Essex County Teens Compete in Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey's Statewide Substance Abuse Prevention Music Competion

Josiah Valerius, Millie Diaz, Carlos Duran, Hennesis Encarnacion, Janisse Lantigua, together known as Dominant Collective, students at Arts High School, are finalists in the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey’s (PDFNJ) New Jersey Shout Down Drugs competition. Ana DaSilva, Tyler Gonzalez, Lucas Alves Oliveira, Darwin Ruiz, Emmanuel Torres, known as East Side Modern Music, from East Side High School, and Jonathon Johnson, of Irvington, will join them.

Dominant Collective, East Side Modern Music, and Johnson are among 38 students who will perform their original music and lyrics at the 11th Annual New Jersey Shouts Down Drugs concert. Dominant Collective’s original song, “The Drug PSA”, East Side Modern Music’s original song, “Consequences”, and Johnson’s original song, “Sin City” were selected out of entries submitted from high school students across New Jersey.

Now in its eleventh year, the New Jersey Shout Down Drugs music competition challenges high school students to create original music with lyrics that contain powerful peer-to-peer substance abuse prevention messages. The finalists are invited to perform at the competition which will be held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, on April 17, 2015.

According to PDFNJ Executive Director Angelo Valente, the finalists are selected through an online vote and judging panel and represent 14 New Jersey counties. All of the finalists will compete for $10,000 in music contracts to perform their winning song at PDFNJ statewide events. This year’s prevention concert is sponsored by the New Jersey Broadcasters Association, Comcast and 1450 WCTC Radio. The 2015 concert will be hosted by WCTC radio personality, Bert Baron. WCTC will also air a one-hour special on the New Jersey Shout Down Drugs following the prevention concert.

Shoutdowndrugs.com, features profiles of this year’s finalists and allows the public to cast votes for their favorite songs. These results will be factored into the finalists’ scores on the night of the concert.  Online voting and ticket sales are open until April 16, 2015. Tickets to the concert are free of charge, but must be reserved atwww.shoutdowndrugs.com.