PRE-CONFERENCE SONGWRITING INTENSIVE

Hosted by special guest, Aaron Rice, this year's annual Pre-Conference Songwriting Intensive at Experience Conference will be held on Monday, September 2nd and Tuesday, September 3rd at the Coronado Springs Resort!


Registrants will have the opportunity to gain important tools and learn key songwriting elements as they co-write with professional singer/songwriters including our host, who has garnered six #1 Billboard Singles, 3 Certified Gold singles, award-winning songwriter, Aaron Rice. Aaron will be joined by a tremendous team, including Mackenzie Phillips and Tyrus Morgan from Gotee Records (more to be announced soon).


Our songwriting coaches include leaders who serve in their local church, with a passion for writing worship music and developing fellow worship artists. Do not miss out on this highly interactive, creative two-day session!

  • Designed to teach and empower songwriters to create dynamic, relevant and substantive songs for the local church
  • Registrants received specialized instruction and coaching from top CCLI songwriters and performers in the writing and publishing of their songs
  • Powerful workshops and discussions
  • Registrant will have the opportunity to receive a personalized song evaluation from one of the coaches
  • Group song reviews/critiques of several selected songs
  • Best of all – co-writing in a small group with the pro songwriters!


Registration will be $120 per person, is extremely limited and is only open to the first 75 applicants that have already registered for EC24, so make sure to register as soon as it opens!


REGISTER now

AARON RICE

Aaron is an award winning songwriter and producer with numerous Billboard Number 1 hits, Multiple Dove and Grammy award nominations as a songwriter and producer, 3 Certified Gold Records, with writing and production credits on numerous Dove and Grammy winning projects.


Rice has had numerous successes with his songwriting career that includes the No. 1 hit, “Made To Love,” which earned Rice a 2008 Grammy nomination for Gospel Song of the Year, Dove Nomination for Pop/Rock Song of the Year and Song of the Year, and a gold plaque for the single. Other notable standouts include; “Get Back Up” (No. 1 song, Dove nomination for Pop/Rock Song of the Year), “I’m For You,” (No. 1), “Good Morning,” (Gold single) and Hawk Nelson’s “Million Miles Away.”


In addition, Aaron is a lawyer specializing in Entertainment Law.

OTTO PRICE

As a Grammy Award, Multi Dove Award and Multi-Platinum Artist/Producer, Otto Price has enjoyed being a part of the “Golden Era” of the music business, and been at the front seat as it as morphed into current landscape it is now. That knowledge and experience has proven invaluable in this modern era. Originally hailing from Atlanta, GA, Otto moved to Nashville in 1993, taking the bassist job for Christian recording artist Kim Boyce. Later that year, he was approached by Toby McKeehan of dcTalk to play bass for the breakout

rock trio. He toured with the band for seven years and worked on various albums, including Jesus Freak and Supernatural. In 1997, Price, Jason Halbert (Kelly Clarkson, Nick Carter) and worship leader Jeff Deyo formed and produced the widely successful worship act SonicFlood. After leaving dcTalk in 2001, Price launched out on his own as a full-time producer, working with artists such as GRITS, Rebecca St. James, Plumb and Out of Eden. He found and developed CCM artists of the year Barlow Girl. That lead to the Chairman of Warner Bros. approaching Otto in 2004, to head up the A&R department

for the Warner Music Group, Nashville Label Group (Amy Grant, Building 429, Barlow Girl, Nicole C. Mullen). In recent years his work has been focused more towards creative organizations, independent artists consulting and Label Services. His desire is to bring the skills he has gained in the music industry into these forums. Otto resides in Brentwood, TN.


Notable Discography:

Years Active; 1993-present

• Discovered and signed For King & Country

• Kelly Clarkson

• Sonicflood (Founding Member)

• CeCe Winans

• GRITS

• Kenna

• d.c. Talk

• Chad Hugo (of the multi platinum group Neptune's

• Founding Member of Sonicflood-Best selling debut for Worship Artist.

• Tim Hughes

• Barlowgirl- Cumulative sales or 1.7 million.

