HERE IS THE TENTATIVE SCHEDULE FOR OUR 2020 WORKSHOP.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL TIMES FOR OUR 2020 WORKSHOP ARE U.S. CENTRAL TIME ZONE.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7
6-6:50 PM
Zoom room A
General Session
Greetings, Worship, Introductions
7-7:50 PM
CLASS SESSION 1
Zoom room 1
LIVE CO-WRITE
Carl Cartee and Krissy Nordhoff
Carl’s cuts include songs with Elevation Worship, Laura Story, Aaron Shust, SElah, Big Daddy Weave, and many others. He is Director of Worship Development at Fellowship Bible Church in Nashville. Krissy is the co-founder of Brave Worship and has cuts by Natalie Grant, Mandisa, Darlene Zschech, Lauren Daigle, Dustin Smith and others. She is the writer of the 2012 Worship Song of the Year “Your Great Name.”
Zoom room 2
PANEL: How I’ve stayed creative through Covid, Quarantine and Chaos
Joel Lindsey, Jim Brady, Belinda Smith, Brian White
Does it feel like the last 7 months have drained you of all your creativity? Learn how these writers are keeping the creative spark burning brightly in spirt of all the challenges they’ve faced in this crazy year of 2020.
Zoom room 3
CLASS: How do you write a song about that?
Special Guest Steve Siler
Steve is the founder of Music For the Soul, an organization that creates songs and content for those in various life crises. He is well known as someone who can tackle issues as wide-ranging as eating disorders, pornography, abortion, and grieving a death and write songs that give hope and help.
Zoom room 8
Open Critiquing
Tony Wood
8-8:50 PM
CLASS SESSION 2
Zoom room 4
CLASS: Writing for the country market
Don Poythress, Brian White
Can a Christian songwriter successfully cross over into writing country songs? Is the lyrical and musical language of country different from Christian music? How can you have a foot in both worlds and maintain your integrity?
Zoom room 5
CLASS: What If We Fly? Raising Creative Kids (And Yourself) To Soar
Gina Boe
You may be a parent who is rearing creative kids, or you may just feel a need to nurture your own creativity. As a wonderfully gifted songwriter as well as the parent of four creative kids, Gina has plenty of insight in how to fan that spark into a roaring flame. Her new book What If They Fly? will be the springboard for this exciting class in how to help yourself or someone you love learn to soar!
Zoom room 6
PANEL: What I look for in a song and a writer
Holly Zabka, Joe Dan Cornett, Dave Clark, Joel Lindsey
Hear from four of Nashville’s best publishers about what impresses and interests them about a song, and what they look for in a writer they want to work with.
Zoom room 8
Open Critiquing
James Tealy
Zoom room 9
Open Critiquing
Bryan Ward
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL TIMES FOR OUR 2020 WORKSHOP ARE US CENTRAL TIME ZONE
6-6:50 PM
General Session
Zoom room A
Worship,
Announcements
Devotions - Mike Harland
7-7:50 PM
CLASS SESSION 3
Zoom room 1
LIVE-CO-WRITE
Joel Lindsey & Gina Boe
Both Joel and Gina have had cuts across many genres and both are Dove Award winners. If you heard their song “Hope Deserves An Anthem” at our Writers In the Round concert a few years ago, you know they create great songs together, but you won’t know until they get started what genre they’ll tackle.
Zoom room 2
CLASS: Why Good Structure Matters So Much
Jeff Bumgardner
Jeff has become one of the most consistently awarded writers in the demanding world of print and choral music. He’ll share what all writers need to understand about good structure, regardless of the genre they’re writing in.
Zoom room 3
CLASS: Target Writing and How to Hit The Bulls-eye Every Time
Kenna West
Kenna is known for being able to write to fit a specific artist or that one slot that needs to be filled. She’ll share how she figures out what an artist wants to sing and how to deliver that song.
