Payson students treated to rock show in the middle of the school day

Payson students treated to rock show in the middle of the school day

(Azi Rahman)


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PAYSON — Students at Payson High School had an experience earlier this month that not many high-schoolers get: A rock concert in the middle of the school day.

Los Angeles band The Score played a short concert on April 10 in the school’s auditorium and then held a question-and-answer session for students.

The band became familiar with Payson High School through a contest they held in the theme of the band’s song “Legend.” The band asked fans to nominate people who they thought were local legends in their communities.

“We wanted a way to highlight some of these people because they are doing amazing work that help foster these healthy environments for young people to learn and grow, and for families to feel safe and unified,” band members Eddie Anthony and Edan Dover told KSL.com in an email.

Payson High School senior Jose Valle won the contest after his friend and fellow student Kaden Flippen nominated him. Anthony and Dover said they picked Valle to win their Local Legends contest because they were impressed with what he was doing for his school and community.

The school chooses a theme each year that is usually accompanied by a song and becomes a motto for students, said Valle, who is a member of the school’s student government.

This year, they chose The Score’s song “Unstoppable” as their school theme.

“We chose ‘Unstoppable’ this year because we just love the message of the song and the message of the lyrics,” Valle said.

After Valle won the band’s contest, he and Flippen went to their concert in December. They continued communicating with the band on social media, and the band expressed interest in playing a show at the school, since “Unstoppable” was used as the school’s theme.

The band is currently on tour and planned to be in Utah on April 10, so the school administration organized a concert at the school before the band’s show that night, Valle said.

“You don’t get a rock concert every day in school, so that was pretty cool,” Valle said.

Los Angeles band The Score played a short concert on April 10 at the Payson High School auditorium and then held a question-and-answer session for students. Senior Jose Valle, left, won a contest the band held that focused on "Local Legends." (Photo: Azi Rahman)
Los Angeles band The Score played a short concert on April 10 at the Payson High School auditorium and then held a question-and-answer session for students. Senior Jose Valle, left, won a contest the band held that focused on "Local Legends." (Photo: Azi Rahman)

Anthony and Dover said they had never done a show like this before. Some of the students performed a choreographed dance set to “Unstoppable,” the band members said.

“Playing at Payson High School was honestly so much fun,” Anthony and Dover said. “There was this crazy feeling of nostalgia that brought us back to high school. Also, seeing the students rock out at 11 a.m. on a school day felt so gratifying for us.”

During the question-and-answer session, the band members shared thoughts about how students could continue following their dreams and passions by putting in hard work, Valle said. They gave genuine and thought-provoking answers, he said.

It was the fullest he’d ever seen the auditorium, and students were still talking about the show days later, Valle said.

“It was an amazing experience because it was just so awesome to have that connection be built between us and the band, and in return make something of that connection and be able to give it to our student body,” he said.

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