Your Song! Your Voice! - Finalists Announced and Online Voting is Now Open!
March 21, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 21, 2022
Contact: Natalie Golub, Media Coordinator, 973-382-4560, natalie@drugfreenj.org
NJ High School Students Are Taking A Stand Against Substance Misuse and Shouting Down Drugs as Part of PDFNJ’s Music Competition
Finalists Announced and Online Voting is Now Open!
MILLBURN — New Jersey high school students across the state are raising their voice and sharing powerful messages about substance misuse and prevention for the 2022 Your Song! Your Voice! Shout Down Drugs New Jersey music competition.
The competition, sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) with support from 95.9 WRAT and the New Jersey Broadcasters Association, is designed to challenge New Jersey high school students to share original songs, lyrics and use their voices as a means to inspire their peers to live a healthy substance-free lifestyle.
“The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is excited to have another group of talented New Jersey high school students participating this year,” said PDFNJ’s Executive Director, Angelo Valente. “Each year I am so impressed by these teens who use their talent to share these substance use prevention songs, that will hopefully inspire and reach their peers with the messages they convey.”
Ten finalists were chosen representing seven counties and will be featured during the virtual Prevention Concert on May 12th at 6 p.m., featured on 95.9 FM, where the winners will be announced live on air. The first-place winner will receive a $5,000 music contract, and the second and third-place winners to receive $3,000 and $2,000 music contracts respectively.
“The WRAT is excited to be part of the Your Song! Your Voice! Shout Down Drugs New Jersey competition again this year,” said Jimmy Steal, Vice President of Brand and Content, 95.9 WRAT. “These talented teens have worked so hard on their songs and we are excited to share them through the audio show.”
Formerly known as New Jersey Shout Down Drugs since 2005, Your Song! Your Voice! Shout Down Drugs New Jersey has been rebranded with a new name that fully encompasses what the competition is about – challenging teens to deliver peer-to-peer original music, songs and lyrics.
The public will be able to vote for their favorite Your Song! Your Voice! finalists from now until May 11th when the voting closes at midnight. A panel of judges will cast their vote, and the vote totals from this period of online voting will be combined with judges’ to determine the winners.
Interviews and photos with finalists are available upon request.
###
Best known for its statewide anti-drug advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $100 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception the Partnership has garnered 211 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.
New Jersey Shout Down Drugs 2022 Finalists
Atlantic County
ChristiannaBrasch– “Spread Your Wings and Fly”
CITY: Galloway
SCHOOL: Absegami High School
Jamar Felder– “1-800-662-4357”
CITY: Egg Harbor Township
SCHOOL: Egg Harbor Township High School
Bergen County
Andrew K. Cho– “Drifting Away”
CITY: Edgewater
SCHOOL: Leonia High School
Cumberland County
William Cao and Moesharlynn Torto– “Another Case”
CITY: Vineland
SCHOOL: Vineland High School South
Essex County
Jennifer Simbaina– “He Knew It Was Wrong”
CITY: Irvington
SCHOOL: Newark Tech High School
Zyera Spencer – “The Price of Euphoria”
CITY: Newark
SCHOOL: Donald M Payne Technical School
Mercer
Daniella Conte– “Clean at Seventeen”
CITY: Hamilton
SCHOOL: Steinert High School
Passaic County
Zemirah Redmond– “Breakthrough”
CITY: Patterson
SCHOOL: Paterson Charter School for Science & Technology
Union County
Keyoni Lee– “Never Too Late”
CITY: Elizabeth
SCHOOL: Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy
