned it into a guitar piece with a fiddle behind it. That’s one of the covers that we have done that people have raved about. It makes our originals stand out; we take a lot of pride in what we are putting forth. We want to be playing songs for ourselves, but for the people.

So do you need permission when you cover a song?

You are ASCAP certified as musicians. They cover that. Most places cover that too. Playing out and doing a cover song, you pay forth a certain amount and that gives you the right to use their music. There is protection for the artist.

What is your favorite cover song to play?

Can’t You See is a great jam. It sounds great with the drums and the fiddle. It’s a fun song that a lot of people do know. It’s a great jam song you can progress eight measures easily and not know where time goes.

We also like doing Billie Jean, the Chris Cornell track. It’s a great cover. We love Far Behind too. We like it because it’s old school. It makes me nostalgic and a state of euphoria kicks in. We really do spend a lot of time picking our covers. We figure it out and what we can do with it as the artist. They are fun, but our favorite songs are the originals.

SOPA is a big issue in Washington right now. What are your thoughts on all that? Should we #killSOPA?

Speaking as one who has material out there, I think the idea of the act is valid and good. My concern is having them force it without creating a freedom of speech and a freedom on information. There needs to be a way that we can search for information that we need, yet those of us who have a collection of material are protected.

I think the enforcement will be a problem.

Your name is Brandon Cannon. There is a Benjamin Cannon in Indy too. Are you guys related? (He’s also in a band.)

I do have a brother. My full name is Brandon Benjamin Cannon. BBC! My brother is Nathan. I started Facebook in college. I don’t know what year, but I was in college. Everyone was doing it! I did it the wrong way. I added everyone as a friend… half the people I didn’t know. Most I didn’t talk to. Then I had all these friends, but it never added up to anything. I got to a point where it was easier for me to just delete the FB page and go about my own life. I really didn’t need to.

I was required over a year ago, from a job, to open a FB page. I liked the way the company used FB to market their brand and their name to reach out to a community to make themselves known. I found a new way to use it. It allowed me to stay friends with the friends I do see and do talk to. It provides the ability to promote my music and my band. I wanted to strengthen what seems to be an ever-shifting platform. So my Facebook page is more of a business.

Do you have a job outside of music?

Yes, I do.

I dig your logo… who designed that?

Justin Foxworth. He did our logo, and our shirts. He is doing the album cover too. I can’t speak more highly of him. None of this happens without him and his support. To be a staple in a community, we can’t do it without his talents. He is helping our image and is helping get us out there.

We talked a little bit about Facebook… and I see you are also using Twitter to promote the band. What others ways do you promote BellJar?

Right now, Facebook and Twitter. We are using our friends, family, and other musicians to help spread the word. We are building a website and getting into other areas of networking. They take more time and a lot of effort. I know a lot of bands see a positive thing on MySpace. I don’t think there is anything wrong there, but now there is the ability to put music on Facebook. I would rather build a website more than anything. That’s the goal.

Our focus is our EP due out early in 2012. Our focus is on that, and everything that we have going into that. We could have a nice website and a great FB page… but without a good EP that doesn’t help me push my music and book shows. The strength is putting out a quality album. The best marketing tool is word of mouth… and it’s free.

Are you originally from the Circle City?

He’s from Kokomo. Holly is from Fortville. Hancock County boys… represent!

(Brandon) I’m from Bloomington. My folks went to IU.

Where do you guys practice?

In the pink room. We started practicing in a room that was ALL pink. Now we have evolved. Now we practice downstairs at Keith’s house. A lot of coffee and a lot of good music is what it is. And a lot of laughter. We laugh a lot.

In your opinion, how has the Internet changed the way people absorb music?

In the beginning, it became so much more accessible… all of it was at the tip of your fingers. It’s gotten back to where bands are playing more shows; go see the live atmosphere. Maybe on some level we got tired of being able to download so fast, we forgot the originality of a live show.

(Keith) I think it’s amazing. When you had to buy a CD, you couldn’t just run out and buy a CD from some local band. You can just jump online and check them out. That makes me want to see the bands more than anything. I want to hear them before we see them.

(Holly) I love the ability to connect with people and make more songs accessible. There is something to be said with sharing an experience, and if you can share it with music… it makes it even better.

Your friend Mary Baker first introduced us. From the start I was impressed. How do you know Mary? Is she your biggest fan?

She is most definitely one of our biggest fans. She is an inspiration to some of our songs. I met Mary a few years ago. I was doing some DJ spot at the Fox and Hound, and her and her friends go to the one on 82^nd street all the time. We became good friends, and I ended up hanging out with her group of friends. We became close, had similar tastes, and inspirations. We felt like we both looked through a similar set of glasses.

