“Best New Teen Artist of the Year” Lauren Carnahan, 18, of Ardmore, Oklahoma will join the nation’s premiere anti-bullying school concert tour joining a talented line-up of emerging recording artists starting Tuesday, January 20 at Landrum Middle School in Houston.
The Allstar Nation Tour features emerging recording artists from around the country who perform and speak out against bullying at middle and high schools. The highly-engaging assembly is a free supplemental anti-bullying program. Artists sing Top 40 and original music to connect with students. Between songs, they speak out against bullying, share personal experiences, and discuss prevention methods.
Carnahan joins Texas pop artists Branden Mendoza, 21, of New Caney and a Season 6 contestant on The Voice; tour veteran Tristan Blaine, 15; of Frisco; Canadian teen sensation Nic Neufeld, 13; of Dodsland, Saskatchewan; and Omar Alhindi, 17, of Fresno, Calif.
The pop singer, songwriter, and musician was named Indie Music Channel’s 2014 “Best New Teen Artist of the Year”. She recently released her debut EP titled “Out of Nowhere” featuring six original singles and available on iTunes. Carnahan, who is a graduate of Plainview High School, started writing songs at nine and plays the ukulele, guitar, and piano.
According to recent studies, bullying affects nearly one in three schoolchildren in America grades six through 10. It’s a major factor in teen suicide and school shootings. In fact, suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. Nearly 70 percent of students think schools respond poorly to bullying.
The Houston-based Allstar Nation Tour has exploded in popularity having performed for more than 50,000 students and faculty at nearly 50 schools in 20 districts in Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin, and Florida since August 2014. The multi-state tour kicked off its 2015 campaign in Texas with additional states to be announced later this year.