“We go to the movies, hang out with friends, get our nails done, have slumber parties and take pictures all night long,” 13-year-old Marissa adds.

“We don’t want life to pass us by, because this is the best time ever. Acting your age and being silly is fun!” 17-year-old Cammie explains.

And there you have the message of the pop/rock trio The Rubyz. Though the girls released their self-titled album last April and just started their first nationwide tour, Alexis, Marissa and Cammie are just ordinary teen girls who are using their high-energy performances to spread their message: You have worth and value in Christ, and you don’t need to grow up too soon to prove it.

Their name comes from Proverbs 31:10: “A worthy woman who can find? For her price is far above rubies (American Standard Version).”

“We want people to have fun listening to our music. It’s high energy music you can dance to,” Cammie says. “But above all, we want people to know that in Christ they have so much value. So many things in the media are telling you to focus on boys and clothes, but people don’t feel like they have worth any more.”

All three girls know their worth comes from Christ. As teenagers, they know what it’s like to try to find their identity in the enticing things the world has to offer.

“I’ve always felt that in order to fit in I had to make myself more beautiful with the right clothes,” Alexis explains. “But a friend and I were having a sleepover, and we found a verse in 1 Peter that says not to focus on the outside, but to focus on what’s inside, like ‘the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,’ which is pleasing to God. That’s something we all need to remember: It’s what’s on the inside.”

Cammie agrees. “I’ve learned that when you’re a Christian and when you have a strong relationship with Christ, you tend to stand out, and some people don’t like that. So when they find themselves being different, it scares them, and they back off. It’s OK to stand up for your beliefs; it’s OK to be different. And if people don’t accept that, then they’re probably not the friends you want to be around.”

With a Z
The girls admit they love to shop and realize that as entertainers, they have a certain image they project. But Marissa explains, “We don’t have to look a certain way to be us.”

“We’re allowed to dress up and have fun, but we don’t let it go to our heads and think that’s the most important thing,” Cammie adds.

The girls, who have all been singing and dancing since they were little, auditioned for the group along with hundreds of other girls. Once they were picked, they went through a bunch of names. “First it was The Fun Girls, then the Sun Girls, then it was The Ruby Girls, and then it came down to Rubyz with a z,” Marissa says.

Even though the girls didn’t know each other before coming together as a group, they agree that they clicked from the beginning. The secret to group bonding? Lots and lots of sleepovers!

Recording artist Joy Williams Yetton has been a major influence on the girls. She co-wrote three songs on the album and has been involved in the process of putting the group together. All three say they could talk for hours about what a great role model Joy is.

“She’s been in the business so long, but nothing’s gone to her head. She’s the sweetest person you’ll ever meet,” Alexis says.

Cammie adds, “She always wants to talk to us and asks how we are. She’s like our big sister, and we all try to talk like her and act like her.”

The girls also describe other role models. “My mom is my role model,” Marissa says. “She’s totally a supermom! I’m in like 50 million activities, and I don’t see how she handles it, but she thinks it’s fun to take her kids to activities.”

Alexis credits her older cousin, Allison, as being her role model. “She’s really really close to God, and she’s 17, so she’s just a little bit older than I. We always hang out together and go shopping.”

For Cammie, it’s all about her mom. “She’s so supportive and a woman of God. She can get along with anybody, and she just clicks with people.”

And now the girls are getting a chance to influence their generation with the message of Christ. Cammie sums up The Rubyz : “Each person is more precious than any kind of gemstone. In God’s eyes, you’re the most valuable thing in the entire world, and that blows my mind! And women are referenced in the Bible as gemstones and precious and one of a kind. I think that’s really cool!”

Who is . . .
First to fall asleep at a slumber party?
Cammie

The loudest?
Marissa

Always on time?
Alexis

Cammie on Alexis:
“She’s calm and very mature for her age. When I first met her, I thought she was at least 17!”

Marissa on Cammie:
“Very funny. She’s a smart one. She’s like a big sister. Cammie will come into the recording studio and help whenever I need something.”

Alexis on Marissa:
“She’s crazy! You never know what she’s gonna do next.”

They Got the Beat!
Seventeen-year-old Brio reader Elise joined Brio’s assistant editor Ashley Boyer in Nashville to hang out with The Rubyz. Here’s an inside peek at her journal from the trip.

by Elise Hébert

Monday, 6 p.m.
Ashley and I met The Rubyz for dinner. I learned their favorite thing to eat is chicken fingers and fries. You can’t go wrong with that! We talked a lot about music and musical theater. We then headed to the recording studio, where the girls recorded some additional background vocals.

Monday, 11 p.m.
We stayed at the studio for a while, listening to “We Got Da Beat” over and over! It was fun because the moms came in and out and they were just a hoot to watch with their daughters! We all found ways to entertain ourselves. Marissa liked to practice her signature. Alexis got on the laptop and checked The Rubyz Web site, Cammie texted her friends, and I watched them!

Tuesday, 10 a.m.
We headed to the dance studio to see The Rubyz prepare for a performance on Friday. We were in the lobby and in walked PureNRG! They said hi on their way to a rehearsal room. It was insane to think that the girls know so many Christian artists and that it was so ordinary to see them. The girls practiced the dance to one of their songs, “We Got Da Beat,” and I think by the end of the trip, I had the song and the dance down! It was interesting to see how Marissa, who is very passionate about dancing, would give Alexis tips on dance steps. Cammie would make sure everyone got vocals right, and Alexis would make sure everyone looked right and sounded good. They didn’t act like divas, but they were humble and kind to each other when someone made a mistake.

Tuesday, 12:15 p.m.
The back-up dancers came in and started rehearsing with the girls. It was so fun to see how everything suddenly came together. For the final run through, we sat in front of the room and got to see what it would look like for the actual performance, and it was amazing! It was like our own personal show!

Tuesday, 1 p.m.
We left the dance studio to go get our nails done. It was so much fun to see what the girls chose. Each chose a combination of pink, black and white to match their stage outfits. Cammie got pink with black tips. Alexis got pink with a white flower. Marissa got pink with black polka dots. They signed a poster for the nail salon and gave it to the employees.

It was amazing to hang out with such strong Christians. The girls are regular people, and they don’t try to be something they’re not. I love listening to their songs because their beliefs come through. Overall it was a grand experience!