There are a lot of bands out there. Who are you listening to these days? What is your favorite genre of music?

(Brandon) Wow… I grew up listening to the band Cream… Neil Young and today I find myself unable to put down a Ray Lamontagne. I am impressed with bands like 30 Seconds To Mars and Chevelle… they impress me with every album. I just really enjoy music that I can relate to, no matter the style.

(Keith) I don’t know who any of those bands are. Literally… I know one. But I think that’s what plays into our sound. I have Sevendust in my car.

(Holly) Bruce Cobern, Marty Jones, Joni Mitchell… I love 80’s alternative and 80’s pop. How can you not? I love Megadeth… Aretha Franklin. My spectrum is very broad as far as music goes.

What’s the biggest crowd you have ever played for?

Birdy’s Bar & Grill… 300+. We opened for Parabelle. The majority of the crowd was our first big outing as a band.

The smallest?

Locals Only… we did a pickup gig. I feel so bad but this band had a show at Locals Only. It was 9 hours before the show and we went and did it anyway. We had our immediate family there to support us. There were no more than 20 people there, if that. It was a fun night, nonetheless. It was a good stage experience. We got a chance to work on our set!

Who writes all of the lyrics?

We share that responsibility. I came in with a few songs; stuff I had been working on. It was the original concept I was working on. Now that I have the musicians to work with, we had three or four of mine. Keith added a few of his. We pretty much write our songs together now. Holly, when she comes to our practice, she adds as well. She helps us stand out. We are really trying to reach our full potential.

What’s the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you on stage?

Holly has played on stage more than me. But at Locals Only, my guitar didn’t work. I left my tuner on. That was pretty embarrassing. I plugged in, and wasn’t getting sound. They setup a microphone for me to play into. It was pretty embarrassing.

I bet you are a beer guy. What’s your favorite beer?

Smithwicks. But I’m actually a scotch man. Glenlivet 18 years is my favorite scotch. I can afford the 10-year Laphroaig, but the nicer stuff I can’t afford. The 18 is about as high as I can go.

You went to IU? I went to Purdue. Can we still be friends?

No.

Well… it’s a New Year. What does 2012 have in store for you?

We have our EP coming out. We are finishing up with the recordings, and early next year we are going to release it. We have a few shows already booked. We are doing the USO event on April 18^th downtown. We have some shows down in Bloomington… and we can’t forget about six4six. It’s going to be a big year for us. I see us playing out a lot, and playing to a bigger fan base with that EP.

When it’s all said and done, what do you want to be remembered for? What’s the legacy of BellJar?

That’s a good question. We have come so far… I want to know that the day we walk away that we connected with someone. We want to make a difference, and that everything we put into these lyrics… these lyrics, these shows… that it was built into something bigger for someone else. That’s what it should be about on any level.

What’s a typical Friday night look like for you?

Holly, what do you do on Friday night?

(Holly) May through October I am usually playing music. Right now is a slow season.

(Keith) Putting my kids to bed. Drinking. That’s what I do.

(Brandon) I like to spend my Friday nights with friends and family. Whether dinner or game night, even having a couple of cocktails I want to surround myself with the people that I love. They are the reason I am here today and the weekend is a good time for that.

I feel like I could ask you questions all day long. Thank you so much for doing this. I should stop… you have a show to play! In all of the interviews I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.

My mom told me something years ago that has stuck with me, and I think the best way that I can live my life. We are here for one reason. It is to be loved and to love. This band is founded on that. Our music is inspired by it… and it’s definitely what we would like to leave behind. We want everyone to know that they were loved, and that’s the most important thing.

Click here to “like” BellJar on Facebook.

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This is the third PGA teaching professional interview that I have done. Are you excited to be a part of the growing list of interviews?

Ricky, I am honored.

You are currently teaching down at Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club. How long have you been down there?

This is my sixth year at Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club.

Do you have a yacht?

(Laughs.) No, but I do have a 24 ft. Sea Ray bowrider.

How does being the Director of Instruction differ from being the head golf professional?

A DOI specializes on golf instruction only, where as a head golf professional specializes in the entire golf operation.

You are TPI Certified. How many levels of certification are there?

The highest level is three. I take my level three in January.

You work with a ton of players. My favorite is Hugo Leon. When these players are in a tournament, do you travel with them or are you just teaching at Harbour Ridge?

I travel to about eleven or twelve events a year.

