High School Nation, which provides free, live concerts for high school students throughout the country, gives students the opportunity to meet and interact with teen pop stars. The tour visited the school recently, offering students the opportunity to interact with new and upcoming performers. 

Two of these artists, singer/songwriters Noelle Bean and Leroy Sanchez not only performed for students, but answered questions for the school’s news reporters.

Noelle Bean:

Q:  When did you develop an interest in performing? How long have you been performing?

A:  I have been performing for four years this upcoming March, and I got into it my sophomore year in high school when I walked into the music room by accident. The teacher knew who I was and called me up to sing. He was the first person who truly got me into music.

Q:  How has the High School Nation Tour impacted your life? How did you become a part of it?

A:  It impacted me by inspiring me to love what I do, and all the people I get to perform for. The director of the High School Nations Tour and my manager accidentally took a cab home together and started talking about music. My manager played my demo and the director asked me to be on the fall leg of the tour, and of course I said yes!

Q:  What do you think the benefits might be for students that have a chance to experience the High School Nations Tour?

A:  I think a benefit of the tour would be to inspire students themselves to become performers by seeing not only me , but all of my tour mates sing. We hope we can inspire  student who perform to pursue a career in music.

Q:  Have you written all of your own music?

A:  Yes, I write all of my own songs. Although I wish I had written the song You Are My Sunshine. It is my favorite song.

Q:  What, or who inspires you every time you get on stage?

A:  Fans. My fans keep me inspired and going. Whenever I see the fans smiling and jumping around, it makes all the nights I stay up late writing music worth it.

Leroy Sanchez:

Q:  Where are you from?

A:  I grew up in  Vitoria, Spain.

Q:  Who or what is your biggest inspiration?

A:  My parents, definitely, because both of them worked hard to give my sister and I a better future.

Q: Where did you go to high school and how do schools in America compare?

A:  I went to high school in Spain and in Spain you graduate high school at 16-years-old. This campus is about five times bigger than my high school. All of the ones in Spain are small.

Q:  On tour and in general, where was or is your favorite place to perform?

A:  Every day, we get to sing for huge audiences. And, I was not used to that. I had never performed for huge crowds, so all the places that we have played for huge crowds would be my favorite places.

Q:  Is it different performing at a high school tour than on a ‘regular tour’?

A:  Not really. I had never been on tour before, and since this is my first tour, I haven’t really had a chance to compare. But in general, I do not think it is that different.

Q:  Have you written all of your own music?

A:  Yes, but it took a lot for me write my own music because I did not speak English well when I first came to America.  Many of my songs are actually in Spanish.

Q:  How do you think the High School Nations Tour influences students?

A:  Well first of all, we give the schools’ music programs money, to enable performers in your school’s music program. When you get to college, you may not like what you do.  So, we hope we can teach other performers to pursue a music career, if it is truly their passion.