What is it like being considered one of the biggest and best DJs on the planet?

(Laughs) What is it like? Pretty normal actually. I think the best part about it is that you are famous for only five minutes. Then you go home and everything is normal. It’s just a dose of fame when you first walk into the club or festival. You are quickly brought back down when you get back home and step off the plane.

Do you like living in London?

I really like it here. The weather is nice today. We don’t get too many decent summers and this summer has been really great. It makes a mass of difference when the weather is nice. London is such a cultural hub.

The name Above & Beyond came from a poster you had hanging on the wall if I am not mistaken. Do you still have that poster?

That’s right. I don’t. I don’t know what happened to it. It’s a part of history now I guess. It’s probably sitting in some closet somewhere or something. I don’t know; wish I still had it.

What is the largest crowd you have ever played for?

In 2007 on New Year’s Eve we played to a million in Brazil. I think that is the biggest gig we have done. You don’t really realize how many people you are paying to. It was a big crowd going down the beach. It didn’t feel that much bigger than any other gig really. We just did EDC in LA. I don’t know the numbers but I think the event had over 100,000 estimated to appear and in the main stadium (where we played) I think there were 50-60 thousand.

You guys looking forward to Electric Zoo this September?

Definitely. To be honest, all the gigs we do in North America are always fantastic. Things like satellite radio help our scene. Dance stations are always being played and people are really starting to get educated about this stuff. The scene is bigger in other places like London and Amsterdam, but America has a great scene thanks to the satellite radio. The radio has actually gone less dance over here than anything. It is good for the scene here, as it has made it more underground.

At the same tine, the gigs where we play to 100 people on a Monday are really important to us. If you can do that it is important to make use of those nights. I would much rather be doing a gig than sitting in a hotel room. Those gigs don’t make us a lot of money, but they are a great way to spread the Above and Beyond name. We are just playing to more people that way. We are giving people a chance who wouldn’t normally get to see it on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday night. We save the weekends for bigger cities. Like I said, we would much rather be working.

Tell me a little bit about your new disc.

I think it’s more progressive than some of the other ones. It’s reflective of some more of the music we are getting into at the moment. Perhaps a little bit more groove laden and with a little more classic trance. We have some mixes on the disc that are more techno and funk. It covers the middle of that range I guess. I hope it’s a journey for some people.

You guys are also known as Rollerball and Tongue of God. Any reason behind those other names?

You are digging deep there. Years ago producers would work under different names so they could put our more material. The scene has changed and now it makes DJs put everything out under one name. These different names would produce slightly different sounds. Above and Beyond was for the lyrical stuff. The Ocean Lab stuff was specific to tracks and what not. Some of them were for even instrumental tracks.

What advice do you give someone thinking about a career as a DJ?

I think to learn off other people and copy other sounds. Learn the craft of producing. Listen and learn and then copy it. The most important thing is to always make sure there is an original edge to a track. We get sent stuff that sounds like Deadmous5, even though its good, it’s still a direct copy of that sound. Try to be original. You don’t have to be 100% original, use idea from other tracks, but if you copy a complete track and do everything the same, it will sound just like everything else. Take a bit of the Deadmous5 sound, then a bit of trace, then some house, then you have something original. There isn’t anything truly original, and it is all relative to something. This year we have had a guy called Archie, from Russia; he has done just that. He has taken some classic trance and has mixed it and it s a new sound that hasn’t been heard before.

You are good friends with Armin van Buuren. What’s he like?

(Laughs) We have known each other for ten years. We had dinner with him a few times but have never worked together. He is really professional at what he does. He knows exactly what he wants. He knows how to bring the scene together and sort of bridges all the genres of trace together. He is a very good leader.

Where are you originally from?

I am from the southwest of England. But I now live in London.

How do you usually prepare for a show?

It used to be a case of vodka and tonic. These days I hardly drink at gigs. I do sometimes, but in terms of the music we do a lot of preparation. We want to have an idea of which tracks we are playing. We know which of the big tracks we want to use. We leave some room to play what we want, but we try to prepare this stuff in the studio before hand. Some of the tracks might go on too long or we have even added drums to track when it didn’t sound right in the club. We add some more percussion to beef it up, we can do bootlegs, and we just make it fit the club and make those adjustments. We have even done stuff by remote desktop. Say we are in New York, get to the hotel, and go, “Oh god, the bass isn’t right.” The changes are something small, a little tweak here or there, and we will remote home, login and rebounce it.

Tell me why there are three of you.

It was just something we decided on; we just ended up working together. With any kind of band, unless you are missing a member of the band, you need a drummer in a there. What happened was I was working at university on my degree, and that is how we all met. Meanwhile Tony’s brother got in with him and introduced us. I used to work for Yamaha, and I made a sample CD that wasn’t too readily available. His brother bought the CD and we got talking and he gave it to Tony who was working at a record label at the time. He was at Warner Music. We ended up going out to listen to the music all together and they asked us to do a remix. We did a remix and Tony got offered a remix from Warner and that was the first we did together. That is how we started. It wasn’t a coincidence; it was just made sense. It makes us a bit different as opposed to what you are used to. Normally it’s always ones or two DJs. That gives us an edge in the studio as well.

Do you have a favorite club you like to perform in more than another?

It’s about the crowd. That said it is more than the club. Overall it’s about the crowd. One really club is Government in Toronto. The crowd is what makes it incredible. I like Decision in Chicago. Most of the gigs we do in the states are fantastic these days. Going back to the point about satellite radio, they hear it, know the songs, and are hyped up when they come. You don’t get that too much where they don’t have radio. In Poland and Russia you get that. They have a lot of radio support as well. With the Internet and radio, you will have a good night.

You have remixed tracks for Madonna, Britney Spears, Dido, and more. Do you get to meet these artists when working on their music?

Generally no, we don’t get to meet the artists. You get sent a link online, all the vocals are there, and then you put the remix together. They say yes or no, change this, and so forth. Can you just change this, or change that, and it is a very interesting musical cycle. Then finally its finished. They do make some really good changes to some things. The artist maybe you pump into them at an industry party. But not usually. It depends on the artist, really. If a small artist the chances are better.

Where do you see yourselves in five years?

In five years (laughs). Funny, I will probably be doing fewer gigs and do less work in the studio but to be honest I will be doing just that in five years. I want to take more time with the music and develop the stuff more. You find that you are very tired when you return from a tour. It takes sometime to get back into it.

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?

I am not sure if there is one thing. I will be happy being remembered for the fact that some people used our tracks at weddings. A few people have gotten married to Skies Fall Down. That I find touching. It doesn’t seem like the obvious choice for a wedding. It is nice to get into that area for people’s lives. Fans that send us letters are also really sweet. There was one guy who I met in Australia and he was having some medical treatments. He said that our music helped him recover from cancer. What can you say to something like that? You can just stay humble music helped him stay positive in more than one-way. You are not thinking about these when you are making these tracks. To have these tracks have that effect is kind of freaky, amazing, and all sorts of emotions are spent.

I always let the artist get the last word. Go.

Thank you for supporting our music. We try to think about the fans in the things that we do, as a company as Anjunabeats and as a band and I hope you continue to enjoy what we are doing and if not, I hope that you enjoy what we are doing!

Birdy’s is actually known for playing host to a ton of great local and Midwest bands. But there have been a fair share of regional and national acts as well. On this very stage I have seen the likes of Daughtry, The Fray, Mat Kearney, the Detroit Cobras, and many more. But on Saturday, July 24^th, 2010, there were four bands taking the stage. For one low price—only $8—you could get your face melted by Kramus, Alter Ego, Glass Halo, and Fred Shafer. The bill promised to rock the house. When we got there, maybe fifteen minutes after the doors had opened, there were already about fifteen or twenty people sitting around just chatting. We grabbed a table and got ready to have a great night of music.