Zoom room 8
Open Critiquing
Cliff Duren
Zoom room 9
Open Critiquing
Phil Mehrens
8-8:50 PM
CLASS SESSION 4
Zoom room 4
PANEL: How to be everybody’s favorite co-writer
Dennis Dearing (Moderator), Jeff Bumgardner, Dave Clark, Kenna West
When these writers are on your calendar, you expect to leave the room with a song that has a great chance of getting cut. What are their habits and qualities that make them the co-writer people love.
Zoom room 5
CLASS: What you can learn about lyrics from the songs you love
Sue C. Smith
You’re in between workshops but you know you still have more to learn. Your best teacher might not be someone at a conference that’s months away. It could be the song you’re already listening to. Sue will take three songs that have inspired her and show how she has applied what those lyrics taught her as she crafted another song.
Zoom room 6
CLASS: The Christian Songwriter’s Most Important Job: Rightly Dividing the Word
James Tealy
People shouldn’t get their theology from songs, but some do. Christian songwriters have a responsibility to be accurate and faithful to what the Word says. James will give great advice on how to make sure you’re living up to that sacred duty.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL TIMES FOR OUR 2020 WORKSHOP ARE US CENTRAL TIME ZONE.
5-5:50 PM
Zoom room A
General Session
Worship,
Announcements
Devotions - Mike Harland
6-6:50 PM
CLASS SESSION 5
Zoom room 1
CLASS: The Organized Songwriter
Simon Hawkins
Simon will draw from his new book by the same title to show you how to organize every aspect of your writing so that you maximize your creativity and effort.
Zoom room 2
CLASS: Writing A Worship Song—Where to begin
Carl Cartee
Here’s inspiration as well as practical advice about where to begin when you want to write a song for corporate worship, including ideas, use of Scripture, language, song forms, melodic hooks, chord progressions, and much more.
Zoom room 3
CLASS: Elements of a Great Melody (Guitar)
James Tealy, Brian White
Why are some melodies moving, compelling, interesting, fresh, memorable, and singable? How can you improve your melodic sense? When should you pick up the guitar, and how do you go about finding a fresh melody with the chords you know?
Zoom room 8
Open Critiquing
Kenna West
Zoom room 9
Open Critiquing
TBA
7-7:50 PM
CLASS SESSION 6
Zoom room 4
CLASS: How to write a musical
Cliff Duren/Sue C. Smith
If you have a desire to write more than a stand-alone song, this session will be filled with valuable information on writing the songs, developing scripts and narrations, and making sure the production can succeed.
Zoom room 5
CLASS: Writing For An Artist, With An Artist, and When You’re the Artist
Jim Brady & Tony Wood
Jim, who is a popular southern gospel artist/writer, and Tony, who writes with a long list of artists, will explore the differences in how you approach a co-write and a song when you are targeting an artist, when the artist is in the room with you, and when you are crafting a song for your own use.
Zoom room 6
CLASS: Elements of a Great Melody (keyboard)
Melissa Brady
You play an instrument and you love music, but it takes more to write a fresh, inspiring, commercial, HIT melody. Make your melodies emotionally compelling, memorable, and singable with great advice and instruction from Melissa.
Zoom room 8
Open Critiquing
Dave Clark
Zoom room 9
Open Critiquing
Joe Dan Cornett
8-9:30 PM
Zoom room A
WRITERS IN THE ROUND CONCERT
Featuring many of the Write About Jesus clinicians singing their own songs.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL TIMES FOR OUR 2020 WORKSHOP ARE US CENTRAL TIME ZONE.
9-9:50 AM
Zoom room A
General Session
Announcements,
Worship,
Time of Prayer - John
10-11:50 AM
SONGWRITING COMPETITION
Zoom room 1
Worship
Carl Cartee, Phil Mehrens
Zoom room 2
Worship
Holly Zabka, Krissy Nordhoff
Zoom room 3
CCM/Pop/AC
Tony Wood, Karyn Williams
Zoom room 4
CCM/Pop/AC
James Tealy, Bryan Ward
Zoom room 5
Southern Gospel
Joel Lindsey, Belinda Smith
Zoom room 6
Southern Gospel
Joe Dan Cornett, Lee Black
Zoom room 7
Country/Inspirational Country
Don Poythress/Brian White
Zoom room 8
Print/Choral
Dave Clark, Cliff Duren
Zoom room 9
Kids/Novelty/Special Occasion
Gina Boe, Jeff Bumgardner
NOON-1:30 PM
Zoom room A
BONUS CLASS: THE BROWN BAG BUSINESS LUNCH
Joe Dan Cornett, Lee Black, Bryan Ward
Grab your lunch and join us for this bonus session where three of our clinicians will give you much needed information about the business side of music.
