THE TEEN SCENE:

by Sarah Lounges

JUMP 5 ARE SPINNIN' TO THE TOP!

     Hey everybody!  Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all that jazz.  I am 
here this month to bring you a little reminder of summer during this not-so 
cold holiday season. 
 

    Imagine if you will, five spirited teens jumping about on stage with a 
pop flavor and a “God is Great!” attitude.  Throw in a hit single and a 
super snazzy wardrobe and you have Jump5, a Christian pop group comprised of 
Brittany,13; Brandon,14; Lesley,14; Libby,14; and Chris,15. 

     They met with me backstage on a very rainy day late in August at the 
Tweeter Center, immediately following their performance at the annual Radio 
Disney Live concert.  After cooling off and catching their breath, they were 
kind enough to let me chat them up.

     The members of Jump5 wasted no time getting started on their musical 
paths.  Since a very young age, all members have been dancing and singing.

     “I started singing when I was about 8,” said Brandon. “And the reason 
why I started is because she (his sister and fellow group member Brittany) 
was singing and I would have to go in and wait for her at her voice lessons. 
So I just started singing too.  The same thing happened with dancing.”  

     After awhile they all started singing together and Libby’s mom helped 
form them into an actual group.  You would think being in a group with your 
brother or sister might be hard to deal with... let’s face it... siblings 
just are not supposed to get along!  Brittany and Brandon seem to be the 
exception though, because they claim they rarely have disagreements.  That is 
refreshing to hear, considering all of the horror stories of sibling rivalry 
between the brothers in bands like Oasis and Black Crows.

     Being young and a rising star is not always easy.  Many times you cannot 
do the things you would do if you were a “normal” teenager.  But despite the 
long hours and hard work, everyone in Jump5 says they enjoy their lives and 
have no regrets. 
 

     “I think we have just as much fun doing this.  This is like a dream, we 
are living out our dreams,” said Lesley.  Then Libby added, “We still do the 
other stuff too.  When we’re in town we always go to the mall with friends, 
or talk on the phone or on the internet.  We still go see our friends from 
school.”  

      Often fame can change the way people treat you, but if they are true 
friends it will not matter to them. “Our friends are happy for us!  They 
don’t treat us any different,” said Brittany.  When it comes down to it 
though, these talented teens seem pretty “normal” to me – they listen to 
N*Sync, Destiny’s Child  and other pop groups just like the rest of us.

      Their first single, “Spinnin' Around,” is an upbeat and fun song and 
as Chris said, “It’s so real.  We’re teenagers and everything just spins us 
around, it seems like nothing is going straight at our age.”  “I think that 
it’s the best song we’ve had so far,” added Brandon. They plan “The Meaning 
Of Life” as their next single.

     There are many pop stars who claim to be very religious, yet they flaunt 
their bodies and seem to use them to sell their records more than their 
voices.  Britney Spears comes to mind for an obvious number of reasons, the 
most recent one being her newest CD cover which features her leaning over 
wearing little on top with a cross dangling from her necklace. 

    It seems wrong to portray the image one can be religious and flaunt 
oneself at the same time and that it’s okay.  Jump5 shares that opinion.  

    “We want people to like us for our talent, not for what we look like,” 
said Chris. “We don’t have to dress a certain way to get attention,” added 
Lesley. “We don’t want to have that kind of attitude.  We want to be 
ourselves and have fun with what we do in a  great way.” Very well put.  

     An interesting thing that came up in our conversation was Jessica 
Simpson’s change from an innocent girl-next-door type, to... well... a 
Britney Spears clone.  “We all disagree with it,” stated Libby. “We’ve all 
talked about it actually.  We love her songs and we’ve heard she’s really 
nice, but we just don’t agree with how she’s changed her image like that. We 
honestly don’t like that change.”
 

     An amazing moment for any performer is walking out on stage for that 
first time.  “It was so exciting!” exclaimed Brittany. “I just got this huge 
rush of energy.” “The first day of the tour was amazing because it was a 
huge crowd and they were all cheering for us,” added Brandon.  Then Chris 
chimed in with “It was a dream come true!”  

    Although the guys seemed to be indecisive about their favorite songs on 
the album – (no shock there, boys can never seem to make up their minds) – 
the girls of the group had a few in mind.  “Personally, ‘I Wish That I Could 
Read Your Mind’ and ‘Tell Me Why’ are my favorites,” said Brittany.  “I 
would have to say ‘Tell Me Why’ and ‘Change A Heart, Change The World’ are 
mine,” added Libby.

     As I usually do, I ended the interview by asking them to share a piece 
of advice with our readers who may be aspiring to a musical career 
themselves. 

     “Just be yourself!” were Brandon’s words of wisdom. “Don’t follow 
anybody, not the crowd, not anything. Just follow your dream.”

    “Have fun with it and don’t try too hard,” added Chris. And to their 
fans they collectively say – “Thank You!”

    Jump5 has a lot of talent.  They have the heart and the drive and as long 
as they stay focused, I predict they will make it big!  

     Their self-titled CD is in-stores now, and I urge everyone to check them 
out. I love their single, “Spinnin' Around.”  The video for it is great 
too...you should see them dance!  For more info on Jump5, check out their 
website at www.Jump5.com.  

     Well, that’s all for this month...and the next.  Don’t fear, I shall 
return in February.  Until then...Bye!