A Miley Cyrus Interview

Teen: You handled yourself very well today onstage when the microphone went out. Is that something you learned on your own or did your dad teach you how to navigate crisis waters?

Miley: I basically learned that on my own. I mean, I didn’t know anything about (how to get it to turn back on). I couldn’t get that thing to start on my own! I kept telling myself “Okay, you can turn back on now!”
Teen: Well, you handled it really well, so you should be proud of yourself! Hey, you wrote/cowrote most of your songs on this new album. That’s incredibly exciting. Where do you get your ideas?

Miley: Yes. I wrote seven on the new album. Most of them I just get from real-life experiences like my family and friends. I write anytime I get a chance. I figure it out. I play my guitar and I stay up until like 2 in the morning. I actually have a melody on my guitar right now. You know, when you start, you just can’t stop.
Teen: How old were you when you started playing guitar?

Miley: I was about 7.
Teen: Did you have something to do with picking the art for the CD with all the Jake stories?

Miley: Yes. They are very good-looking, so I don’t blame someone for buying it. I would!
Teen: When you are not working on the show, where do you go to school?

Miley: I go to a youth program school, and everyone always says that my teacher must be easy on me, but NO! No way!
Teen: Is it a hard thing for you to focus on your studies?

Miley: OMG yes! You know, I’m working on one question and then I’m like, “Oh ya, Mom, so anyways” (as she pretends to be writing on a piece of paper).
Teen: How does school on the show differ from school in real life?

Miley: This is easy compared to school. If you would see me at school, you would see a whole different side of me. I’m like, “Okay, it’s time to study.”
Teen: What is your favorite subject?

Miley: Lately, English. Math, I really do not like. I’m pretty good at it, but I couldn’t focus on it for my life. I don’t like numbers. I have decided that.
Teen: So, what is your style? I know Hannah has one and Miley Stewart has one.What is yours?

Miley: This is basically my style. (Miley points to her outfit — a white T-shirt, yellow/blue-striped pleated skirt, knee-high baseball socks, and some white sneakers). I’m really into tube socks.
Teen: So, do you get a lot of time to watch TV, and if you do, what are your favorite shows?

Miley: I love reality shows. I always watch The Real World and American's Next Top Model. And then also because I was on That’s So Raven and Suite Life, I really got into those shows too with my little sister. I also watch Friends. I watch a little of everything.
Teen: Do you think if you were not on Hannah that you would watch it?
Miley: Ummm ... I always think about that, actually. Because I work on the show, I know what happened already. When I watch it sometimes, I’m like, “Okay, I have watched this already.” You know when you have worked on it for a week, you really don’t want to watch it again.
Teen: Would you ever consider being a contestant on Dancing with the Stars?

Miley: No way! I have seen my dad’s feet, like, blistered up. I see Karina go, like, “Tweak, tweak, tweak, tweak” to my dad’s feet (as Miley pretends to be poking at something). And Karina is like “Turn, turn, turn, turn!” So, I don’t think I would do it! My dad is actually the one now with the real moves. He talks about the sashay or lattay, whatever it is. I always tell my dad “Ya, I’m just going to be dancing, Dad, I’m not going to be doing all of that fancy stuff.”
Teen: So, how do you feel about being in the spotlight?

Miley: It does get frustrating having the cameras on you all the time, because if you make mistakes, then the whole world knows about it. Like, it’s not just your family and friends, it’s everyone. Sometimes I’ll watch myself on TV and ask myself, What am I doing, I am the biggest geek. My friends will call me and say, “OMG. Have you seen that commercial of you, you look like such a nerd.”
Teen: When you are not in the spotlight, do you have to do chores at home?

Miley: Yes, I do. I just learned how to use the dishwasher, and when I put the soap in, all of the bubbles starting coming out and I was like, “Oh, I think I was supposed to put the soap in that little container thing instead of just pouring it in. I was like, "Oh, ya, that is what I was supposed to do.” I got in a lot of trouble for that and I shrunk my mom’s favorite pair of jeans trying to do laundry. We have to like hang-dry our jeans, like the old-fashioned way, instead of drying them in the dryer, so they don’t shrink. So, now my mom’s pants are really cute capris.
Teen: What’s your definition of a true friend?

Miley: A true friend is someone who is always there during the ups and downs. I actually have a song called "True Friend." You know, I have had a lot of positive things happen in my life, but I also have had some negative things that are not so fun to deal with, and not only do I have to hear it from my friends, but also everyone else as well, so it is nice to have my friends there to help me get through everything.
Teen: What kind of qualities does a guy have to have to ask you out on a date?

Miley: He better turn that charm on really quick. I’m from the South, so it’s like Southern hospitality. My family is kind of funny because we are so set in our old traditions, like when we walk in the house, “Shoes off!” It’s like you walk in and you're clean. I’m like, “Mom, no one does that.” It’s just something we do and we are not changing for anybody. You know, even with us, it’s like, “Yes, sir. No, sir.” We have fun, but when it’s time to be serious we bring out the respect, not only for our fans, but even to our brothers and sisters.
It’s just common courtesy. I think that turning on the charm without being fake is really important. They have to be a gentleman. My dad is like, “That boy is really nice.” He has to be a nice guy.
Teen: So, I have to ask: Who’s your celebrity crush?

Miley: Orlando Bloom. My friends met him and I told them, “I don’t like you anymore. [Miley laughs]. We are no longer friends.”
Teen: What is your favorite pig-out?

Miley: It’s so weird. I like shrimp. I will eat like a whole thing of shrimp. I’m a vegetarian, but that is the only thing that I will eat. So, I will eat and eat shrimp and I like fries.
Teen: So, after you graduate, what are your plans for the future?

Miley: I don’t know exactly what I’m trying to do for now. I’m actually graduating early. I got a lot of work done already. Being home schooled, I have had a lot of tutors help me. I will be done next year with high school and I’m really excited about that. Also, what is really cool about the school that I go to is that it has prep classes for college. So, when I get a chance I will have that availability because I have studied for it.
Teen: For all of the girls out there who want to be a star like Miley, what is your advice to them?

Miley: I think it is believing in yourself and being true to yourself. Even when you're acting, you still need to be true to yourself because you don’t want to put on a show for the rest of your life. It is a hard way to the top, but it is also very easy to come back down as well. Also, it is really important to keep yourself rested, and whenever you need a break, take a break.