From noon to 12:30 p.m., Publishing expert Joe Dan Cornett from Daywind Music will take you through Music Business 101. EVERY songwriter needs to learn this information to understand how publishing works and how (hopefully) you get paid for your songs.
From 12:30-1 p.m. - How to pitch your own songs with Lee Black
From 1-1:30 p.m. Music business pro Bryan Ward will explain how to use social media as a songwriting professional— the "do's" and especially the "don'ts!"
1:30-2:20 PM
CLASS SESSION 7
Zoom room 1
CLASS: Come with nothing, Leave with hooks
Belinda Smith
Start generating dozens of new ideas and turn that little spark of creativity into a roaring inferno. Belinda will share secrets developed over decades of professional songwriting.
Zoom room 2
CLASS: How to be your own publisher
Kristi Fitzwater
If you're an independent songwriter without a publisher to take care of registering your copyrights to demo-ing, to pitching, to collecting your royalties, how can you learn what you need to know to do it all for yourself? Kristi knows how the system works and will help you figure it out.
Zoom room 3
CLASS: Writing Scripture Memory Songs
Allie Lapointe
As songwriters, we have a special gift that can be used to store God's word in our hearts. In this class, we will simply learn to use our unique songwriting ability for personal and devotional scripture memory. We will explore how selecting word-for-word scripture from the Bible and setting it to melody can imprint both short and longer passages into our hearts. May the Lord bear fruit in our lives and in our calling as songwriters through His implanted Word!
Zoom room 8
Open Critiquing
Carl Cartee
Zoom room 9
Open Critiquing
Phil Mehrens
2:30-3:20 PM
CLASS SESSION 8
Zoom room 4
PANEL: Writing better lyrics: Secrets of the pros
Tony Wood, Gina Boe, Jeff Bumgardner, Dave Clark
These four writers are widely respected as being true “wordsmiths” (someone highly skilled with words). They’ll share their tips for writing a lyric that does everything it must to give a song honesty and heart.
Zoom room 5
CLASS: Psalming and Your Worship Songs
Krissy Nordhoff
How can songs overflow from your personal worship time? How do you get started and how can this habit grow you as a worshiper and a writer?
Zoom room 6
CLASS: Making a Demo That Helps Get Your Song Cut
Dennis Dearing
Whether you have access to a studio or not, whether you play or sing, how can you make a demo that will be effective for pitching to a publisher or artist?
Zoom room 9
Open Critiquing
Simon Hawkins
3:30-4:20 PM
CLASS SESSION 9
Zoom room 1
PANEL: Building on your WAJ Experience
Gene Ezell, Dixie Phillips, Debbie Davis, Janice Crow, Bernadette Negus
Here are five Write About Jesus veterans who are staff writers with four different publishers. They’ve won multiple awards and enjoyed #1 songs as well as numerous cuts. Learn how they built on what they learned at Write About Jesus to achieve songwriting success.
Zoom room 2
CLASS: Writing Through the Daily Struggles
Joel Lindsey
If you’re a creative who struggles with keeping yourself organized and motivated, Joel has a tried and true system for doing what is necessary every day to advance a songwriting career.
Zoom room 3
PANEL: Where’s your next idea coming from?
Phil Mehrens, Belinda Smith, Kenna West, Karyn Williams
For someone who writes a lot of songs, the most demanding task is coming up with a steady stream of great ideas. Learn from these creatives where they turn and what they do to keep their ideas fresh and plentiful.