Kramus Kicks Things Off

It was just after 9:00 when Kramus took the stage. These guys have been playing the Indianapolis scene for quite some time and have made some major changes over the last few years. Sadly, their former lead singer passed away early in 2008, but they have managed to come back from that and in all honesty, are better than ever. Their old sound was too close to Breaking Benjamin to impress. But now, they are on a whole new level. These guys play with heart, emotion, and are a true rock band. They played first, which surprised me, as they had double booked the night. I disagree with bands playing more than one or two shows a month in Indianapolis (or the surrounding area), let alone on the same night. But they were there. They rocked the stage and managed to get me to hum along for a few minutes.

Fred Shafer Brings the Noise

Fred Shafer, who I felt should have been the headliner for the evening, actually took the stage second. Fred, a guy that travels all over the world playing his songs for anyone ready to listen, has so much heart and passion in his voice and his stage presence. His disc, Resistor, is nothing like what you see on stage. And there is a reason for that. You will like the disc, that’s not the issue. He wants you to like, even love, the album, and then see him perform those tunes live. He wants to take you to the next level. And I have seen him play for ten people before, and it’s the same show as when he plays for 10,000.

Fred is actually a good buddy of mine, and I have been following his work for quite some time. It is neat following his tour schedule and seeing all the places that he plays. It makes shows like this, in smaller and more intimate venues, that much better. You can feel the music here, and he will shake every hand in the venue if he has to. Fred is just a nice guy.

He kicked things off and before the first song is over, he is dripping in sweat. But you see past that almost immediately. Driving all the way from Nashville, Tennessee, he played to a room with about fifty to sixty people in it. But that didn’t stop him from playing like it was the last show he would ever play. His songs are rock, that’s for sure. But he adds, in some of the tunes, an almost country feel. He is wearing flannel (I am not sure I have ever seen him in anything else) and he wears cowboy boots well, but he still throws the hard rock front at you. Regardless, listening to tunes from his album, new songs he has never played before, and some older tunes that you can find floating around the Internet, we got a huge taste of who Fred Shafer really is. He is coming back to Birdy’s Bar & Grill in October, so if you have not seen him, or even if you have, come see him perform this fall.

Alter Ego Rocks the House

I was first introduced to the band Alter Ego by one of their band members. Myles Berry, on bass, asked me to take a listen to his new band. They have been tearing up Facebook and Twitter and are on their way to something big. They all still hold day jobs, but they are playing all over the Midwest and getting their names in front of people. Here in town you can catch a show every few weeks, and getting the chance to share the stage with Fred Shafer is an honor. Myles and Fred have been friends for a long time, and this was a neat show to see live.

I had not seen Alter Ego play live before. But as soon as they started singing, the dance floor filled up. Girls (some intoxicated, of course) began dancing and singing along to the lyrics. It was tough keeping up, though. I was not sure if they did that many originals. They did a handful of covers, some from Godsmack and other popular rock bands, offering a mixture for the fans. It was nice hearing some tunes that I was used to, especially since I had not seen these guys before. And I have to admit, they did pretty good covering Godsmack.

The guys in Alter Ego fit the rock band persona perfectly. They were all wearing black shirts, tight jeans, and boots. They had tattoos and wrist bands and were just playing good old fashioned rock music. I loved watching Myles play. He has so much energy and his facial expressions crack me up. He is not only having fun up there, he knows deep inside that is where he is supposed to be. The lead singer didn’t play an instrument, which I enjoy seeing. There are too many bands out there that focus too much on the instruments rather than the vocals. Alter Ego, however, put a ton of emphasis into their vocals. Their lyrics are just as good, and they match the vocals well. Regardless, I am glad I got to see them perform and they are a true Indianapolis rock band.

Glass Halo Sends Us Home

I have not seen these guys either, and came to this show excited to watch them play. These guys, fresh off of a Battle of Birdy’s win last year, they are $10,000 richer and ready to make something of themselves. They are a complete package too. They have merchandise, professional photography complements of Melissa Brewer Photography, and even a laptop allowing fans to sign up for their mailing list. But when you see their equipment, the way the guys all have that rock band (almost an adult alternative rock band) look about them, you start to see why they are so good.

They play a ton around the city, but they are also playing a lot around the Midwest. As a matter of fact, they recently just played a show with Fred Shafer at the Elbow Room up in Chicago. After winning the Battle of Birdy’s they have an excuse to get out and play more shows.

From the first song I was in love. The vocals are polished, and remind me of a harder Killers matched with a dash of Wilco. Their drummer, who is fairly new to the band, doesn’t get too into the songs, but doesn’t need to. His style, his ability to be heard yet not over the top, is just what this bands needs. No offense to the drummer, but the three guys up front are what we came to see. The lead guitar player was a blast to watch, too. He was dancing around, shaking his shaggy hair, and just having a blast on stage. And the bass player, sporting a similar and familiar faux hawk, was throwing vocals into the mic and just making himself welcome on stage. They were all comfortable up there, and it just makes sense they perform together.

Going on this late it is hard to keep a crowd in the room, but they did a good job of entertaining the crowd they had. I had no expectations coming into this, so I was curious to see what they could pull off. I was impressed, and had the chance to actually meet some of the guys throughout the night. The lead singer graduated from Rose Hulman. The guitar player I was talking about earlier has a degree in public relations. But yet they know how to make good rock music. (They gave me a copy of their latest disc, and I am excited to listen to that to say the least.) I can’t wait to know all the words to their songs.

This is just another night of great music in the books here at Birdy’s. This show was well put together, thanks to the likes of Myles Berry, and kept me entertained from the moment I walked in. if you have not seen these bands perform, at least do yourself a favor and listen to them on MySpace or on their official websites. Regardless, you will be treated with some original, raw, and healthy rock music. Throw those devil horns up and start rocking already!

Where did this all start? Not the wine or social media stuff, I mean you. Where did the personality of Gary Vaynerchuk come from?

I would say if you look way back, I am no different now than I was when I was at baseball card shows at fourteen years old. I have always had confidence and some brashness. I always felt I was capable. There was no shot I wouldn’t do it. No shot I couldn’t do it. It was what I did well. I very much feel like all that is going on now is a replication of my DNA. This is what I am good at. This is what I do. It has been a journey of my DNA. Any new genre, the Internet, ecommerce, wine library; it has always been the same game.

I am going through the HubSpot Inbound Marketing University. You are one of the instructors in this webinar series. Do you suggest it and have you been certified yourself?

I do suggest, of course. But no, I have not been certified with HubSpot. It is great though. I love it any time I get the chance to educate. For someone who was such a terrible student it is amazing how much I enjoy teaching. That has been a lot of fun. Getting asked to be a part of the Inbound Marketing University was a great experience.

Tell me about your obsession with the New York Jets.

It’s one of the first things I remember about America. It holds a deeper meaning because of that. It means more to me than you could ever know. I have watched every game since. It’s pretty intense. I am a BIG fan. (Laughs) It’s what I want to accomplish professionally. I want to own them. It’s something I think about and I absolutely focus on.

Have you seen the trailer for The Social Network?

Yes, I have seen them all. I don’t go to a lot of movies, but I will go see that. It’s our world.

If someone were only going to use one tool, only one social network, which one would you recommend?

I would say Facebook. A Facebook fan page (business page) is the most important place to be.

If you could only drink one wine for the rest of your life, which one would you choose?

Probably Salon Champagne. It is great stuff.

It has been said that you are notorious for returning every email you get. Is that true?

Yes I do. Although I am very behind on them right now, but I try to return them all. I am flying to Utah soon and I am excited to answer a couple hundred emails.

