Group Seeks Local Bands for Anti-Drug Performance

Editor's note: The following is from the Hopatcong Municipal Alliance.

The Hopatcong Municipal Alliance is looking for local bands to play in an upcoming Battle of the Bands, a Stand with Hopatcong Against Drugs and Alcohol Event.

Participating bands will play at Hopatcong High School on Oct. 7 and compete for the grand prize—a recording session at a Hopatcong studio worth $1,500.

The event supports the mission of the Hopatcong Municipal Alliance, which encourages teens and young adults to attend a fun night out without drugs or alcohol. The event is free for the public and is a great opportunity for local middle, high school and college bands to showcase their talents.

The cost for bands to participate is just $25 and the winning band will get a 12-hour ultimate recording experience at the Barber Shop Studios in Hopatcong. The recording session will be held with professional equipment, like a 72 channel SSL XL 9000k series consol, as well as professional engineers, assistants and interns. Second and third place cash prizes will also be awarded.

Judges of the event include Earl Cohen, whose discography includes releases by Tina Turner and Will Smith; Mark Salamone, president of Barber Shop Studios; as well as a special surprise guest. In addition, the MC of the event will be Peter Menkin, a passionate speaker and 20-plus years recovering drug and alcohol addict whose contagious enthusiasm motivated students at last year’s Battle of the Bands.

The event takes place at the Hopatcong High School auditorium, located at 2 Windsor Ave in Hopatcong. Bands are eligible if all members are between the ages of 12 and 20.

To participate, contact Valerie Quinn at (973)-202-6496 or valrose2@optonline.net. All are encouraged to enter and get valuable feedback from the judges. This could be the first step to making it big, like last year’s winners, Good Bye Friday, who currently have a recording contract.

In addition to Hopatcong Municipal Alliance (HMA), this Battle of the Bands is sponsored by The Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (GCADA), Center for Prevention & Counseling (CFPC) and Barber Shop Studios. HMA supports events like this to help keep today’s youth informed about drug and alcohol use, which is currently on the rise in Sussex County.

About Hopatcong Municipal Alliance: The goal of the Municipal Alliance is to develop a state-wide network of community based prevention programs. The programs are funded by municipal grants from the Drug Enforcement Demand Reduction Fund. These funds are from fines collected from drug and alcohol offenses. The grants are monitored by the Governor's Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (GCADA).