When working with players like this, do they pay you by the hour or do you work with them on a case by case basis?

I would say it’s half and half… some pay by the hour; some have me on a retainer.

Do you work with any PGA and / or LPGA players?

I have been a pretty big staple of Nationwide and Future Tour players (eleven). Derek Fathauer and Kevin Johnson had their tour cards last year.

What’s a TPI body assessment?

It’s a  test to evaluate a person’s limitations by assessing their stability and mobility. This tells me what their body can or can’t do. I need to know this if I want them to make a specific move.

Do you do playing lessons with your students?

If I had it my way all my lessons would be on the course. Golf is the only sport that is practiced on a different field than you play on.

To you, is it coaching or teaching? Is there a difference?

COACHING… to me teaching is showing a student how to make a specific move where as coaching is teaching a student how to make that move while teaching him to play the game.

You are a member of the Golf Business Network. What does being a member of an organization like that do for you?

Being a GBN member is great for understanding your industry. It also establishes you as an expert in your profession.

Tell me about your relationship with Dr. Bob Rotella.

I started working with Doc my rookie year on Tour. We became good friends and I see Doc out on Tour quite a bit. I still consult with him when I have a mental issue with one of my players. We play golf about once or twice a year together (the big match)…

Hugo is on the Nationwide. What typically keeps players from making the jump to the PGA Tour?

They need to get to a point where they understand THEIR SWING (not the swing) and understand THEIR MIND. It’s my job to help the as a COACH; to help them understand what works.

Do you play very much golf?

Not really. I would say about five times a year.

What’s your favorite golf course? Think hard here… you aren’t allowed to say Harbour Ridge!

(Laughs.) Well I would have to say Pebble Beach. I played the 2000 U.S. Open there and fell in love with the place. But the River Ridge course at Harbour Ridge is still one of my favorites…

Your student Richard Donegan just won the Florida State High Championship. I bet that feels good. When players win events like this, how do you celebrate?

It’s “Miller Time”… I don’t do too much; maybe go out with my wife Judy and have a few adult beverages. It feels great to know you’re making a difference in someone’s goals and dreams.

Starting with your driver, and working your way all the way through the bag… golf ball included, what’s in your bag?

Well hell I don’t even know where my bag is, let alone what’s in it… Not all Titleist equipment. I have a D2 Driver, AP2 irons, Vokey 56 and 60 wedges, Scotty Cameron prototype putter and Titleist Pro V 1x ball… wow, OK I won’t lie. I had to actually find my bag and look to see what I had in it!

You have a new website. It turned out great! I see you have some videos coming soon there… what sort of videos are you wanting to produce for your students?

I want them to understand the game, not just the swing. The game is driving, irons, chipping, pitching, bunker play, putting and course management. What I am trying to do is help them improve one shot on each aspect of the game, instead of all of it on their swing. – http://www.mikemaliziagolfperformance.com/

Let’s say I want to get a lesson with you… what’s the first lesson like? How do you get comfortable with your students?

The first thing I do is listen to them… (the first key to communication); this will tell me what type of person they are and how they learn. My goal is to make each lesson fun and educational.

Are you able to work with folks who are not members at Harbour Ridge? (I assume you can, since you work with so many players.)

Yes, I am very fortunate to be at a place like Harbour Ridge.

You have a profile page on the PGA Tour website. You were on the Tour?

If you want to call it that! (Laughs.) For a little while, let’s put it this way… I have played every tour except the LPGA. I never really cared about playing that much. I was more intrigued on why things happen from a physical and mental aspect.

There are a lot of good instructors out there… but in your opinion, which is the best?

The one who can adapt to any student, mentally and physically. If I don’t know what his or her body can do and how they learn, then they’re just guessing when they want you to do something.

What’s it take to make the top 100? Do those pros get any benefits for being in the top 100? (The top 100 DJ list is something I pay a lot of attention to as well.)

The benefits are great. It’s something I don’t think about much. My goal is to keep improving and getting better everyday, learning more about the body, the mind, and biomechanics. Like I tell my students, “Focus on the process and let the outcome happen.” It is a goal of mine and I would be honored to be nominated as a top 100 instructor, but right now I need to pay attention to the process.

Speaking of music, what are you into? Who are some of your favorite bands?

Well this usually freaks people out, but my two favorite bands are Rush and Motley Crue. I listen to everything from Zac Brown to Marilyn Manson to Pantera. When I was on Tour, Doc Rotella said I needed to listen to something soothing. One day he rode with me to the course and I put on Motley Crue Wild Side for him… he just looked at me and said, “I can see now why you can’t cut.”

