Photo Caption: PCTI Junior, Faith Boonstra, advances to the final round of the New Jersey Shout Down Drugs song-writing competition.

Performing Arts Instrumental student, Faith Boonstra, has advanced to the final round of the New Jersey Shout Down Drugs song-writing competition. She will represent Passaic County and join 17 other finalists in a live performance at the 2014 NJSDD Prevention Concert to be held at the Victoria Theatre of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark on May 21st.

New Jersey Shout Down Drugs was created in 2005 and challenges high school students to create original music and lyrics with powerful substance abuse prevention messages. County finalists are chosen by peer judges to perform their original songs at the Annual Statewide Prevention Concert. First, second, and third place winners are chosen by a panel of judges to receive music contracts worth $5,000, $3,000, and $2,000. They will also perform their winning songs at various events throughout the state.

This is not Faith’s first foray into writing music. Last year, she received honorable mention in Montclair State University’s composition contest, Pictures. Entrants were required to write a piano piece and vocalist response to a specific photograph. Her piece was then performed in a composer’s forum by two professional musicians.

Earlier this year, Faith who hails from Hawthorne, also helped arrange a piece for the Performing Arts Instrumental Music Ensemble, a group of which she is a member. The piece was played at PCTI’s annual Dance Concert which featured the talents of the Performing Arts Music program.

Congratulations to Faith Boonstra on receiving this honor!