INDUSTRY INSIDER

A former 8-year manager of The Recording Academy (The GRAMMY Awards), Andrea René assisted in starting the D.C. Branch - from the ground up - and making it the fastest growing GRAMMY Chapter in the history of the GRAMMY Awards. During her time with the popular industry association, she organized events with such mainstream artists as U2, Natalie Cole, John Mayer, Anthony Hamilton, Erykah Badu, India.Arie, Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Usher, Billy Taylor, Chris Brown, Raheem Devaughn, Chuck Brown, Nile Rodgers, Gloria Estefan, George Clinton, Bruce Hornsby, Jimmy Jam and dozens of others.

She assisted in the coordination of the GRAMMY Salute To Gospel Music Event for several years and held her own GRAMMY Gospel music event in DC resulting in a record-setting number of people joining the Academy. Also during her tenure at the GRAMMY Awards, she brought legends of Gospel music into the Academy's membership ranks. Artists like Kim Burrell, Tonex, Tramaine Hawkins and Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers became members at Williams' prompting. In addition, through her efforts, Donald Lawrence and Richard Smallwood not only became members of the Recording Academy, but ultimately, served on the national board giving Gospel music a louder voice with one of music's most influential organizations.

In 1999, she launched Tehillah Enterprises (pronounced teh-HEE-lah). She began the company because she felt a strong need to help publicize what was happening in the Christian community. "When I entered the gospel music industry, it was a learning process for me. In my desire to find out all I could about the industry, I located a wealth of information. But it seemed to me that it wasn't being shared. I felt there was so much information I knew was vital to many who felt the call of God on their lives to enter music ministry. It was at that point that I felt compelled to share what I had learned with others," says Andrea. It was her desire to help artists reach their full potential and give back a little of what God had given her that she decided to start Tehillah Enterprises. In 2006, after resigning from her position at the GRAMMY Awards, she took on Tehillah Enterprises full-time. Since that time, the company has received national recognition by positioning ministries through securing countless media opportunities.

Tehillah Enterprises created campaigns that placed Gospel artists on magazine covers, Billboard charts and award stages. Tehillah’s efforts opened doors for national appearances, endorsement deals, and opportunities to give back to the community through charitable causes. Through artist development sessions, the company refined artists’ performances giving them tips to help them minister more effectively. Through artist management, Tehillah Enterprises provided new opportunities including securing a coveted performance at the legendary Blues Alley. Tehillah excelled in the field of marketing and publicity. The publicity firm did work for notables such as Gladys Knight and Paul Anthony of Full Force (for their Gospel releases), Andrae’ Crouch, Byron Cage, Earnest Pugh, Bishop Derek Grier & Grace Worship Team, Bishop David G. Evans, Pastor Riva Tims & Majestic Praise, Pastor Bill Winston & Living Word Choir, Pastor Charles Jenkins, Anita Wilson, Apostle Kevin Davidson, Alvin Slaughter, Martha Munizzi, Steven Ford, DeWayne Woods, and many others. The company's clients were recognized with award wins and nominations including GRAMMYs, Dove Awards, Stellar Awards, NAACP Image Awards and other accolades.

Tehillah Enterprises started as a newsletter. A precursor to the now popular Belle Report, Andrea created the Gospel News Update in 1999. News from the e-zine was included during its daily radio segment on the former Heaven 1580AM's Midday Show with Cheryl Jackson as well as during "Access Praise" on Radio One's Praise WPRS, Praise 104.1FM. She also was the author of the D.C. Gospel News Update, which hit thousands in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore, MD metropolitan area. DCGospelNewsUpdate.com, a complement to The D.C. Gospel News Update e-zine had extensive information in reference to Gospel music in the Nation's Capital. She has been cited in the Gospel Industry Roundup, The Bible of the Gospel Music Industry, as a "Mover & Shaker" in the Washington, D.C. area alongside gospel notables Richard Smallwood, Jacquie Gales-Webb, Patrick Ellis and Cheryl Jackson.

She's been a guest panelist for many conferences and contests including the Kellogg's Gospel Sing-Off Competition, the National Gospel Artist Showcase, the Northeast Artists Guild East Coast Music & Worship Conference, the Ministers Of Music Summit, the Bobby Jones Gospel Industry Retreat and the United States Army Entertainment Division's Stars Of Tomorrow Contests. She was featured on Former NAACP Chair Kweisi Mfume's television show, "The Bottom Line", on their segment about the rising popularity of gospel music. In addition, she was a featured panelist for the 2006 Gospel Heritage Praise & Worship Conference in Washington, D.C. She was also included in former BET's Lift Every Voice Host Gerard Henry's book, Voices Of Inspiration, along with noted personalities like Yolanda Adams and Tonex. Tehillah Enterprises was featured in the August 2005 edition of Gospel Today Magazine in the magazine article, "Untangling The Web".

In 2000, she received the Yaw Buama Award for "Outstanding Contributions In The Gospel Music Industry" from Gospel News TV in Alexandria, Virginia. Tehillah Enterprises received 2013 & 2016 Rhythm of Gospel Award Nominations for Gospel Radio Promotions & Marketing Group of the Year. She was also named “Top Ten Hero In Gospel In Washington D.C. in 2013. In 2017, she released her first book, Live The Life You Sing About: How To Live With Integrity In The Gospel & Christian Music Industry. In 2019, Andrea graduated summa cum laude from the renowned Berklee College of Music with a Bachelors Degree in Music Business.

Photos top to bottom: Andrea with Erykah Badu, Earnest Pugh, Keith Williams, Daryl P. Friedman & Darrell E. Housey, Jr.; Andrea with Bono of U2; Andrea with Natalie Grant; Andrea with Daryl P. Friedman (her former supervisor at the Recording Academy) and Andrea with Dr. Bobby Jones, Dorothy Norwood, Daryl P. Friedman, V. Michael McKay and Jerry Mannery.