Let’s say I hit my driver 270 yards off the tee with a slight draw. I don’t want to buy a new driver, but I need to pick up 10 more yards. What tips would you give me for increasing my distance off the tee?

I would tell you to take 10 steps backward and you just picked up your added yardages… and you want to know why I get paid the big bucks! (Laughs.) No, I would test your body, mobility, and stability and see if we could improve your body to increase distance.

What’s next for you… any big plans for 2012?

Just to keep learning; that’s why I love what I do. No matter how old or how educated you get, you can still always learn.

You are still young, but what do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done? What is the Mike Malizia legacy?

Is 41 really considered young? I want to be remembered as a good person… someone who went the extra step to make a difference and someone who enjoyed life.

Mike, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule for this. It means the world. In all of the interviews I do, bands and golf pros alike, I always give the artist the last word. Go.

I think I have to ask my wife before I answer this question because she said she always has the last word… hold on, I’ll be right back. She said it would be okay! (Laughs.) She said the last word would be (I love these lyrics, by the way), “Each day’s a gift and not a given right.” Thanks Ricky… now name the band!

So we met on Facebook… I actually wasn’t familiar with your work until then. Now I am seeing you all over the place. Let’s start with your name. Is your real name Beadz Jones? And why a “Z” and not an “S”?

Beadz Jones isn’t my birth name, it’s actually Derrick Jones. The name Beadz came to be from me having braids with beads on them. I wore braids and beads for over eight years and whenever I rapped or performed I performed with a lot of energy and all people would see was my braids and beads going everywhere. So in high school some of the girls thought it was cute and would come up to me in the hallway and asked me to shake my beads… the name stuck from there. I use the “Z” instead of the “S” because it looks cooler to me. (Laughs.)

What’s it like working for Manatee Records?

It’s great being a part of Manatee Records. I’m the lead artists on the label and I also have an executive position with them. I play a major role on helping make decisions in what direction the label takes. Some of the artists on the label deal with marketing and promotions.

Where are you originally from?

I’m originally from Chicago. I was born on the south side of Chicago, and I spent my peak years in Harvey/Riverdale, Illinois which is like ten minutes from the city of Chicago.

I see you are a Sox fan. Why not the Cubs?

I started off a Cubs fan when I was young, but when I got to the age to really understand I was from the south side I became a Sox fan because they’re on the south side. I’m a fan of all Chicago teams though.

You have produced a ton of work. How is a mix tape different than an EP or a full-length album?

Well the main difference between a mix tape and an actual album is the fact that on a mix tape there are no rules. What I mean by that is on a mix tape you can take/use other artists beats and samples without permission… basically because mix tapes are mainly for promotional use only. On most mix tapes, artists get DJs to mix and blend records together. In most cases there is no particular structure. When an artist works on an album, they trying to find your lead records that will catch the consumer or your fan base; they’ll look forward to your project. Also on an album an artist will work with producer and different artists to build the body of work which means there more business involved in legal ramifications.

You say you are “one of the realist in it”… but what is “it”?

When I say I’m “one of the realist in it”, I’m saying I’m one of the realist in this industry. The things I rap about are things I have personally experienced or have seen those close by me experienced. I don’t go far out of things that I don’t know. If I’m not sure about something, I don’t rap about it. I do over exaggerate, or talk about things that’s out of my tax bracket. I don’t rap about Maybachs cause I never been in one… I don’t rap about the stars, the moon or the galaxies because I’ve never been. I feel I have been successful to this point because I kept it real thus far.

Do you write all of your own lyrics?

Yes, I write all my own lyrics. I write everything and do most of the singing as well.

They dubbed you the “Face of Chicago”. You were featured in an issue of Hip Hop Weekly. What sort of exposure does something like that get you?

It’s been a blessing to appear in Hip Hop Weekly Magazine and the other magazines I’ve been featured in. A magazine as big as HHW puts you in the presence of the top hip hop artists in the music industry. It helps build the awareness for independent artists such as myself.

Do you play a lot of live shows up there in the Windy City?

Yes, I have performed in majority of all the top hip hop venues in Chicago. I also travel a lot and perform in different states as well.

What are you listening to these days… what’s on your iPod?

I predominately listen to hip hop & R&B,. As far as mainstream artist go, I still listen to older music like Jay Z, Tupac, DMX & Biggie. I do listen to artists like Lil Wayne and Drake and any other artist who’s successful… because I have to take in consideration what they are doing to be in the position they’re in. I also listen to a lot of underground Chicago music.

How did you get connected with Raw Product Music?