Do you fly first class when you fly or are you okay sitting in coach?

When I fly,  I do both. I end up traveling a lot of times with business so much is taken care of with the people I am doing the business with. It is funny; I almost never wanted to sit first class. I didn’t want to seem like a sell out. Just take care of yourself when you travel. I don’t think one way or the other is good or bad.

When should we expect the new book?

The next book is coming out in February. It is called The Thank You Economy. It talks about the return on investment (ROI) of social media and manners in marketing.

Please tell me you are carrying an iPhone 4.

No, not yet. It was crazy busy when it came out, and with the antenna thing happened I wanted to wait to see how it flushes out. I hate AT&T already with the number of issues they have. I didn’t need another one!

How cool is it being a New York Times best selling author with your first book?

Pretty intense. It is so humbling and awesome. I was a terrible English student and I could just laugh at thinking what my teachers think about it now!

You have been on a ton of television shows. Does any one appearance mean more than another?

I would say the first Conan appearance. It was my coming out party.

Is there such a thing as a social media expert?

I think it’s abused and that’s terrible. Every subject matter has people that are more knowledge about it than others. I do think superlatives are being thrown around too much. Things like expert, life changer, stuff like that. The truth is undefeated. I think anyone who is getting paid that doesn’t deserve to get paid will ultimately not get paid. The ones that suck and are cheesy will chance the next trend, and I think the people who have chops will work around the new marketplace.

What do I have to do to get a guest spot on Wine Library TV? If not a guest spot, at least a follow Friday on Twitter or something!

I stopped doing guests. I am going back to basics. I want it to just be the bottles, the camera and me. You have to patient first and foremost. Secondly, I think you are in the running. I appreciate your patience for this interview. You have been beyond gracious, that alone give you a shot!

Do you play golf?

Never. I want to. It’s so funny you brought that up. I better start learning now. Most people learned much younger, so if I don’t start soon I won’t be very good. I might never do it if I don’t start soon.

Explain a typical Friday night for you.

Spending time with Lizzie. You will find us doing things like seeing a movie or having dinner, that kind if stuff. It’s all about family time now. It has been that way for the last eighteen months. Prior to that it was heavy email work.

Not all press that you receive is positive. How do you handle the folks that have negative things to say about you and what you are trying to do?

I think by ratio it has been more positive than negative. That is good! But I would say I respect it and that I listen to it. Then I try to figure out why people feel that way. I understand I am over the top, high energy, and I respect their opinions. More than anything else actually. I try to wrap my head around why people feel that way. I hope I get the chance to meet them again and make them realize who I really am. I hope that if I get my head down and work I will win. Anyone that thinks I don’t have depth will be wrong, and if I don’t, then I won’t win. It’s not too difficult . You are good, or you are bad. You win or lose. I don’t spend my time trying to convince people I am winning player, I go out and let the chips fall.

What was it like being on College Humor with Jake and Amir.

I love those guys. They are crazy talented. I am a big fan of their work

Why do you always say, “sniffy sniff” when you smell a glass of wine?

Not really even sure. You know what, I have no idea how it started. I just started saying it one day. I think that is why it works. It came from a natural place. It wasn’t researched or anything, I just did it.

Do you ever go back to your hometown and visit?

No, because it is really a mess of a place. It still has a dictator. It doesn’t allow me to go back and experience it. I was three when I came to the USA and I have not been back since.

What is the Vook platform all about?

Vook is awesome. It is like having a Kindle or an iPad, but with videos thrown in through out. It is really cool. I am a big fan of it.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I don’t. I don’t think about it that way. I am not very focused on that short term. I think about being happy along the way and I think about buying the New York Jets, and that is kind of where that ends.

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?

That nobody wanted to work harder and to do better and to care more than I did. I want to be known for all of my crazy DNA. That I was a good guy. I always say that there are two ways to be the biggest building. One is to tear down the other buildings. Or two, just build the biggest building. I just want to build the biggest building. I want every other building to be big, just slightly smaller than mine.

I always let the artist get the last word. Go.

Love your family because no matter what you accomplish financially, nothing tastes better than having love from your family. When you are 90 years old that is the thing you will wish you did more of.

How long have you been playing golf?

I have been playing golf for about twenty years.

What is your first memory of the game?

The first birdie I ever made.  It was on the first hole of a par 3 golf course with my father and I played a lot while growing up.  I hit a shot that barely made it off the ground but rolled 140 yards or so to the edge of the green.  There, I was able to roll in a putt of 75 feet or so. Pretty cool stuff!  After that I was hooked!

What is your current handicap?

I am currently playing to zero (scratch).  I have been trying to compete in as many events that my schedule allows me to but with the knee injury and the demands of teaching the game I am not quite where I need to be in order to compete full time.  The short-term goal is to get to a plus 1 or 2 by the end of the fall.

Did you play any other sports growing up?

I was involved with a lot sports while growing up including basketball, soccer, and baseball.  Golf was something I did with my father to spend time together.  It did not take long to fall in love with the game, abandon all other sports, and begin my travels on a road to professional golf.

Tell me about the “Think Tank” that you are associated with.

The “Think Tank” is my personal home teaching studio.  With the help, and permission, of my wife Meredith I was able to transform our garage into a home teaching studio. Being from the northeast it is somewhat difficult to keep my game in shape during the off-season.  My studio allows me to not only give lessons during the winter but to also work on my game and keep my tools sharp too!

Do you like working at the Aspetuck Valley Country Club of Weston?

I love it!  The Aspetuck Valley Country Club of Weston gave me my first official start into the golf business and I owe a lot to many individuals who have come and gone through the years.  The AVCC family is a big part of my life and I will always hold a special place in my heart for their kindness, generosity and most importantly their friendship.

You give a lot of lessons. I miss a lot of putts on the low side of the cup. Can you provide me, and the other readers out there who suffer the same things, any advice for making more putts?

We have all heard that putting is more than 50% of the game.  This is a proven fact.  I feel that golfers who miss putts on the low side are not hitting the ball hard enough.  100% of all putts that are short never go in.  Practice your speed by looking at the hole while putting.  Take the emphasis off of the line and practice by “feeling” a good solid stroke.  Players who concentrate on the line too much usually leave the ball short or miss on the low side of the cup.  A great drill that you can do is to place a tee in the back-side of the cup.  Hit a lot of straight five footers while looking at the tee.  Resist the temptation of watching the ball while you make your stroke.  Putting is all about feel!  Feel what it is like to make a stroke and you will be well on your way to holing more putts.

Have you ever had a hole in one?

No holes-in-one but I have had a double-eagle. (Note that a double-eagle is a two on a part five.) Some say this is more rare than hole-in-one.  It was kind of cool!  Foggy day, downhill 5-par…driver, 5-wood nothing but net baby!

What is the lowest round you have ever shot?

67…Don’t really remember it too much, I just remember having a lot of fun doing it!  Hopefully there are a lot of low rounds left in my golfing career…maybe even one that starts with a 5?

The highest?

110…in my first big event as an amateur.  Counted every stroke and posted my score.  That’s the way it should be done.  These guys who no-card or withdraw from an event because they are embarrassed with their score should be shot!  If you tee it up you post your score!  No excuses!

Thanks to you I am now reading Global Golf Post almost everyday. What is your affiliation with them?

The Global Golf Post is one of the most informative pieces of golf news that I know of…it is free and it is web-based which means no more piles of magazines cluttering up my home!  Everything you need, as far as golf news is concerned, can be found by accessing your inbox.  Global Golf Post will email you a link to the latest issue on a weekly basis, usually first thing Monday mornings after the completion of most major touring events.  Simple, clean, quick info at the click of a mouse, how easy is that?

Speaking of affiliations, whom else are you working with right now?

