Local Voices
Mendham Teen's Song Serves As Voice For Kids Facing Violent, Chaotic World
The 13-year-old's single, "Dreams Don't Belong to War," will be available on major streaming platforms on April 6.
MENDHAM, NJ — With violence and chaos continuing to erupt across the world, a 13-year-old Mendham girl’s voice is reminding people that children, too, are watching it unfold.
Mackenzie Reff is an emerging artist with a passion for music, storytelling, and performance. Her upcoming single, “Dreams Don’t Belong to War,” serves as an anthem for young people who are growing up in increasingly violent times.
“I wrote this song to share my perspective as a kid growing up in a time with so much fighting and conflict,” Mackenzie told Patch. “I’m just trying to advocate for other kids, and to share my wish for there to be more love and peace in the world.”
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Mackenzie says she wrote the tune in her closet with her ukulele. An avid poet, the young performer said it became hard to ignore the fighting happening around the world in front of her eyes, and she put her thoughts down on paper.
“Dreams Don’t Belong to War” was produced with the help of Antonio Sciortino of Dreamscape Pictures, with whom Mackenzie is working on the upcoming web series “The Bully’s Club.”
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“This song is not just music, it’s a message,” Sciortino said. “It’s a reminder that children should never have to understand war before they understand their dreams.”
While Mackenzie is no stranger to performing, having made her professional debut at Bucks County Theater in 2023, this is the first time a song of hers will be launched on major streaming platforms.
“I’m really excited about it, and I’m just really proud,” she said. “I really hope it gets heard by kids and grown-ups, so that kids know it’s okay to speak up, to have their voice heard… And that grown-ups understand the impact of their choices, and their actions, and how they affect us in the future."
Mackenzie says the message she hopes people take away after listening to the song is to “work together,” specifically to create a world with “a lot less hate and a lot more love.”
“Dreams Don’t Belong to War” will be available to download and stream on all major platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music, beginning April 6, 2026.
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