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Jump5: Reaching For The Stars by Charles White
Brandon
Hargest was born in Durham, North Carolina. At the age of 2, he and his family
moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Ever since he was young, Brandon has been
performing either in music videos, on stage at Opryland USA or in television
commercials. About four years ago, Brandon and his sister, Brittany, attended
an audition that would change their lives. “There were auditions for a group
for “Sunday School” singing. I auditioned along with Brittany and we both
got it.” Soon after
auditions, the focus of this new musical group changed. The mother of one of
the current members of Jump5 introduced new material that took them
away from the traditional sound of “Sunday School” music. “After a
while, we did all these songs that Libby’s mom [mother of another Jump5
member] had written and we put choreography to them,” Brandon explains.
“All of a sudden, we had this group that we didn’t expect. We had a
showcase performance for the president of Sparrow Records and our current
manager. That’s how we got signed and how we got our manager.” Brandon is
quick to point out that his success is in large part due to the love and
support of his parents, whom he names as one of the greatest influences in his
life. “I really look up to my parents. They are my role models. They have
been behind us 110%. It’s so great to have two people like that in your
life.” So how did
these guys come up with the name Jump5? It’s not as easy as you might
think. “When it first started the group was called “Fresh Start” but
that sounded like a kitty litter,” Brandon jokingly recalled. “We changed
the name to “Jump Start” and that had legal issues. We were throwing
around different names and I think someone at the record label had the idea
for the name Jump5. Jump5 was the one we all agreed upon.” Brandon has
spent a large portion of his teen years on the road touring and performing
throughout the world. Although he hasn’t lived the “normal” teen life
filled with dances and football games, he has no regrets. “What we get to do
is so much cooler that I think it would be just being a regular kid,”
Hargest states. “Not many
people get this opportunity. Sure we’ve missed going to football games and
stuff like that with our friends, but it’s so cool traveling the world at
such a young age and doing all this stuff now. I love it. I get to live my
dreams!” However,
Brandon isn’t immune to the challenges that young people face and realizes
that it’s difficult being a teen sometimes, even one that is successful.
“There’s tough parts and there are easy parts,” Brandon admits.
“It’s kinda hard sometimes. You have all these restrictions. Some people
don’t think you can do as much as you know you can just because they think
you’re a kid. It’s tough being in the business we are and being a kid
because sometimes you can get taken advantage of. Thankfully we haven’t
experienced that yet.” Admittedly,
Brandon’s first love is music. It gives him the opportunity to express
himself and encourages all youth to get involved with music in some way, shape
or form. “I love music. I love listening to different types. It’s a great
way to express yourself. There are so many things you can do in music that you
normally might not be comfortable doing in real life.” “[Music] is
a great way to get your feelings out. Many kids out there may not have a way
to vent. Music is a great way to do that and feel good doing it too. If you
can’t get things out and you hold them in too long, it’s going to be kinda
dangerous.” Through their
music, Brandon and the other members of Jump5 have had the opportunity
to entertain thousands of people throughout the world and bring a bit of joy
to their lives. As a Christian group, they have also had the opportunity to
bring the message of Christ to a mainstream audience. “Getting up on stage,
performing and seeing all these people singing along to our songs makes me
happy,” explains Hargest. “We did a show that was for a church and a lot
of the mainstream fans that went to all the Aaron Carter shows came to
see us. It was cool seeing all these mainstream fans coming to hear us perform
and getting their eyes opened by seeing other things in the Christian
world.”
The mission
for Brandon and the other members of Jump5 is to deliver a message to
youth to be yourself and that anything is possible if you simply pursue your
dreams. “Be yourself! Don’t let anybody tell you what to do. As long as
you know what you’re doing is right, don’t let anyone pressure you into
doing other things that you know are wrong. Go for your dreams and never give
up!” With the
release of their new album, Accelerate and a 15-city Christmas tour
underway, Jump5 is well on their way to continuing the success they
have found so far in the Christian music industry and in mainstream pop music. However, the success that they are most proud of is their
continued commitment to serve as role models to their peers. Wherever they go
and whatever they do, Brandon and the rest of Jump5 will continue to
inspire and encourage teens through their contagious blend of optimism,
happiness and strength.
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In
a day and age filled with mixed messages, it is rare to find a musical group
that has the strength to cast away negativity and inspire youth.
How
does a group that has toured the world with artists such as Aaron Carter,
A*Teens, and the Baha Men define success? You would think it
would be by their top 40 hits, gold record or mutiple albums. If you think
this is how Jump5 measures success, you’d be wrong. “If you’re
happy with what you’ve done, how far you’ve come and if you’ve made at
least one person happy, that’s success. If we make the fans feel good,
that’s success to us.”