• Newsboys

• Robert Randolph-feat Eric Clapton

• Matt Redman

• Natalie Grant

• Israel Houghton

• Michael W. Smith

MEREDITH ANDREWS

Curb | Word Entertainment recording artist Meredith Andrews is passionate about writing and leading songs that keep people’s hearts and minds set on Jesus. Over the course of her career, the Dove Award-winning artist has been using her musical gifts, love for God, and her huge heart for His people - to teach and remind us all about the enormity of our awesome and loving Savior. Andrews was previously part of the Vertical Worship team, and more recently Belonging Co., her home church in Nashville. As a gifted songwriter and recording artist, she has been a part of multiple songs sung by churches across America such as “Open Up The Heavens”, “Lamb of God”, “Not For A Moment”, “Spirit of the Living God,” and “Faith and Wonder.” Andrews often leads worship at major women’s and worship leader conferences across the U.S., and has toured with Matt Maher, Natalie Grant, Big Daddy Weave, Vertical Worship, Phil Wickham, and Michael W. Smith, among others. Meredith released her latest album, Heaven's Frequency, on March 22, 2024. Recorded in her hometown of Nashville at HopeUC, the all-new live project showcases the genuine anointing and bold authority Andrews harnesses as she leads a room full of worshipers to the throne of God.

Mackenzie Phillips

Singer/songwriter Mackenzie Phillips may be young, but her musical roots go deep. Raised in Houston, TX, Phillips recorded her first project at age 10 and started touring at 11. Phillips is wasting no time in realizing her mission of sharing the love of Jesus through her music, becoming a Gotee Records recording artist in 2023 and hitting the road and sharing the stage with fellow CCM artists Natalie Layne, Luke Bower, and Sam McCabe in early 2024.

 

Studying since age seven under two-time Grammy-nominee CCM singer/songwriter Sarah Kelly at Kelly’s music school, Mackenzie excelled and quickly proved herself as a leader and teacher at the school before moving to Nashville, TN to further pursue her own musical career. Phillips’ music found its way onto more and more playlists and started to catch the ear of industry veterans. Her signing with Gotee, Kelly’s former label, was a meaningful full-circle moment for Mackenzie.  

 

Phillips has swiftly established herself as a prolific songwriter and talented collaborator, releasing her first major-label single “Perfect” on July 12, 2024, co-written with renowned writers Leeland Mooring and Kyle Lee. Her next single, “Good God,” written with Tyrus Morgan, Colton Price, and TEMITOPE, is slated for release later in 2024. Mackenzie is supporting her new music with performances alongside CLINE and Jeremy Rosado, as well as a tour with Gotee label-mate Cochren & Co., also scheduled for late 2024.

TYRUS MORGAN

Tyrus is a songwriter/producer and works in Publishing/ A&R for Gotee Records. He has had 6 top 20 charting hits including 2 Billboard Christian #1’s. With 15 years experience as a multi-genre songwriter/producer in the Christian, Country and TV/Film markets he has written or produced songs by Walker Hayes, We are Messengers, Unspoken, The Hunter Brothers, Ryan Stevenson, Cochren and Co., Courtnie Ramirez, Selah, Hannah Kerr, Newsong, Ginny Owens, Charly Beathard, Finding Favour and currently has the radio chart climbing hit song “What He Says about You” by Unspoken.

Tyrus is a husband and father of 3 and coaches middle school baseball near their home in Spring Hill, TN. 

RAYMOND A. BOYD

Raymond A. Boyd is a 3 time Grammy Award winning songwriter, producer, and drummer and brings over 20 years experience in the music and entertainment industry.  Collectively, his project contributions have sold over 30 million units. Raymond is also co-writer of the Jonas Brother’s global smash hit, When You Look Me In The Eyes which reached number 25 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and has been most recently featured on “The Tonight Show” and “The Late Late Show with James Corden”.


In addition to successful content production, Mr Boyd has served as an entertainment executive. Most recently, he served as artist manager for Jonas Group LLC with the legendary Kevin Jonas Sr. where he developed production, marketing, and touring strategies for artists such as Mitchell Tenpenny, Daniella Mason, Cassio Monroe, LIVVIA, and Castro the Band. He also established a wide array of partnerships with Warner Brothers Records, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Word Entertainment.   Previously, Mr. Boyd was co-founder and Vice President of Multitacks.com.  He co-founded the company which provides backing tracks to churches to facilitate live worship performances. In addition to launching the brand, Mr. Boyd co-created and developed the core product and was critically in establishing the foundational partnerships with the major labels.


