Jiving with Jump5

Do you want smart dancing, cool music, and a little modesty in your pop stars? Jump5's Chris, Brandon, Lesley, Brittany, and Libby are between 13 and 14 years old and are already veterans on the Nashville dance circuit. Now they're pop singers and have toured with Krystal and Brooke Allison on the strength of their single, Spinnin' Around from their self-titled debut album.

Jump5 gives teen fans something different. In a time dominated by boy bands and sultry teen queens, Jump5 is on the other end of the pop scale. Read on and learn more about America's newest boy-girl group, Jump5, currently on tour throughout eastern and southern US on the Child of the Promise tour.

What makes Jump5 different from other pop groups today?

Lesley: One of the big things is that we're a boy-girl group.

Chris: And we're also known for our good message, we're not doing nasty stuff.

Libby: We all dress modestly. We don't want to dress in an immodest way just to get attention.

Is Jump5 considered a Christian group?

Chris: I think we're Christian who are in a group who sing and dance, that's basically all it is.

Lesley: We all believe in God but our songs are all viewed in different ways by different viewers. Some people are going to say, these songs are about a guy or girl, some will say they're about God.

How is your Radio Disney tour going?

All: Great!

There are a lot of major acts on the tour; do you hang out with anyone in particular?

Chris: We're hanging out with a bunch of the opening show-people who are really nice. Street Vibe, Brooke Allison, all the artists we've met are really nice. People like Krystal make us feel welcome.

Has your act itself improved since you've had so much time to practice over the past couple of months?

Chris: Yes it's improved because we get to see other people perform and then we can use that to make ourselves better.

Libby: We do practice a lot, at least a couple of days a week so it comes together better when we perform.

Who are your musical and dancing influences?

Brandon: We all like 'N Sync the best. One of my personal influences is Elton John. My dad loves his music and listens to it all the time and so I listen to it all the time too. I love how Elton John plays the piano and I play the piano. He inspires me.

Brittany: I'd have to say Destiny's Child, not because of the way they dress but because of their voices and how they sing, it's amazing.

Lesley: One of the people I really look up to is Mandy Moore, she has a great voice and she's really modest. I think she has a great image for everybody.

Chris: I like the BeeGees. I love their music.

Because Jump5 is associated with Disney, I'd like to ask who each member's favorite Disney character is?

All: Ahhhhh.

Chris: I like Goofy.

Brandon: I like Pluto.

Libby: I like Pluto also.

Lesley: I'd like to say Goofy.

Libby: I'd have to say Minnie Mouse.

Were you all professional dancers before Jump5 began?

Chris: We've all been dancing and singing for a long time. I started dancing before I started singing.

Brittany: I wouldn't say we're professional because we're only thirteen and fourteen years old, but I've been dancing since I was two.

Brandon: I've been dancing since I was three or four. Lesley was dancing with Brittany and I when she was that little too. We all started young.

Where did Jump5 get together?

Lesley: In Nashville.

In Nashville? That's a bit of a surprise. Can I ask how the group juggles school with performing?

Lesley: This year we have a tutor so we're home schooled. We were actually going to go to regular school this year but our tutor comes on the road with us because we'll be gone for a while. We do our work on the airplane, in the car, whenever we can do it.

Which way of learning do you prefer?

Brittany: I prefer being tutored, but I really miss all my friends and stuff. That's the only reason why I want to go back to school.

Do your parents come on tour with you?

Lesley: Everywhere we go we have a parent that comes with us.

Brandon: Yeah, we have a parent coming along as a chaperone.

I'm sure that occasionally you all get away from the parents. What's the biggest prank you've pulled together as a group?

Chris: We were on a three week Christmas tour and Brandon used to be really afraid of interviews so we set-up a prank interview for him. We set up a real TV and we told him it was going to be on cable and he believed us. He got really scared and we (had the mock-reporter) asking him if he played with Barbie dolls.

All: Laugh!

What did you think of that Brandon?

Brandon: It was actually pretty funny after I thought about it.

I hear that you're the shyest member of the group?

Brandon: Yeah, basically.

So who's the loudest then?

Brittany: That would be me!

Lesley: Brittany will just start singing at the top of her lungs. Yesterday she started singing opera. It's awesome.

Brittany: I don't care.

Lesley: But we're all pretty loud.

Is your pop music career everything you thought it would be before it began?

Brittany: I would say this is way more than we thought it would be. This is great, I love it, it's exciting.

Lesley: Being with Disney is such a big deal that we don't even know how to swallow it. This is really weird but it's awesome.

What would you do for a career if you weren't doing music?

Lesley: I want to be in a movie.

Libby: At 18 or 19 I want to go to college. I think I'd enjoy that.

Brittany: I either want to be an actress or a dolphin trainer.

Brandon: I'll probably either be singing or acting. If not that then I want to be an electronics engineer and make video games.

Chris: I don't know yet.

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