Zoom room 8
Open Critiquing
Kenna West
Zoom room 9
Open Critiquing
Cliff Duren
4:30 PM
FINAL JUDGING
PRIVATE ZOOM ROOM
5:30 PM
Zoom room A
Closing Session
Thank you’s and Awards
6-6:50 PM
Zoom room A
General Session
Greetings, Worship, Introductions
7-7:50 PM
CLASS SESSION 1
Zoom room 1
LIVE CO-WRITE
Carl Cartee and Krissy Nordhoff
Carl’s cuts include songs with Elevation Worship, Laura Story, Aaron Shust, SElah, Big Daddy Weave, and many others. He is Director of Worship Development at Fellowship Bible Church in Nashville. Krissy is the co-founder of Brave Worship and has cuts by Natalie Grant, Mandisa, Darlene Zschech, Lauren Daigle, Dustin Smith and others. She is the writer of the 2012 Worship Song of the Year “Your Great Name.”
Zoom room 2
PANEL: How I’ve stayed creative through Covid, Quarantine and Chaos
Joel Lindsey, Jim Brady, Belinda Smith, Brian White
Does it feel like the last 7 months have drained you of all your creativity? Learn how these writers are keeping the creative spark burning brightly in spirt of all the challenges they’ve faced in this crazy year of 2020.
Zoom room 3
CLASS: How do you write a song about that?
Special Guest Steve Siler
Steve is the founder of Music For the Soul, an organization that creates songs and content for those in various life crises. He is well known as someone who can tackle issues as wide-ranging as eating disorders, pornography, abortion, and grieving a death and write songs that give hope and help.
Zoom room 8
Open Critiquing
Tony Wood
8-8:50 PM
CLASS SESSION 2
Zoom room 4
CLASS: Writing for the country market
Don Poythress, Brian White
Can a Christian songwriter successfully cross over into writing country songs? Is the lyrical and musical language of country different from Christian music? How can you have a foot in both worlds and maintain your integrity?
Zoom room 5
CLASS: What If We Fly? Raising Creative Kids (And Yourself) To Soar
Gina Boe
You may be a parent who is rearing creative kids, or you may just feel a need to nurture your own creativity. As a wonderfully gifted songwriter as well as the parent of four creative kids, Gina has plenty of insight in how to fan that spark into a roaring flame. Her new book What If They Fly? will be the springboard for this exciting class in how to help yourself or someone you love learn to soar!
Zoom room 6
PANEL: What I look for in a song and a writer
Holly Zabka, Joe Dan Cornett, Dave Clark, Joel Lindsey
Hear from four of Nashville’s best publishers about what impresses and interests them about a song, and what they look for in a writer they want to work with.
Zoom room 8
Open Critiquing
James Tealy
Zoom room 9
Open Critiquing
Bryan Ward
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL TIMES FOR OUR 2020 WORKSHOP ARE US CENTRAL TIME ZONE
6-6:50 PM
General Session
Zoom room A
Worship,
Announcements
Devotions - Mike Harland
7-7:50 PM
CLASS SESSION 3
Zoom room 1
LIVE-CO-WRITE
Joel Lindsey & Gina Boe
Both Joel and Gina have had cuts across many genres and both are Dove Award winners. If you heard their song “Hope Deserves An Anthem” at our Writers In the Round concert a few years ago, you know they create great songs together, but you won’t know until they get started what genre they’ll tackle.
Zoom room 2
CLASS: Why Good Structure Matters So Much
Jeff Bumgardner
Jeff has become one of the most consistently awarded writers in the demanding world of print and choral music. He’ll share what all writers need to understand about good structure, regardless of the genre they’re writing in.
Zoom room 3
CLASS: Target Writing and How to Hit The Bulls-eye Every Time
Kenna West
Kenna is known for being able to write to fit a specific artist or that one slot that needs to be filled. She’ll share how she figures out what an artist wants to sing and how to deliver that song.
Zoom room 8
Open Critiquing
Cliff Duren
Zoom room 9
Open Critiquing
Phil Mehrens
8-8:50 PM
CLASS SESSION 4
Zoom room 4
PANEL: How to be everybody’s favorite co-writer
Dennis Dearing (Moderator), Jeff Bumgardner, Dave Clark, Kenna West
When these writers are on your calendar, you expect to leave the room with a song that has a great chance of getting cut. What are their habits and qualities that make them the co-writer people love.