Callaway, Eyeline Golf, PGA of America, US Kids Golf, Titleist Performance Institute, Sport & Orthopedic Physical Therapy to name a few.

I’m not sure we can be friends anymore. You are a Boston Red Sox fan.

Yankee fan Ricky?  See you in the playoffs baby!

But then again, you also use Apple products.

Best technology on the planet in my opinion!  iMac, Macbook, iPhone…come on dude!  How can you go wrong!

What’s in your golf bag?

• Callaway 10.5 Degree FT-iZ I-Mix Driver
• Callaway Diablo 4-Wood
• Callaway Diablo 3-Hybrid
• Callaway Diablo Forged Irons 4-PW
• Callaway Jaws Wedge System 52,56,60 Degree
• Taylor-Made Monza Spider Putter

What is your passion when it comes to your fashion? What sort of statement are you trying to make?

I love color, plain and simple!  People, from time to time, comment on the outfits that I wear.  I sometimes hear “boy I wish I could pull that outfit off” or “Wow, are you trying to blind someone with those colors?”  Why should I dress like everyone else?  I am who I am and there is no changing that…I know what I like and I will never let anyone else determine what I do, say, or wear!

You have an insane playing schedule this year. How do you find time to play that much, practice to stay on the top of your game, and still work?

Playing and practicing has been a struggle thus far.  I have been concentrating on getting healthy since March and I still have a long way to go.  The tournament schedule that I put together in the beginning of the 2010 season was a best-case scenario.  Unfortunately, my game has slipped a little due to my injuries and a somewhat over-loaded work schedule.  I have been in the process of putting together a winter playing schedule.  This should give me ample time to prepare for some events in the West Palm Beach area of Florida during the winter months.

What is the one golf course that you have always wanted to play but never had the chance to get on?

St. Andrew’s; the home of golf.  Need I say more?  But someday my friend, someday!

You play a lot on the east coast. Ever make it to the west coast to play?

Not yet, although I am planning on making a trip out there really soon.  Maybe with my wife, maybe with the fellas.  I am not quite sure when and where but I know that I will get there soon!

Do you prefer to walk or ride when playing casually?

I love to walk when I play whether it be in a tournament or during a casual round.  Unfortunately, due to the two surgical procedures that I had done to my left knee over the past few years , it has been difficult to do so.  I am trying to get back into shape and build some strength back into my legs.  Hopefully with the help of my friend and physical therapist, Paddy Jarit, I will be able to walk the links on a full time basis really soon.

You put a lot of focus on goal setting in your teaching. What are some current goals of your own?

Becoming the best person and player I can possibly be, plain and simple.

What is the Branded Academy?

In November of 2009 I partnered with Interactive Frontiers, makers of the #1 rated Digital Coaching Software in the country.  Together, we developed a branded golf academy tailored specifically for my students and gman-golf.com.  I feel that video feedback is imperative in the development of any player and the GMan-Golf Branded Academy provides an online storage “locker” for my students to access their own video lessons from any computer or smart phone in the world.

Tell me about your experience at Methodist University.

What a place!  What an experience!  Methodist University allowed me to grow as a person as well as a golfer.  Best five years, yes five, of my life!  When not in class I played golf four-five days per week, mostly in the neighboring hills of Pinehurst, North Carolina.  Tough life huh?  The Professional Golf Management (PGM) Program at Methodist was, and still is, on of the best training grounds for young people who are interested in pursuing a membership into the PGA of America.

So on a typical Sunday afternoon where can I find you?

You can find me teaching at the Aspetuck Valley Country Club in Weston, Connecticut.

What do you drink out on the course to stay hydrated?

Lots of water mixed with Amino Vital.  This product really helps me to stay focused and energized during a round of golf.  I have been using this product for about two years and I have definitely seen a difference in my play, especially coming down the stretch of the back nine.

How important is a golfer’s fitness in today’s game?

Well, since golf is one of the worst sports for your body I would have to say that fitness is extremely important for any caliber of golfer.  From touring professional to the weekend player, it is a proven fact that having a sound golf-specific regimen will allow you to play longer in life with less potential for injury.  A fit golfer will have a better chance to shoot lower scores…what are you waiting for?  Seek out a local fitness professional, preferably TPI Certified, and have them develop a program that is in line with your golfing goals.

Explain your typical workout routine.

Cardiovascular, abdominal work, golf-specific stretching followed by weight training.  Stretching is the key, stretch as much as possible to keep your muscles loose and limber.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Playing the best golf of my life.  I will let you figure out the details.

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?

As a person who put his best foot forward in order to accomplish his goals.

I always let the bands that I interview get the last word. Why not you? Go.

Protect your dreams!

Tell me your first memory of the guitar.

My dad got an old Harmony with Green Stamps. He would drag it out of the closet once or twice a year, play it for about five minutes, then it would go back in the closet. I taught myself to play on this guitar while I was in high school. I would play from the time I got home from school until it was time to go to bed. On the weekends I would play until my fingers would bleed. Eventually a crack ran around the sides of the guitar. You could pull it apart like an accordion. Then one day someone sat on it and broke the neck.

How many guitars do you currently own?

I have four guitars. My pride and joy is a 75’ Gibson Dove. I have played it so much the face has been scraped off and a hole worn through it. It looks like I tied it to the back of my car and drug it around for a while. I also have three other guitars which are nothing special but they get the job done. Also, they aren’t too expensive.  I wouldn’t be devastated if they were lost or stolen or damaged. My goal is to have a slew of Rickenbacker guitars by the end of the year. Like the old joke says. How many guitars do you really need? And the answer, of course, is “just one more.”

Do you play any other instruments?

I play a harmonica with my guitar. I’ve tinkered with the mandolin a bit and even less with the piano. That said, I’m really only interested in playing guitar.

Do you write all your own lyrics?

Yes, for better or worse.

Where do you get inspiration for a new track?

It’s funny. You can rack your brains trying to write a song and get nothing you’d want to repeat. Then while you’re backing your car out of the driveway or waiting for a piece of toast to pop up you strike gold.

Do you only play solo shows?

For the time being. I’m looking to have something going with a band by the end of the year.

Where are you originally from?

I am from Indianapolis. It doesn’t matter how many times I try to leave, I always seem to end up right back home.

If you could live anywhere else in the world where would you go?

Europe. I’d love to see it all but particularly London and of course Liverpool.

You have a ton of shows coming up around the area. Do you ever travel?

Slowly but surely I’m getting farther away from home.

What is the best concert you have ever been to?

Paul McCartney. Chicago. It was my birthday. I had a seat in the 24th row…and binoculars.

What is the biggest crowd you have ever played for?

it was at The Bluebird Café in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve played larger crowds but this was kind of a big deal for me. Songwriters come from all over to play there.

The smallest?

There was a little bar that is now a parking lot.  A lot of songwriters honed their skills there. I had a regular Tuesday night show. Often times it would just be me and the bartender. When he would duck into the kitchen for a sandwich it would just be me and the empty chairs.

Do you ever forget the words to your own songs?

Yes, all the time.

Tell me about D&S Productions.

This is a booking agency. I’ve only just started working with them recently. I’m pretty excited about this. It means I can spend more time concentrating on music and less time chasing down club owners.

You are no stranger to the music business. What are your thoughts on the future of live music?

I’ll just quote Neil Young.  “Live music is better, bumper stickers should be issued”

Do you have any merchandise people can purchase?

Not at the moment but I hope to have something on iTunes before long , and  a CD  soon after…could a bobble head be far behind?

If you could only play one song for the rest of your career which one would you choose?

