Schools

Millburn Musician Performs Her Winning Song

Nicole Levine, a high school junior, performed her competition-winning, anti-drug song 'I hope you'll say no' at Monday's Board of Education meeting.

The Millburn High School junior, who won in a statewide music competition, gave the school board and those in attendance an acoustic performance Monday night of her song “I Hope That You'll Say No."

The Millburn teen, Nicole Levine, recently won the statewide champion of the Ninth Annual Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey’s Shout Down Drugs Prevention Concert for her orginal song. 

She competed against 33 New Jersey high school student finalists from 15 counties on May 31 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, NJPAC, in Newark. 

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The high school students competed for one of three music contracts with the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), worth a total of $10,000, to perform their winning song at statewide events.

Levine has been a singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist since she was eight years old.

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After learning about substance abuse-related tragedies in her community, she was inspired to enter the contest. Her goal was to inspire others to have the courage to say no to drugs and alcohol. 

Although, Levine said, she realizes it can be hard as a teenager, she "hopes that you’ll say no.”

The New Jersey Shout Down Drugs music competition challenges high school students to create original music with lyrics that contain powerful peer-to-peer drug prevention messages.  

“Simply by being here tonight, these amazing teen musicians have affirmed their commitment to a healthy and drug-free lifestyle,” said Angelo M. Valente, Executive Director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey.  “We are proud of and each one of the participants and are always impressed with the level of talent in the state of New Jersey.”


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