Hi, Arevik, and first of all our congratulations for being selected first Armenian representatives at Junior Eurovision! What were your first thoughts when you were informed about that?
- Thanks a lot for your congratulations. We’ll answer your questions with pleasure.
Anahit: At first I was afraid because I kept in my mind that is an important, serious and well-known TV show. Then I just calmed down understanding that if we are chosen it means we are able to do it.
Lilit: I don’t remember now I only know that immediately each of us picked up their cell phones and phoned to their parents to tell them about this unexpected news.
Mariana: It was me that was expecting this information and this selection most of all because two years ago when we were watching ESC and JESC I wished to be ever on the stage of JESC. I began writing some melodies at that time. But we were advised to wait. And the day has come.  

Please introduce yourself (each one of you) in one sentence each? Can you tell us how you got to Arevik and for how long you are singing in this ensemble?
- I am Sargsyan Anahit, 12 years old. It is already 6 years I am a member of “Arevik”.
- I’m Amiryan Seda, thirteen years old. I was 4 when I first came to “Arevik” ensemble.
- I am Tarkhanyan Lilit, twelve years old. I am in “Arevik” since 1999.
- I am  Barseghyan Mariam, 15years old. I came to “Arevik” ensemble at the age of 4.
- I’m Aleksanyan Kristine. I’m 10. At the age of 8 I began to attend singing and dancing classes at “Arevik”
- I’m  Javakhyan Mariana 15years old. I study in “Arevik” since 2002.
- I’m Manukyan Roza - 15 years old. I’m singing in “Arevik” since I was only 6.

- Please explain, what your song is about for those who cannot understand Armenian? And can you tell us about the history of the song creation?
Mariana: My song “A Dream” is about creating our own country- a “Wonderland” where a kind Fairy lives and she is able to help us with the realization of our dreams. In this Wonderland everybody is happy and there are only children there. Every child has its specific dream and it is mostly realized in our fantasies. So we dream about flying away to the sky, to our own planet and remain forever children full of joy and energy, where there are peace and love. The world of grown-up people is not that fascinating.

Two years ago when we had learnt there is a Junior Eurovision Song contest, some of the members of our group decided to try and write a song or just a simple melody, which could become a real hit song among the teenagers in Europe.   So there were around ten melodies written by me and my friends, and our art director has chosen only mine. Our entire group was glad to have it. But we hadn’t words to this melody. So we decided to write words altogether and this process was very noisy and lead to a constant fight between us. The most quiet was my friend Sargis and he has written interesting lyrics for us. Everybody in our group likes this song.

- How will you visually present your entry on stage? Will it be similar performance as at your preview video clip, or is there plan to add any visual effects for the international audience to understand better your song?
Christine: We impatiently wait for our performance on the Rotterdam stage. The video of the song “A Dream” that you’ve watched is only the concert version. Performance that we are preparing for the December 8th is quite different. Our dance teacher and choreographer Nane says that we will have a dance with the elements of theatrical performance on the stage and we will try to explain our feelings by means of a dance. But our song’s success is the most important for us.

- For the first time in Junior Eurovision participants are having sort of promotional tour, can you tell us more about your Cypriot and upcoming Swedish concerts?
Sargis: Don’t tell Diana (our HoD) that it’s a promotional tour (laughing). She gets angry with that because those concerts are usual concerts “Arevik” has during the year according to the kind invitations from USA, Cyprus, Sweden, Belarus, Lebanon and etc. Not only us, the JESC participants but the entire group is taking part in the concerts of “Arevik” and this is normal for us. If we are asked to sing the JESC entry we sing it with great pleasure, but if we are not asked to do it, we just run our usual program. This year we had two excellent concerts in Cyprus.  After the first concert A. Divanyan (our supervisor) and members of the group learnt that the boy who’s going to represent Cyprus at the Junior Eurovision song Contest 2007, Giorgos Ioannides was also in the hall watching our performance. Giorgos was aware that we will sing our JESC entry and came to listen to it and to take a closer look at “Arevik”. Children of “Arevik” and Giorgos chummed up, and Giorgos in his turn performed his song for “Arevik” at one of the hearty parties. The boy has liked “Arevik”s song “A dream” and he confessed that it is the best one from all the Eurovision 2007 songs he had heard. We liked his song too and how he performed it as well as his voice. We also liked him as a person. We can not say anything  about our Sweden tour, yet. It will be at the end of October.

- Besides concerts, how often do you practice your Junior Eurovision entry, who is working with you as vocal coach, choreographer?
Mariana: We have everyday rehearsals and our vocal coach Hovhannisyan Arpik and our supervisor Armen Divanyan just don’t let us eat and sleep and we have to perform it at least for 2 hours a day. Dance teacher and choreographer is Narine (aka Nane) Topolyan, she is the artistic director and laureate of several International Contests.  

- Arevik has own TV program on Armenian TV, can you tell us more about it?
Sargis: This TV program exists for at least 10 years (maybe more) and is aimed for the kid audience. We learn how to sing, we have well-known and famous guests, who sing with us even if they are not singers, they play with us, we have quizzes and etc. Recently we have started speaking about JESC and analyze the previous entries. We introduce all the participants to audience and speak about their career. So this is more entertaining and fun for us and our viewers.

- Have you chance to watch some previous Junior Eurovisions? If so, any songs you liked?
Anahit: Yes, I had a chance to watch some previous Junior Eurovisions. Certainly, there are songs I like, for example the song of Maria-Izabel and Thomas from 2004 contest, Maria & Anastasia Tolmachevy from 2006 contest and others. 

- Are you interested to find who will represent other countries in competition, do you follow preselection news from other countries?
Mariana: Yes, of course we are all interested. Our Supervisor A. Divanyan follows the news via internet and then we ask him to play a song or a video if available. We are very impatient and want to know everything at once.

- Do you like contests and to compete in general? What other festivals you took part in together and separately?
Mariana: Yes, I like contests very much and I like to compete because it makes a person stronger and more professional. And naturally I don’t like to lose.  I didn’t take part in any contest out of Armenia separately, but our group took part at the forth Folk Festival in Bulgaria in 2006.

- What is your aim for the competition? Are you going to win it, or simply have good time and make new friends?
- We want to show Europe what Armenian children can do today. At the Junior Eurovision song contest we are going to win. But, of course, we are  interested not only in competing but also in communicating with such a large number of different children from different countries and to get acquainted with their ways of living and make new friends.  

- Can you tell us, how looks basic day of the modern Armenian kid? What activities do you usually have?
Sargis: Aaaaaaaaa…. We are at school, then musical school, then rehearsing the vocal, then dances. I have to manage all that like I am already a grown-up.
Christine: I think that we should go in for sports, but since we move a lot during our dance training and rehearsals there is not too much need to do it. In our spare time we watch every new film on DVD or just go to cinema-hall. Also we attend different concerts held in Yerevan.                                                                                                                               
- What are your plans after the contest? Do all of you want to become professional singers in future?
Mariana: As usual we are going to prepare new songs, new recordings and perhaps there would be some concerts tours in 2008. Yes, of course everyone among “areviks” would like to be a professional singer in the future. But we have to work on it every day. 

- Thanks for the interview and good luck with preparations!
All: Hurray!!! The interview is over :D Thank you for the questions. Thank you for your attention to us. Cross the fingers for us.