Funny story, the first song I ever wrote, which is to say the first song I didn’t throw away after writing it, was a song I came up while sitting in the backseat of a Toyota watching the desert roll by. I was leaving Nevada on my way to Colorado. My guitar was in the trunk and I couldn’t very well tell the driver to pull over so I could fish my guitar from underneath three or four suitcases and sit on the roadside for an hour so I could write out a song. So I had to keep this song running through my head all the way to Colorado. This was a sixteen hour trip. I got home and wrote out the song and put it on tape. After that I couldn’t play the song for about three years. Take your favorite song and play it too much and it will become your least favorite song.

What are you drinking on stage?

Water, shaken not stirred.

Explain to us what a typical Friday night looks like for you.

For this summer I have designated Friday night as songwriting night. My goal is to write something I like each week and then see what I end up with by the end of the summer.

You are playing a show at a winery here pretty soon. Do you drink wine?

I’m not even a fan of grape juice. For someone who doesn’t drink I spend more time in bars than anyone I know.

Your songs all tell a story. Songs aside, tell us a story right now.

When I was three years old I loaded up on this cereal which was mostly sugar. My mom was trying to get her ironing done and I was burning off a sugar buzz. Out of sheer desperation she pulled out a record player and a stack of 45s. Then she dropped the needle on the record.  I had found my first favorite toy. I would go through the stacks of 45s looking for buried treasure. I couldn’t read yet, so I went by colors. When I had two songs on the same colored label I could tell them apart by the scratches. I listened to everything from big band to country to rock n roll.

Where do you practice?

My favorite place to practice is in my kitchen. It has pine walls so it feels like an old cabin. Its sounds great in there and it’s comfortable but not too comfortable that I don’t get any work done.

Describe your genre in one word.

Pop…Sometimes they act like folk songs and sometimes they act like country songs  and sometimes they do what they’re supposed to do and act like pop songs. But no matter what they appear to be at first, when you look closely, they always turn out to be pop songs.

Who are some of your biggest influences?

The Beatles are first and foremost. Neil Young. Tom Petty. Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Crowded House, Freedy Johnston, and Fountains of Wayne.  I’m looking to write somewhere between indie pop and alt-country.

How did you react to the passing of the King of Pop?

What! The CEO of Coca-Cola is gone?

What is your favorite venue to play?

I really like the Players Pub in Bloomington, Indiana. They really support original music. Plus Bloomington is such a cool town.

What advice would you give to someone just beginning his or her career in the music industry?

Do it because you love to do it. Do it only if, you can’t NOT do it.

Man I hear a lot of Tom Petty in your voice. Anyone ever tell you that?

Little by little he has become one of my favorites. But what you’re hearing could be a Hoosier accent that just won’t go away.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Five years older…But hopefully with more songs I’m proud of and more guitars than I really need.

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?

That I was a good songwriter.

I always let the artist get the last word. Go.

FIN.

But its not just small businesses suffering from this, larger businesses are as well. Even some major corporations are laying off workers left and right. If you have not done so already, I highly recommend you watch Michael Moore’s new film. It’s called Capitalism: A Love Story and starts by taking a look at General Motors.  Even recently, GM has suffered some major downturns and had to be bailed out by our government to stay afloat. Sure, it saved a bunch of jobs, but was it worth it?

Moving on, there are several other companies that might be closing their doors this year. I wanted to take a look at some of those places and talk about why I feel—outside of the struggling economy—these places are going out of business. It’s progress, if you ask me, and I look forward to seeing where we go from here.

Reader’s Digest

Guess who just filed for bankruptcy? Reader’s Digest used to be one of the most widely read publications on the market, but now has suffered a major downturn in sales. In the US alone, some 5.5 million people subscribe to this magazine. But when they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, they made a few more changes to the magazine. They cut back on writers and moved from twelve issues a year to only ten in hopes of cutting costs.

But why are they going under? If you take their overseas numbers into effect, they are still the world’s number one most-read publication. But that’s not enough. They need sales here in the states to be able to survive. This is a similar situation to what The New York Times is going through. They have cut paper production in half, and are now charging for access to certain content online. Bingo. I said it. Online.

These magazines, not just Reader’s Digest and The New York Times, need to realize that the way people get their news is changing. We don’t wake up, grab the paper, and take an hour to sip our morning coffee and read what happened yesterday. We grab our smart phones, check our news feed, and then head out the door. We are reading our information on a screen, not on paper.

This is also a big change for journalists. The days of going out, researching a story, and sending a great news article to press are quickly dying. The sooner these magazines realize that this is happening, the better. Look at The New York Times. Sure, you have to pay for access to most of the juicy stuff, but it’s the same difference as paying for a newspaper at the gas station.

Blockbuster

I have written about this a time or two and am by no means surprised by this one. Blockbuster was once the leader in movie rentals. As a matter of fact, they led rentals for over two decades. For a while there in the mid to late nineties, you could find a Blockbuster on every street corner. Think modern day Starbucks. But they are no longer doing so hot, again, thanks to the Internet.

So how bad is Blockbuster doing these days? Well, how bad does losing $65 million sound? Pretty bad, right? Well, they lost that last quarter alone. With services like Netflix and Redbox popping up, and with the increased rates coming from Blockbuster, people are starting to rent less.

I honestly can’t tell you the last time I rented a movie from Blockbuster. Blockbuster doesn’t just rent movies, though. They also rent video games for the leading game consoles. But when they cost about $8-$10 for a week, it starts to lose its luster. And like Netflix with movies, Gamefly covers the video game rentals. You can rent video games from Gamefly for a much lower rate than renting them at Blockbuster. That, and there are no late fees with Gamefly. Of course, Blockbuster claims they have no late fees, but you need to read the fine print because that is not always true.

Blockbuster is not the only movie rental place out there. Movie Gallery is actually Blockbuster’s biggest competitor. Well, was their biggest competitor anyway. Just last week they stated they will be closing all 2,400 of their stores. Looks like Blockbuster is next to go.

T-Mobile

We all have cell phones now. I would like to know if anyone out there does not have a cell phone, actually. Even my eighty-five-year-old grandfather has a cell phone. And he uses it! Anyway, T-Mobile is actually owned by Deutsche Telekom. They are currently the fourth-largest cellular provider in the United States. But there are some big names in front of them. You have AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint-Nextel leading the pack. And with AT&T offering the iPhone and the success Verizon has seen with their new line of phones, third and fourth place just doesn’t seem to cut it these days.

They have been losing money, and subscribers, year after year. Last year they only made $308 million in sales. That might be a lot of money for folks like you and I, but to a huge corporation like that, especially in the top five biggest cellular providers on the market, that’s peanuts, if that. The only way that T-Mobile can stay in the market would be a merger with someone like Sprint-Nextel. It would give them a chance to save some jobs, and still be involved in the cell phone industry. Expect major movement in the next two years from these guys.

BP

Do I really need to tell you why BP might be looking at closing its doors? Earlier this year there was an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Actually, it was a large oil spill, one that is still going on to this day. And BP is responsible for it. BP stands for British Petroleum, and money is not why this company may fold. Money is actually the least of this company’s worries. Just last month they gave $20 billion to help fund the folks affected by this oil spill.

The brand is what has been compromised here. There are videos all over YouTube of people making fun of the spill, and actually making fun of their attempt to clean it up. It took about five attempts (public attempts anyway) for them to get it right. And then a few weeks later, it broke again. The best solution I heard actually came from a kid and his father who made a short film explaining their solution. Regardless, BP says they are doing their best to clean it up, but are still suffering from the mess.

People are avoiding the gas stations and refusing to use a BP station. There are protestors standing outside some of their locations, people striking—from the gas station to the clean up crews, and Twitter has even become ablaze because of a Twitter account basically making fun of BP and their efforts. I do think it’s funny that the false account has three times as many followers as the actual BP account does.