Zoom room 5
CLASS: What you can learn about lyrics from the songs you love
Sue C. Smith
You’re in between workshops but you know you still have more to learn. Your best teacher might not be someone at a conference that’s months away. It could be the song you’re already listening to. Sue will take three songs that have inspired her and show how she has applied what those lyrics taught her as she crafted another song.
Zoom room 6
CLASS: The Christian Songwriter’s Most Important Job: Rightly Dividing the Word
James Tealy
People shouldn’t get their theology from songs, but some do. Christian songwriters have a responsibility to be accurate and faithful to what the Word says. James will give great advice on how to make sure you’re living up to that sacred duty.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL TIMES FOR OUR 2020 WORKSHOP ARE US CENTRAL TIME ZONE.
5-5:50 PM
Zoom room A
General Session
Worship,
Announcements
Devotions - Mike Harland
6-6:50 PM
CLASS SESSION 5
Zoom room 1
CLASS: The Organized Songwriter
Simon Hawkins
Simon will draw from his new book by the same title to show you how to organize every aspect of your writing so that you maximize your creativity and effort.
Zoom room 2
CLASS: Writing A Worship Song—Where to begin
Carl Cartee
Here’s inspiration as well as practical advice about where to begin when you want to write a song for corporate worship, including ideas, use of Scripture, language, song forms, melodic hooks, chord progressions, and much more.
Zoom room 3
CLASS: Elements of a Great Melody (Guitar)
James Tealy, Brian White
Why are some melodies moving, compelling, interesting, fresh, memorable, and singable? How can you improve your melodic sense? When should you pick up the guitar, and how do you go about finding a fresh melody with the chords you know?
Zoom room 8
Open Critiquing
Kenna West
Zoom room 9
Open Critiquing
TBA
7-7:50 PM
CLASS SESSION 6
Zoom room 4
CLASS: How to write a musical
Cliff Duren/Sue C. Smith
If you have a desire to write more than a stand-alone song, this session will be filled with valuable information on writing the songs, developing scripts and narrations, and making sure the production can succeed.
Zoom room 5
CLASS: Writing For An Artist, With An Artist, and When You’re the Artist
Jim Brady & Tony Wood
Jim, who is a popular southern gospel artist/writer, and Tony, who writes with a long list of artists, will explore the differences in how you approach a co-write and a song when you are targeting an artist, when the artist is in the room with you, and when you are crafting a song for your own use.
Zoom room 6
CLASS: Elements of a Great Melody (keyboard)
Melissa Brady
You play an instrument and you love music, but it takes more to write a fresh, inspiring, commercial, HIT melody. Make your melodies emotionally compelling, memorable, and singable with great advice and instruction from Melissa.
Zoom room 8
Open Critiquing
Dave Clark
Zoom room 9
Open Critiquing
Joe Dan Cornett
8-9:30 PM
Zoom room A
WRITERS IN THE ROUND CONCERT
Featuring many of the Write About Jesus clinicians singing their own songs.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL TIMES FOR OUR 2020 WORKSHOP ARE US CENTRAL TIME ZONE.
9-9:50 AM
Zoom room A
General Session
Announcements,
Worship,
Time of Prayer - John
10-11:50 AM
SONGWRITING COMPETITION
Zoom room 1
Worship
Carl Cartee, Phil Mehrens
Zoom room 2
Worship
Holly Zabka, Krissy Nordhoff
Zoom room 3
CCM/Pop/AC
Tony Wood, Karyn Williams
Zoom room 4
CCM/Pop/AC
James Tealy, Bryan Ward
Zoom room 5
Southern Gospel
Joel Lindsey, Belinda Smith
Zoom room 6
Southern Gospel
Joe Dan Cornett, Lee Black
Zoom room 7
Country/Inspirational Country
Don Poythress/Brian White
Zoom room 8
Print/Choral
Dave Clark, Cliff Duren
Zoom room 9
Kids/Novelty/Special Occasion
Gina Boe, Jeff Bumgardner
NOON-1:30 PM
Zoom room A
BONUS CLASS: THE BROWN BAG BUSINESS LUNCH
Joe Dan Cornett, Lee Black, Bryan Ward
Grab your lunch and join us for this bonus session where three of our clinicians will give you much needed information about the business side of music.
