LIHU‘E — Seventeen-year-old Vera Marquardt, who is from Kaua‘i, won third place in a songwriting contest presented by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, along with MusicCares and Grammy Foundation’s Teen Substance Awareness through Music. The contest kicked off National
LIHU‘E — Seventeen-year-old Vera Marquardt, who is from Kaua‘i, won third place in a songwriting contest presented by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, along with MusicCares and Grammy Foundation’s Teen Substance Awareness through Music.
The contest kicked off National Drug Facts Week, which was from Nov. 8-14. The contest was open to those ages 14 to 18. Competitors were asked to create original songs that “explore, encourage and celebrate a healthy lifestyle or accurately depicts a story about drug abuse,” according to a press release from the National Institute of Health. The composers of the three winning entries will attend the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards and tour backstage during rehearsal.
Marquardt’s winning composition is titled “Take It to the Days.” Accompanied by the ‘ukulele, Marquardt sings about her path to sobriety: “It’s always easy to slip back into my old ways of life/and from now on I will be strong and learn from my wrongs.”
The teen musician currently resides in Los Angeles.
