Lauren Detweiler on special assignment for Pittsburgh Music Magazine
Getting out of school for a concert? Not as crazy as it seems – High School Nation, a program that seeks to bring attention to the arts, is currently on a twenty-stop tour across America, bringing with them various talent and entertainment that would otherwise not have the opportunity to see such big crowds. Making an appearance this year are bands Stamps and Blush, as well as singer Trevor Jackson. This unique program allows up-and-coming artists to debut their talents at high schools and middle schools across the country while simultaneously allowing the students at these schools to experience the arts, including journalism, film, fashion, and photography in addition to the music, like never before. Resembling something of Warped Tour, this two-hour long concert featured a host of activities for students to participate in besides the concert. Activities present were the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, the Gibson Tour Bus, Tilly’s tent, and a couple other little activates to keep students engaged, even if the concert wasn’t quite their style. Making one of their twenty stops in Pittsburgh, High School Nation landed at Baldwin High School in early October. Instead of Blush, they welcomed singer Justine Skye to the stage for this specific concert, which took place outside the school in a parking lot, rain or shine – and there was rain. Even when the downpour started, the acts were enthusiastic about their music and the crowd, and refused to let it interfere. While many students went running for cover under one of the many tents of activities, the concert went on! First to the stage was Stamps, a band consisting of friends that formed in L.A. about three years ago. At this point, the crowd of students had no idea how to react – ten minutes ago they had been dying in math class, and all of a sudden, they were outside, standing in a little mob, listening to a band they had never heard of before. The band reacted perfectly, however, getting the crowd pumped up, and within minutes, there were a decent amount of students ready to enjoy a concert. Following Stamps was Justine Skye, a young R&B singer-songwriter. A lot of Skye’s inspiration has come mainly from artists Beyoncé and Aaliyah, and she attributes much of her success to her social networking; in a world where people can’t go a day without updating the world on their lives, Skye is not missing out on the chance to get her music out there and amass followers and fans. Closing out the show was Trevor Jackson, a seventeen year-old inspired by Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, and Brian McKnight. The crowd went especially wild for him and his skilled dance moves, screaming and singing – mostly a combination – the entire set. In a world where funding for the arts is being cut and music and art programs are disappearing, High School Nation is fighting back and bringing the arts to the students.