From noon to 12:30 p.m., Publishing expert Joe Dan Cornett from Daywind Music will take you through Music Business 101. EVERY songwriter needs to learn this information to understand how publishing works and how (hopefully) you get paid for your songs.
From 12:30-1 p.m. - How to pitch your own songs with Lee Black
From 1-1:30 p.m. Music business pro Bryan Ward will explain how to use social media as a songwriting professional— the "do's" and especially the "don'ts!"
1:30-2:20 PM
CLASS SESSION 7
Zoom room 1
CLASS: Come with nothing, Leave with hooks
Belinda Smith
Start generating dozens of new ideas and turn that little spark of creativity into a roaring inferno. Belinda will share secrets developed over decades of professional songwriting.
Zoom room 2
CLASS: How to be your own publisher
Kristi Fitzwater
If you're an independent songwriter without a publisher to take care of registering your copyrights to demo-ing, to pitching, to collecting your royalties, how can you learn what you need to know to do it all for yourself? Kristi knows how the system works and will help you figure it out.
Zoom room 3
CLASS: Writing Scripture Memory Songs
Allie Lapointe
As songwriters, we have a special gift that can be used to store God's word in our hearts. In this class, we will simply learn to use our unique songwriting ability for personal and devotional scripture memory. We will explore how selecting word-for-word scripture from the Bible and setting it to melody can imprint both short and longer passages into our hearts. May the Lord bear fruit in our lives and in our calling as songwriters through His implanted Word!
Zoom room 8
Open Critiquing
Carl Cartee
Zoom room 9
Open Critiquing
Phil Mehrens
2:30-3:20 PM
CLASS SESSION 8
Zoom room 4
PANEL: Writing better lyrics: Secrets of the pros
Tony Wood, Gina Boe, Jeff Bumgardner, Dave Clark
These four writers are widely respected as being true “wordsmiths” (someone highly skilled with words). They’ll share their tips for writing a lyric that does everything it must to give a song honesty and heart.
Zoom room 5
CLASS: Psalming and Your Worship Songs
Krissy Nordhoff
How can songs overflow from your personal worship time? How do you get started and how can this habit grow you as a worshiper and a writer?
Zoom room 6
CLASS: Making a Demo That Helps Get Your Song Cut
Dennis Dearing
Whether you have access to a studio or not, whether you play or sing, how can you make a demo that will be effective for pitching to a publisher or artist?
Zoom room 9
Open Critiquing
Simon Hawkins
3:30-4:20 PM
CLASS SESSION 9
Zoom room 1
PANEL: Building on your WAJ Experience
Gene Ezell, Dixie Phillips, Debbie Davis, Janice Crow, Bernadette Negus
Here are five Write About Jesus veterans who are staff writers with four different publishers. They’ve won multiple awards and enjoyed #1 songs as well as numerous cuts. Learn how they built on what they learned at Write About Jesus to achieve songwriting success.
Zoom room 2
CLASS: Writing Through the Daily Struggles
Joel Lindsey
If you’re a creative who struggles with keeping yourself organized and motivated, Joel has a tried and true system for doing what is necessary every day to advance a songwriting career.
Zoom room 3
PANEL: Where’s your next idea coming from?
Phil Mehrens, Belinda Smith, Kenna West, Karyn Williams
For someone who writes a lot of songs, the most demanding task is coming up with a steady stream of great ideas. Learn from these creatives where they turn and what they do to keep their ideas fresh and plentiful.
Zoom room 8
Open Critiquing
Kenna West
Zoom room 9
Open Critiquing
Cliff Duren
4:30 PM
FINAL JUDGING
PRIVATE ZOOM ROOM
5:30 PM
Zoom room A
Closing Session
Thank you’s and Awards