Festival Schedule

Enjoy breakfast with the MusicalWriters team and other conference attendees. Breakfast is included with hotel reservation or can be purchased the day of at the hotel if you're staying off-site.

Joey Contreras is a New York based, Mexican American musical theatre and pop songwriter. His various projects, performances, and studio album releases have amassed millions of streams. He is a two-time Fred Ebb Award finalist, three-time Jonathan Larson Grant finalist and an alum of the Johnny Mercer Project. His musical In Pieces is currently licensed and performed worldwide with a commercial run in the works. The highlights album was released by Broadway Records.

His other stage musicals include All The Kids Are Doing It, Forget Me Not, I Used to Shine, and the modern-day adaptation of Dante’s Inferno, Heartbreakers in Hell. Additional credits: Music and lyrics for “Kiwi’s First Flight” featured in Disney’s “Lights, Camera, Lexi!” and various short films.

He regularly teaches private songwriting coaching and masterclasses at universities and musical theatre training programs. He received his MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from Tisch School of the Arts. Follow along on all socials: @joeycontreras.

"Defining Development Steps: Timeline, Costs, Am I Ready?"
Clinician: Holly Reed  |  Location: Synergy I

"Navigating Character Descriptions and Cast Requirements"
Clinician: Rebecca Lowrey  |  Location: Synergy II

“Best Practices for Successful Table Reads and Staged Readings"
Clinician: Rebecca Lowrey  |  Location: Synergy I

“Breaking Down Broadway Key Art and How to Develop Your Own"
Clinician: Holly Reed  |  Location: Synergy II

Song Feedback Workshop I
Panelists: Joey Contreras, Mike Richman, Major Attaway, Holly Reed
Accompanist: Rebecca Lowrey  |  Location: Synergy I

"Technology for Musical Writing"
Clinician: Justin Rayna  |  Location: Synergy II

"What Producers Want Writers to Know" Panel Discussion
Panelists: Natalie Rine (Broadway DNA), Garrett Storms (Stage West)
Moderator: Ashley H. White  |  Location: Synergy III

Song Feedback Workshop 2
Panelists: Joey Contreras, Mike Richman, Major Attaway, Holly Reed
Accompanist: Rebecca Lowrey  |  Location: Synergy I

"From Piano to Pit: Orchestrating Your Score"
Clinician: Dr. Nathan Wilks  |  Location: Synergy II

"Writing Musical Theatre for the Education Market"
Moderator: Jessica Humphrey (TCU)  |  Location: Synergy III

Think “Shark Tank” for musicals! 5 finalists will pitch their shows for a panel of producers, directors and creators of theatre. One lucky winner will receive a cost-free staged reading in Fort Worth in fall of 2023!

Staged reading snippets of our fave new works!

Join us for another open mic night with Rebecca Lowrey on piano and YOU on the mic performing a song from your original show.

Share a table with a fellow writer and recap the weekend's lessons. (Breakfast is included with hotel reservation or can be purchased the day of at the hotel if you're staying off-site.)

See you at the next MusicalWriters event, live or virtual! Until then, keep on keeping on!

Late flight or staying in town another day?

We will be hosting 2-3 cold table reads of new musicals currently in development with MusicalWriters! Stick around and join us!