One thing that isn’t helping is their attempt to throw off the users. For instance, did you know that BP bought search criteria from Google? For a while, if you searched things like, “BP oil spill,” or, “BP clean up efforts” you wouldn’t get search results. You wouldn’t get blog posts talking about them or websites telling you how bad BP was. Nope, you would be redirected to their website. This is a technique used by major corporations to help drive traffic where they want traffic. There is a lot of work to be done here, and it seems BP is doing a good job at moving in the wrong direction.

RadioShack

I can’t believe they are still around. Stores like Best Buy, Fry’s Electronics, and even Walmart are way ahead of the game when it comes to electronics. I can’t walk into a Fry’s and not buy something. Best Buy has everything you need under one roof. Even their biggest competitor, Circuit City, closed its doors last year. I was actually employed by Circuit City for quite some time. I loved working there. But needless to say, they are no longer here and Best Buy gained a lot of that market share. (They are still operating stores in Canada.)

Just as BP is losing their brand, RadioShack is trying to regain theirs. They are actually going through a rebranding right now and are beginning to label themselves as “The Shack”. Not sure if it is going to work or not, but look for them to be closing their doors very soon.

(In recent news, Best Buy is looking at buying RadioShack. If that goes through, Best Buy will gain even more of the market share that it gained when Circuit City went under, and will then be starring ahead at Walmart. Although I am not sure anyone can compete with Walmart.)

As you can see, these are some fairly household names we have here. I am sure you have shopped at one or more of these places in the past and have spent some of your hard-earned money there. But that is no match for bigger companies that come in and take over that market share. I buy based on cash flow. So if I can get something for less elsewhere, then I am shopping there. That is why I love Walmart so much. Sure they might treat their workers like trash. But no one is forcing you to work there. It is a great business model, and it works.

If you work for one of these companies, beware. Times are changing and you might want to look at getting another job elsewhere. We are no longer living in a world where you get one job and work for forty years and then retire. We live in an ever-changing world of growth and progress. I look at all of this as just that. If RadioShack has to close for Best Buy to offer lower prices, then so be it. You can’t stand in the way of something like that, so why try? Embrace it and move forward.

Where are you originally from?

I am from Eschwege, Germany.

You are currently living in Miami. You like the heat down there?

It’s an amazing city, amazing vibe. I love the ocean and, yes, the warm weather. I’m on the road a lot, so for me to be able to go home to Miami is very welcome.

You have played in countries all over the world. Do you have a favorite city you like to visit?

No favorites, it’s sort of a rule of mine. I’ve found in the past that if you come with anything other than a long-considered answer to ‘favorite’ questions you can fall foul of yourself. You can look back and think, “Now why did I say that then when I’ve been to so many other incredible places?” Was that really fair? The other thing with doing so much in-and-out traveling is that you never really have the time to really get the full, proper measure of at place. Hence if I said that X, Y or Z places was ‘favorite’ just because I went to one amazing after-party, it wouldn’t be balanced or reflected on enough.

What is the biggest crowd you have ever performed in front of?

40,000, I think.

The smallest?

Probably 2. My son and my dog!

When you perform in Las Vegas, do you ever gamble?

I do, but not very often. A roll of the dice here, turn of the card there, if I’m walking past a table. I did have a stake on the Superbowl though. Happy to say that came off!

Tell me a little bit about your new album.

Well it’s called Do You Dream? If your local music store had a section marked ‘not 100% trance’, it would probably slot right in there! There are many tracks on there that I personally find impossible to categorize. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about the first track ‘Alpha State’ is beatless and has some lovely slow arpeggios in it, but it could never be called ‘chillout’ or ‘ambient’ – in terms of the album’s overture its way too intense and scene-setting. Likewise there’s a track called ‘Away’ (which has the fantastic vocals of Sir Adrian on it). It’s got real pace and tempo and drive behind it, but nothing really overt in terms of riffs – just this really amazing rolling bass-line and the vocals that carry it. It’s not tech-trance, it’s not deep trance – I really don’t know how you’d classify it!

The title, I wanted to put in the form of a question: do you dream? I want people to interpret that in their own individual way. As questions go it’s a highly open-ended one!

It’s been long enough since my last album that’s I’ve had time enough to hear many other vocalists singing on other tracks. When you do you either think to yourself, “I like that voice but I’m not sure its right for what I want to do,” or, “heh, that sounds great! I think I’d like to work with that person”. That was very much the case for people like Susana, Jennifer Rene and Ana Criado too. In terms of the vocals, I don’t write them, no. I leave that down to the lyrical professionals! I was very lucky indeed to have many talented ones working on the album. Raz Nitzan and Adrian Brockhuyse are two guys from the Netherlands and they wrote the lyrics for three of the tracks (Away, Surreal & Unsaid). These guys are basically the hit machine when it comes to electronic dance music. If you look them up their list of credits is really extraordinary.

So I hear you first started getting into dance music when you were young. What made you decide to make a career out of it?

There comes a breaking point I think. One day you’re thinking this is great, it would be a dream to do it for a living. And then something snaps and you think, “Heh, what’s stopping me, why the hell not!” And off you go!

How many stamps do you have in your passport?

Unknown! I don’t have it on me I’m afraid (which is unusual!). Let’s just say a lot!

Who do you think would win in a pillow fight between Armin van Buuren and Paul van Dyk?

Man, I’ve seen both those guys swing pillows in the past and let me tell you its fierce! I think that Paul would probably get some really good early shots in, but ultimately Armin would prevail. Now if you’d said snowball fight, probably the reverse would be true.

Do you speak any languages other than German and English?

Fluently, that’s my two. However you can’t travel the world all year round without picking up the odd phrase or two in a different language!

You are currently working with Armada Music. What is like working with a label as a DJ?

Great!

Do you still have a lot of creative freedoms?

Well it’s not quite George Michael at Sony or Prince and Warner. Creative freedom isn’t really a factor. I take my music in, sit down, play it to them and get their feedback. The spread of music on Do You Dream is a case in point to that I think.

I see you are on Twitter. What are your thoughts on these social media outlets available to you today?

I am indeed on Twitter, but then so is my dog! I’m a fan of virtually all social media; they all serve their own individual purposes. I think that maybe I’m just that much more of a fan of Twitter though, specifically because it’s just so neat. You say what’s on your mind and then it’s out there. I sometimes think of it as digital-therapy. You’re feeling something, you’ve experienced something and it allows you to instantly ‘share’. There’s nothing wrong with that; I think it’s great.

Do you have any rituals before you go on stage?

Yep, my pre-set checks…CDs and DVDs packed, headphones working, sound recording equipment ready to roll, drinks close at hand. You get the idea!

What are you drinking on stage?

Vodka and water, though not in equal measures and not necessarily in that order!

You used to have a spot at the Works in Phoenix, Arizona for quite some time. I am actually planning on moving to Scottsdale in the near future. Can we hang out sometime after a show?

The location for The Works is now a parking lot but I’m sure that we can! Have your people call my people!

You worked with Armin on A State of Trace. What is he like in person?

Very, very down to earth. If you see him doing one of his videos, where he’s interviewing people and you think, “That guy looks really on the level”. Well you’re right. That’s just what he’s like.

How cool is it to be considered one of the top 10 DJs in the world according to DJ Magazine?

It is cool, certainly. It is nice that what I do throughout each working year is reflected in someway. But let me put it to you this way, what I get up thinking about every morning isn’t the Top 100, it’s about where I am in the world, which country, city and club I’m rocking next and what I’m going to rock it with!

If you could only perform one track for the rest of your career, which one would you choose?

Impossible! It’s that old favorites thing again!

Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Top of the world, looking down (I hope)!

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?

