March 28: Chris Lewis
Join us Tuesday to hear from Chris Lewis the Executive Director of The Great American Songbook Foundation. Founded in 2007 by five-time Grammy nominee Michael Feinstein and housed at the affiliated Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, the Great American Songbook Foundation offers education and outreach programs and maintains archives, a library and an exhibit gallery dedicated to the timeless jazz standards, Broadway and Hollywood tunes and other classic popular music of the early- to mid-20th century.
Chris became Executive Director in January 2017 after five years as Director of Programs. He oversees all the organization’s activities, including management of the Songbook Archives & Library, the Songbook Exhibit Gallery, the Songbook Hall of Fame and all educational and outreach programming.
During his tenure, Chris has spearheaded the national expansion of the Foundation’s most prominent education program, the annual Songbook Academy summer intensive, as well as the development of Perfect Harmony, a research-based program of therapeutic musical activities designed for people living with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. Chris also cultivated the Foundation’s relationship with the Los Angeles-based Grammy Museum, which now recognizes the Foundation as one of its five Cultural Affiliates around the world.
An accomplished musician with professional vocal experience, Chris holds a master’s degree in education from Mercy College and has worked as a history teacher and special education liaison for the New York City Department of Education. He earned a graduate certificate in nonprofit executive leadership through the IUPUI School of Philanthropy and is a graduate of the Hamilton County Leadership Academy. Chris is a member of the Indianapolis Consortium of Arts Administrators, the National Association of Music Educators, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the Jazz Education Network and the Recording Academy.
All are welcome at Rotary programs. If attending in-person at the Murat Shrine reservations and prepayment are appreciated, but not required. Register on Square at https://rotary-club-of-indianapolis.square.site/. Lunch will be available starting at 11:45 a.m. and the program runs 12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Unfortunately, Zoom will not be available this week.
