NJ High School Students Share Inspirational Music
April 4, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 4, 2023
Contact: Natalie Golub, Media Coordinator, 973-382-4560, natalie@drugfreenj.org
NJ High School Students Share Inspirational Music
as Part of Statewide Music Competition
Finalists Announced and Online Voting Now Open!
MILLBURN — Twenty-six New Jersey high school students have been selected as finalists for their original music and lyrics featuring powerful peer-to-peer messages about substance use, misuse and prevention for the 2023 Your Song! Your Voice! Shout Down Drugs New Jersey music competition organized by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ).
The competition, sponsored by 95.9 WRAT, is a great opportunity for teens to have a platform to promote their music and be peer leaders by inspiring other teens 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 in the 19th annual Your Song! Your Voice! competition,” said Angelo Valente, PDFNJ’s Executive Director. “Each year I am so impressed by these teens utilizing their talent in sharing these substance use prevention songs, that will hopefully inspire and reach their peers with the messages they convey.”
The 26 finalists, comprised of 20 solo and group entries, will be featured during the virtual Prevention Concert on April 26th on ShoutDownDrugs.com and the winners will be announced live on air on 95.9 FM WRAT at 6:40 p.m. immediately following the concert. 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. “We look forward to being a part of the competition and are proud to work with the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey.”
The public will be able to vote for their favorite Your Song! Your Voice! finalists at ShoutDownDrugs.com from now until April 24th 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.
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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 $200 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 217 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.
New Jersey Shout Down Drugs 2023 Finalists
Atlantic County
Alaina Joseph – “Simple”
CITY: Somers Point
SCHOOL: Chartertech High School of the Performing Arts
Nathanael Gaw – “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright”
CITY: Mays Landing
SCHOOL: Atlantic County Institute of Technology
Matthew DiTizio – “Revealed”
CITY: Egg Harbor Township
SCHOOL: Egg Harbor Township High School
Bergen County
Cumberland County
CITY: Vineland
Essex County
CITY: Montclair
CITY: Roselle
Gloucester County
Mercer County
Garrett Gonzalez – “Everything Ends”
CITY: Hamilton
SCHOOL: Nottingham High School
Daniella Conte – “Just Say No”
CITY: Hamilton
SCHOOL: Steinert High School
Varsha Gireesh – “Addicted”
CITY: West Windsor
SCHOOL: High School North
Jordan Wilson – “Intervention Intentions”
CITY: Lawrence Township
SCHOOL: Lawrence High School
Monmouth County
Ocean County
Passaic County