As a guy who came along, made some music, went out and played that music (along with a lot of other peoples), blew some parties apart, made lots of people happy and did okay out of it.

I always let the artist get the last word. Go.

Lipsmackinthirstquenchinacetastinmotivatingoodbuzzincooltalkinhighwalkin fastlivinevergivincoolfizzin!

Where did you come up with the band name?

Our guitar player Kazimierz Szczyrba came up with it. He said when life gets you down you just have to rise from the ashes. So Burnt Down was born.

How long have you guys all known each other?

We met at That Place Bar & Grill in Greenwood, Indiana in late 2003.

How long have you been playing?

We have all been playing since we were kids. It’s been a life long love kinda thing!

Is there a ringleader amongst you all?

Well yes and no. Justin write’s alot of the lyrics but I write some to (Matt Gibson) and I book all the shows and take care of the website and things like that. We vote on major things like any other band.

Do you guys have a favorite venue?

In Indianapolis it would have to be Birdy’s Bar & Grill.  They always rock!

What is the biggest crowd that you have played for?

A couple hundred. Nothing major but hopefully that will change soon!

The smallest?

I don’t want to talk about it! (Laughs) But really like four or five. It was sad!

Do you guys have jobs outside of music?

We have jobs that rock stars don’t have, are you kidding me?

What are your thoughts on MySpace?

We love it! It is a free website. What’s not to love?

Are you on Twitter?

No, not yet we are working on being that vain! (Laughs)

Who writes all of the lyrics?

We all do but it comes down to what Justin wants to sing.  Singer’s know what I mean! (Just a joke, Justin!)

Where do you get inspiration for a new track?

What’s the old saying? Sex, drugs and rock and roll! Oh yeah, and the chick’s are great! (Laughs)

Let’s say you are offered a record deal for $250,000.  However, the deal calls for someone else’s lyrics and it is a country album.  Do you do it?

Why not, you only live once!

What are you drinking on stage?

Water, beer, vodka, whiskey, yager, and whatever anyone buys us!

What would you be doing if you were not playing music?

Is being worthless a pro sport yet ?

What are your thoughts on the passing of Michael Jackson?

He was a great talent. I don’t care what anyone says about him!

Where can I get some of your merchandise?

You can find that on our website!

Do you guys tour very often?

Not yet. We just play local shows for right now but we are working on it.

Where are you guys originally from?

Everyone but me is from Indiana. I am from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Go Panthers!

Where would you go if you could live anywhere else in the world outside of Indianapolis?

Anywhere warm with no snow!

Coke or Pepsi?

Booze!

If you could only play one song for the rest of your career what would you choose?

Freebird, because everyone love’s Freebird! (Laughs) But really just wing it. A jam out type of thing.

If you could tour with any band in the market today whom would you choose?

Wow! That’s a hard one. I would say KISS, but we would have to go on first because who can top that!

Who are some of your biggest influences?

Dimebag, Jimmie Hendrix, Alice in Chains, Sound Garden, Poison, Motley Crue, Megadeath, Metallica, Ozzy, and you Ricky, you are our hero!

Where do you see yourselves in five years?

Hopefully rich!

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?

Good music and good friends. What elese could you want besides love?  All you need is love, as a great man once said!

I always let the artist get the last word.  Go.

Stop picking your nose when I’m looking, yes that smells bad, and please put your pants on when you walk through my room at four in the morning.  Nobody want’s to see that!

Shows like Dexter and The Office are obviously not real, but they are entertaining. For that matter, shows like LOST and Nip/Tuck are not all that realistic either. But you never know what will come next, which is what keeps me coming back to watch every week.

Out of that list, I would venture to say that Nip/Tuck is my favorite show. The medical drama appears on the cable network FX. The show actually started back in 2003, and features two south Florida doctors named McNamara and Troy. They run their own office, ever so creatively named McNamara-Troy, and spend their nights living the American dream. McNamara is a family man while Troy cannot seem to hold down a relationship, and the related tension plays into the drama of each episode.

They perform surgery after surgery and have worked some incredible cases including breast augmentations to complete facial transplants. As a matter of fact, the episode that featured the facial transplant actually had an ulterior motive.  But nevertheless, the show features these two highly trained and specialized plastic surgeons. Considering that they live on the east coast, but spend a season each year in Hollywood, you sometimes wonder if these types of doctors, with this level of proficiency and glamour, exist here in the Midwest.

Now, before I introduce you to Carmel Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeons, please note that Nip/Tuck is not real. The tools they use, the surgeries they perform, and the medical drama that they experience is, but the fearless, R-rated lifestyle on TV is not how these doctors behave. The two doctors at Carmel Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeons are highly trained and skilled professionals and take their job very seriously. These doctors perform similar surgeries that you see on TV and do so right here in Carmel, Indiana.

Who is Dr. Elizabeth A. Grasse?

Please allow me to introduce you to Dr. Elizabeth A. Grasse. Dr. Grasse is a graduate of the Medical College of Wisconsin, where she completed a residency in general surgery at University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, and a residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at Indiana University Medical Center. Dr. Grasse is also a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. She also sits on the American Board of Surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Outside of the office, Dr. Grasse stays busy working in and staying educated in the medical field. She is young, ambitious, and an extremely skilled physician.

But for Dr. Grasse, it doesn’t stop there. She is also involved in the Indiana State Medical Society and the Indianapolis Medical Society. Does it stop there for her? No, of course not. She stays involved in the Ohio Valley Society of Plastic Surgeons too. And, she is recipient of the Janet M. Glasgow Memorial Achievement Citation presented by the American Medical Women’s Association. It goes without saying that Dr. Grasse is more than qualified for your cosmetic and plastic surgery needs.

Who is Dr. Debra C. Bergman?

Dr. Grasse works side by side with an equally skilled surgeon named Debra Bergman. Dr. Bergman is a graduate of Indiana University School of Medicine located in Bloomington, Indiana. She completed a residency in general surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine, and a fellowship in plastic surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine. It goes without saying that she is a true Hoosier.

Dr. Bergman seems to be just as enthusiastically involved as Dr. Grasse. Dr. Bergman is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons as well as the American Board of Plastic Surgery. She also sits on the American Board of Surgery, and is an Associate Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. It doesn’t stop there for Dr. Bergman either. She also belongs to the Indiana State Medical Association, the Indianapolis Medical Society, and the Ohio Valley Society of Plastic Surgeons. She is a recipient of the Walther Cancer Institute Award, the Catherine Cox Hoover Award, and the Roy Rheinhardt Memorial Award. As you can see, both these doctors are not only educated and skilled, but also stay extremely active in their fields.

Standard Procedures

When you think about cosmetic or plastic surgery, it’s likely that you automatically think about liposuction and tummy tucks. But there are tons of other procedures that fall under these doctors’ areas of expertise. As a matter of fact, do know the medical term for a tummy tuck? While walking around the office you might hear the doctors mention an abdominoplasty. Sounds so much better than tummy tuck, doesn’t it?

These doctors also focus on abdominal liposuction, blepharoplasty, BOTOX injections, chemical peels, facials, and even offer a line of skin care products to maintain once you’re beautified. There is really no limit to the services that these two offer. The best part is that they are affordable, local, and are quick to answer any of your questions or concerns. They take seriously their mission to help you get the surgery desire and, and make sure you have an incredible experience while going through the process.

I am not going in for surgery any time soon, but if I ever need some work done, I know where to go. I’ve met these ladies, so I know they are genuine and truly care about their patients. They do everything in their power to make you comfortable from the moment you fill out your new patient request form to the time you peel off that last bandage to be completely satisfied with your results. Their goal is to help you enhance your own unique beauty.

With a name like that, I bet you are not from the United States. Where are you originally from?