Raymond A. Boyd holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Commercial Music and Entertainment Industry Studies from Belmont University in Nashville, TN and a Theology degree from Christ For The Nations Institute in Dallas, TX. Mr Boyd lives in Austin, TX with his wife of 27 years and their three children.

Holly halliwell

Singer-songwriter and worship leader, Holly Halliwell, was born and raised in central Illinois, singing with her family and in church for as long as she can remember. Holly first started releasing songs at the peak of the pandemic in 2020, but since then Holly has spent significant time honing in her craft. Holly excitedly prepares for the release of her debut EP knowing that it’s a fresh culmination of her faith journey and musical inspirations.

WALTER HALLIWELL

Walter, a producer and songwriter based in Nashville, TN, discovered his passion for music production and songwriting as early as middle school. From playing in local bands throughout the Chicagoland area during high school and college, he developed a keen ability to write and produce songs for diverse musical groups. In 2016, Walter embarked on his professional journey, touring as a multi-instrumentalist and tour manager for Citizen Way. Over the years, he has worked with esteemed artists in the Christian industry, including NewSong, Building429, Tasha Layton, Jordan Feliz, Crowder, and more. Recently, Walter made a pivotal decision to shift his focus to songwriting and production, leading to a significant signing with Integrity Music in 2023. Beyond his musical endeavors, he shares his life with Christian artist Holly Halliwell, creating a dynamic duo dedicated to making impactful contributions to the Christian music scene.

CHRISTIAN NUCKELS

Christian Nuckels is a worship pastor, songwriter and indie recording artist. He serves as a worship pastor at BattleCreek Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Nuckels has written songs with many of today’s top Worship and Contemporary Christian songwriters and has released multiple worship albums and projects. With a deep passion for writing songs for the church and coaching writers, Nuckels views writing worship music as a means of raising up the next generation of worshipers and growing spiritual discipleship.

JOHN WESLEY

John Wesley Honaker is a songwriter and worship leader deeply rooted in his Christian faith. His music is a heartfelt expression of his devotion to Jesus, stemming from his upbringing in the church and a deep commitment to serving the local church and the body of Christ. John Wesley remains dedicated to leading others to encounter Jesus through his music and leads the Reach City worship movement, striving to spread the love of Jesus throughout America. His musical journey began in high school when he wrote his first song, and it was when he began pursuing the arts through his work within the entertainment industry. During this pursuit of "fame," he fell into a dark time of depression and fear, and it was through this experience that he was led to a profound encounter with Jesus.

A chance meeting with Hall of Fame songwriter, Dennis Morgan, at an airport ignited his creative journey as a singer-songwriter and was a God-ordained moment in leading him on the path that the Lord has assigned to his life. He, along with Reach City, has been given opportunities to share the love of Jesus at festivals and conferences across the nation. John Wesley is married to his high school sweetheart, Ashland, and has two children, Josie and Beckhymn.

SCHEDULE

*2024 schedule still being adjusted & SUBJECT TO CHANGE

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2nd

1:00pm: Registration

1:30pm - 2:00pm: Coach Introductions & Writing Foundations

2:00pm - 4:00pm: Breakouts

(30 minute sections)

     - Writing Great Lyrics

     - Writing Great Melodies

     - Writing for Your Church

     - Commercial Songwriting

4:00pm - 5:30pm: Writing Group Session (1)

5:30pm - 6:30pm: 60-minute Dinner Break

6:30pm - 7:30pm: Writing Group Session (1) continued

7:30pm - 8:00pm: Writing Group (1) Song Share

9:00pm - 11:00pm: Late Night Writers Round (with Coaches)


TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd

9:00am - 9:30am: Meredith Andrews

9:30am - 1:00pm: Writing Group Session (2)

60-minute Lunch Break during Writing Group Session

1:00pm to 2:00pm - Writing Group (2) Song Share

2:00pm to 3:00pm - Publishing 101 with Q&A


*Coach lineup/schedule subject to change