In some areas, sixteen year old Riley Erin is like most kids her age - spending time with friends, talking/texting on the phone, hanging out on Facebook and enjoying life. However, if you look beyond the "average American teenage girl" part of her, you will see an extraordinary young woman who loves Jesus above everything else and uses the gift of music to share Him.

This young musician and songwriter from Phoenix, Arizona, wrote her first song at the age
of 11. Her passion for excellence drove her to pursue vocal lessons, instrumental training and songwriting experiences while maintaining high marks in high school. Shortly before her 15th birthday, Riley took performing to the next level and began singing at festivals, concerts and community events.

Today, this amazing young woman is a junior in high school who is pursuing her passion for worship with everything she's got. Heavily involved in her local church and youth ministry, she serves on her local church worship team every Sunday and also volunteers in the children's ministry. This year she is also the worship leader for her High School, Valley Christian in Chandler, AZ. Her song "Awake", co-written with Nashville producer Chuck Butler, was in response to a request by the faculty to write a song for this school year's theme.

She writes songs about things she experiences in her life and issues that are especially relevant to her generation, such as peer pressure. Riley says, "I tell girls my age that it's OK to be yourself. It's important to be confident in who you are in God but you can't be arrogant about it. For high school girls, there is so much pressure to be something that you're not and it's easy to fall into. A lot of times, girls don't even realize that they're being different from who they really are inside. They're not trying to change themselves necessarily - it's more like a gradual morphing process that takes them to a place that they don't really want to be. The most important thing is to know that God loves you for you and I try to tell people that from the stage, through my songs and by how I live my life."

A strong foundation created by support and guidance from her family and a daily walk with her Savior is what keeps Riley grounded and able to maintain her vigorous schedule while still making high grades in school. As a pastors daughter, Riley is no stranger to holding herself to higher standards or being looked upon as a role model. "I've been a role model my entire life so I've grown accustomed to it," she explains. "People expect more from me and it's good for me. I'm not talking about perfection. I'm talking about being excellent in God. It's humbling and sometimes it's hard not to stumble. The good thing is that with my parents, my church family and my friends, I know that I have so many people who will support me when I do."

With a demo CD produced by B.J. Putnam of her earliest songs and recent writing sessions with some extremely talented writers/producers out of Nashville including Michael Farren, Keith Everett Smith, Nate Smith, Seth Jones, Chuck Butler, Tony Wood and Chad Cates, Riley is continuing to develop her artistry. She has been blessed with opportunities to open for artists like Francesca Batistellli, JJ Heller, Ricardo Sanchez, Rebecca St. James and Third Day. After receiving honors in vocal recognition at the IMMERSE GMA Conference in Nashville, Riley was chosen to peform at Night Of Joy Music festival hosted by DisneyWorld with a lineup of artists including Chris Tomlin, Britt Nicole, Group 1 Crew, Casting Crowns, LeCrae, Smoky Norful, Barlow Girls, Mercy Me and many others.

Riley recently signed with One Verse, a missions organization dedicated to translating the Bible into every language in our lifetime. She is moving forward with her gift, growing in wisdom and faith; and she is sharing all three with the world.