I’m from the Netherlands, and also Le Grand is my actual name as well – a lot of people think I made it up as a stage name but no, that is the name I was born with.

How long have you been performing?

Over ten years. I actually started DJing in school, then at parties around Amsterdam, warming up for some of the bigger guys. I got a weekly residency in two clubs  in the south of Holland which really established my name at home, then one thing led to another and I started to play at international parties, and here I am now.

When did you know you wanted to make a run at music full time?

Pretty early on. I had a lot of ideas with production, and when you put that together with DJing, it’s a full time job that you’re looking for. It takes a lot of hard work and you never know at the beginning if you’re going to make it, but I was lucky to work with some great people in the early years that helped me get on the right track.

You are currently on Ultra Records. How has that experience been?

It’s been fantastic. Ultra Records is filled with a great team who really know the American market, they have years of experience and they know who to hit up for whatever you want. They’re one of the biggest independent dance labels in America for a reason, I was really happy to sign my album over to them.

Describe your genre in one word.

Impossible (Meaning you can’t put my genre in a one word box!)

So there are so many versions of your song Put Your Hands Up for Detroit out there. Which one is your favorite?

The original I’m still proud of, of course, but I hardly use that one in my sets. I usually mix it with something else like Veerus’s “Mouse Ate My Proteins”.

Why did you pick Detroit?

The Detroit techno scene had a massive influence on me as a DJ and as a producer. Guys like Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Carl Craig – these were all pioneers of the electronic sound coming out of Detroit and I wanted to do something that paid homage to that era.

Have you ever performed that song in Detroit?

Of course, although again not the original.

Do you have any routines before you perform a show?

Not really. I just like to chill out before a gig, get there normally half an hour before I’m due to go on and soak up the atmosphere, get a grip on where the crowd are at and where the DJ before me has been taking them. Then I just get in the DJ booth and do my thing.

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

It wasn’t so much embarrassing as insane. I was playing at the Roskilde Festival in 2008, I went on to the stage to start my set and all of a sudden people just came flooding into the tent. When I say flooding, I mean that – all the side of the tent just had hundreds of people from nowhere racing in. It got so full that the people at the front were getting squashed so we had to stop the music, put the lights on and security had to remove everyone from the arena. It was pretty scary at the time, but as soon as they’d sorted it out we turned everything back on and smashed it.

Who is your favorite DJ?

There’s more then one. Carl Cox is definitely one of my favorites, but so are the likes of Kevin Saunderson and Sneak. And from a professional point of view, who can not respect what Tiesto has achieved.

Where do you get inspiration for a new track?

From everywhere really. Sometimes it’ll be through working in the studio with someone and the track just grows organically between us. Sometimes I’ll have a beat in my head just going round and round that I have to put down in the studio, then other times someone will pass me over a melody and I’ll come up with a beat for it and develop it from there. Plus you hear so much good music these days, there are a lot of new sounds coming out that give you ideas of how you can use them yourself, how you can manipulate them or where you could take them in a tune.

Who are some of your biggest influences?

I’m influenced by a lot, and a lot still influences me. From the old school: James Brown, George Clinton & Booty Collins and of course Michael Jackson.

What was it like working with Madonna?

Exciting. I didn’t actually meet her unfortunately, that’s not really how it works. Basically she used Put Your Hands Up for the promo concert for Sticky & Sweet and everyone went nuts for it so I guess that grew her interest in me. Then her people got in touch with my label and asked if I’d like to do a remix of Give It 2 Me. Of course, I said yes! They sent over the parts for the track, I did a remix and then we sent that back over, they let us know what they thought etc, some tweaks here and there and then they would have played it to her along with whoever else was remixing it as well as me. It’s great to be able to say Madonna hand-picked you to do something with her musically.

You have recorded so many tracks. Do you ever forget your own beats?

(Laughs) No I don’t, I’m pretty good at remembering tracks I made, they’re all stored in my head.

What is the biggest crowd you have ever performed for?

It would have been the Love Parade in Germany. 2008 they had 1.6 million people in attendance, you’re on a huge float in front of all of them and when you drop your first beat, to have people just going nuts, it’s pretty hard to describe if you haven’t been there. I’m back again this year, doing a float with Beatport, headlining at the main party, then the big official afterparty which is the 1Live Radio. It should be awesome.

The smallest?

On one of my own birthday parties, at home with about 15 friends.

What are you drinking while on stage?

I always drink Barcadi and Coke.

Can I follow you on Twitter?

Yes you can, I’m @DJFeddeleGrand.

You are all over these social media sites. Do you favor one over another or do you put the same attention to them all?

No, I pretty much make it as equal as possible. Probably the one that I pay most attention to is my own online community on my website, which I just won an award for. We’ve given as much control as we possibly can to fans with lots of features that they can use themselves – things like the ability to upload your own tunes on there for people to listen to, charts of fan’s music, my own chart of the tracks on the website. You can have your own profile on there, we’ve got forums for people to talk about music, when you upload new tracks you get an official holding page for them which also lets you host the music across other social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, meaning more people get to hear your tunes.

Tell me about your relationship with Get In!

I’ve been working with Get In! for the past two years, they handle all my international publicity, my tour diary, my music releases, things like that. If you want to get in touch with me for any press, they’re the guys you speak to.

If you could live anywhere else in the world where would you go?

Depends on what I would be doing. I might live somewhere near LA for a while just to be in the middle of the industry there. For more relaxing times I really liked Australia.

How do you know will.i.am?

He came to me and asked me to remix one of his tracks called The Donk Song. I said I would as long as he’d do a track with me on my Output album. He said yes and we went from there. He’s a really interesting guy, completely obsessed with music and what you can do with different technology, very clever. He flew out to Ibiza in 2008 when I was playing at Pacha Ibiza and did a live PA, he ended up standing on the DJ booth singing to the crowd!

Please tell me you carry an iPhone.

Of course! I also have an iPhone app called iFedde which is available to download and gives you complete mobile access to the Fedde online community wherever you are in the world. You can listen to new music, download and buy tracks that you like, chat to other members – it’s basically exactly the same as the website but just fits in your pocket.

Who does all of your graphic design work?

V2A, an award winning German design agency. If you like their work I can get you in touch with them.

If you were not a DJ what would you be doing?

I’d probably be a full time producer. I can’t think about not being involved with music – that thought hurts my head!

How are you associated with Flamingo Recordings?

I’ve been part of the Flamingo team for some years now. Basically the label was set up because the music we (myself, Funkerman and Raf) were producing at the time just wasn’t seen by other labels as fitting into the sales formula. They wouldn’t take a chance but we believed in what we were doing so Flamingo Recordings was created for us to put our music out there ourselves. Ardie (Funkerman) had already been working in a record store so he knew the ins and outs of the whole business, which really helped out.

I need some new headphones. What would you recommend?

I personally use Technics DJ1200’s, they are perfect for me

Are you looking forward to Electric Zoo this fall?

Definitely. It’s one of the great US parties, fantastic atmosphere and it’s always nice to play in New York.

What does a normal Friday night look like for you?

Normally I’ll fly into whatever city I’m playing at, drop my bags at the hotel and if I’ve got enough time, have a sleep. Then grab some dinner, take a ride to the club and get inside the DJ booth. Then after I’ve played, sometimes I’ll hang out with the guys at the bar but it depends on where I’m going the next day and how soon we have to fly, so sometimes I have to go straight back to the hotel and grab as much sleep as I can. It can be very hectic sometimes but I do love it.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I’d like to be in the studio more, not just producing for myself but working with other artists, producing their albums too.

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?

Making great music, sticking to my musical guns, giving people nights out they’ll never forget and really contributing something definitive to the electronica world.

I always let the artist get the last word. Go.

Thanks!