Raw Product Music was a group that I started when I was younger. Now we go by Dowg Mobb Ent or Team DME.

Do you have a job outside of music?

No, I don’t have a job outside of music. I’ve been fortunate enough to maintain off of music, paid shows and features.

Wait a second… and you were featured in an issue of The Source. Lil Wayne was on the cover of that one. Man, you are killing it up there.

Yeah, I was featured in The Source, Hip Hop Weekly Magazine, Ozone Magazine, Hood Mag, SIR Mag, Ford Mag and a few more. It’s like a snowball effect once the people pick up on you and you stay consistent… one thing leads to another.

Is the scene you are in competitive, or do you guys share ideas and shows?

It’s both; it’s very competitive on the Chicago music scene at the same time it’s certain artists share ideas, plans and strategy.

Tell me a little bit more about “A.W.N”.

“A.W.N” is the name of one of my CDs. It stands for “America’s Worse Nightmare”, meaning “I’m a Nightmare to America” in  various way. I’m a nightmare with my music and intelligence. I’m not the average rap artist. I feel I’m in the process to make an impact in the music industry how a Jay Z or a 50 Cent did. They both were successful making music and business moves.

I see you are also a Bulls fan. As a matter of fact, you wrote the official Derrick Rose theme song. How does an opportunity like that even present itself?

Some opportunities you have to create and that’s exactly what I did with the D Rose them song. I made the song because I felt he deserved a song. I did the song out of RESPECT for what he recreated for Chicago basketball and the song just took off and the people made it successful and created the awareness of the song.

Who are some of your biggest inspirations?.

My mom and my son are my biggest inspirations. Life itself inspires me to make the music I make though.

You are all over Twitter. In your opinion, how has the internet and social media changed the way people absorb music?

The Internet and social sites make it easier for an artist to reach more people without spending a lot of money. I can be in NY and still handle business in MN with the web and social media. I’m able to keep my fans in tune with me easier by a click of a button.

You’re over 21… what’s your favorite drink of choice?

Awww man… I’m Remy VSOP is my #1 choice. I also like Hennesy, Grey Goose and Rose. Those my favorites.

What would you be doing if you were not recording?

If I wasn’t a recording artist I would’ve perused the career to be an on air radio personality on an urban station.

Some people call it rap… others hip-hop. What do you call it? Is there a difference between the two?

Some artists are rappers and some are hip hop artists. Hip hop to me is the culture and rap is just part of the culture. Hip hop has substance; it’s just not words over a beat. A good hip hop artists you’ll feel like you know them and the music is everlasting. Rappers are trendy and are only here for the moment.

What’s a typical Friday night look like for you?

It really depends but Fridays are busy… sometimes I’m traveling performing or making appearance in a club.

I remember listening to rap a lot growing up. I always liked the poetic side of the lyrics. But the whole “east coast / west coast” thing got in the way. Why can’t everyone just be friends? You are stuck in the middle here living in the Midwest.

I think it just depend on the type of people and the type of egos they have what causes rap “beef”. Egos tend to run high in the rap world and rap is oriented from the streets so the combination can potentially cause problems. Some rap “beef” is fun and entertaining because battling is part of the culture. The problem comes when people take it too far.

When you sit down to write a new track, what is that process like?

When I make a song the process is like talking to a woman I would like to hook up with… some are easier than others. (Laughs.) I ride with the beat and listen to it and I talked back to it. If me and that beat is meant to be, a good song come out.

Tell me about your relationship with Emily Grimes.

Emily is a photographer out Chicago. She made her name by doing a lot of photos at the underground hip hop spots. I took a liking to her work and I hired her to do photo shoots for me and the artists involved with my company. I recently had her take photos of the behind the scenes of  my video Everything Cold featuring my artist D Greazy.

How was your Christmas?. Get everything on your wish list?

I just wished for a strong end to 2011. I got two videos in the editing process and I’m shot another video for another one of my songs on December 27. I just want to end 2011 strong, and get a good jump on the new year.

From what I can tell, you had a pretty good 2011. What’s next for you… what do you have in store for 2012?

In the first quarter of 2012 music fans should see me appear in at least three more major magazines. I start my promo tour top of the year as well. Also there will be more videos to come and another CD.

In all of the interviews I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.

I would like to thank you for taking time to interview me! I would like to thank BC the Man for linking us up. Also would like the readers to follow me on Twitter. Mad love to everybody who supports independent artists no matter what genre. Be on the look out for Manatee Records / Dowg Mobb Ent and Breezy Diamond Dolls!

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