Ian Walschots
It’s one thing to be a high schooler whose music has garnered a fan base, but it’s a whole other level of success to have a following that is so engaged that they send care packages. Ian Walschots, a senior at East Grand Rapids High School, is an example of someone on the receiving end of this attention who doesn’t see himself as a rockstar.
“It feels crazy—it’s not a feeling that I expected,” Ian said. “It’s a weird feeling to just play and look up at everyone dancing and singing along to a song that [we] created.”
Typically, another feeling that accompanies this when performing is nerves, but when discussing whether or not he feels pre-show anxieties, Ian says that, with the exception of his very first show, he doesn’t usually find himself getting nervous before performing. Since he still views their concerts as a fun way to hang out with friends and meet new people, these emotions tend to lean more towards excitement instead of apprehension. Of course, he still aims to do his best, and as far as the greatest shows go, for him the most unbeatable of their performances took place in early September.
“I think the best show we played was the first show we played at Bryce Boersma’s house,” Ian said. “I think that one was the most fun; we played our best, and everything was good. For [every other show], there was something that we could point out that we could fix, but [this performance] was just all around good. Everyone had a good time.”
For him, being in Pay with Pesos is a way to express the creativity that he already finds in everyday life. “I never try to learn other people’s songs,” he says in regards to his method of practicing.
“I always try to make [music] my own and doing whatever I want with it,” Ian said. “I constantly try to write music; I love the way it makes me feel.”
FHC Inspires Q&As 2022: Andrew Shier
Name: Andrew Shier
Position: Speaker
TED Talk Title: How to Win an Argument
Why did you apply to be a speaker?
“I applied to be a speaker because I think it’s important to maintain public speaking skills. I’ve never been a nervous speaker, and it’s always been a strong suit of mine, but I think if you don’t routinely practice it, the skill goes away eventually.”
How are you feeling about speaking at FHC Inspires?
“Pretty good. The preparation part of it is always what gets me rather than the speech itself, like making sure what I have to say is good and ensuring that the topic is engaging, etc.”
What was the process of picking the perfect TedTalk topic?
“Not sure. For Ted Talks in Mr. George’s class, I had a different topic. I was asked to change it for Inspires, and couldn’t think of anything. This topic was more or less chosen for me, but it’s a fun one nonetheless.”
What does your message mean to you?
“It means something, that’s for sure. I won’t say it’s some huge topic that means the world to me, and I’ll start a foundation based on it, but it’s relatively important to me in that I find people are generally really bad at persuading and I think they need to get better.”
Who is your target audience?
“Everyone. Everyone is a salesman.”
Did you ever see yourself speaking at FHC Inspires?
“Not really. I didn’t think I’d be motivated enough to do this, and I wasn’t sure my friends were going to, but here I am proving myself wrong.”
What are you doing to prepare for the big night?
“Practicing.”
How does your google slide presentation reflect your topic?
“Very little. My Google Slides represent ME. Not pretty, straightforward, no-frills or fanciness.”
What’s a mobile game you’re currently hooked on?
“Odd question, but Clash Royale for certain. Been really fun lately.”