Chris Lewis Shares Music Legacy With Great American Songbook
The foundation houses archives used by researchers and filmmakers worldwide while developing educational programs like the Songbook Academy.
No Title Needed, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with guests about the experiences, challenges, motivations, and defining moments that have shaped their lives and careers, welcomed Chris Lewis, Executive Director of The Great American Songbook, for a recent episode hosted by Scott Osborne and guest host Judy Fitzgerald.
Lewis discussed The Great American Songbook Foundation and the archives it houses, opening the conversation with the history of the organization and details of the more than 300 collections now part of its holdings.
As the 20th anniversary of The Great American Songbook, founded by Michael Feinstein, approaches, Lewis shared details of the goal of building a museum in Carmel to accommodate the foundation's growing collection.
The Songbook Foundation does not simply house its collections — it makes them available to researchers, musicologists, filmmakers, and producers, and the archives have been used by people from around the world. Lewis said, 'Our job is to tie the past to the present.' He noted that the current location and future museum need to provide a place where generations can share knowledge and find something they connect to while connecting the past to the present, describing it as a place where people can enjoy music, participate in music, and be immersed in music.
Lewis also explained how visitors can tour The Songbook Foundation. More information is available at thesongbook.org.
Lewis also spoke about the musical household he grew up in and how he came to a job he never dreamed was possible. He highlighted the foundation's education program, The Songbook Academy, describing its benefits to young participants, the involvement of Grammy and Tony winners in the program, and its outreach to the community.
Next week, No Title Needed will welcome Rachel Spodek, Managing Director for the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra.
No Title Needed is taped weekly inside The Hotel Carmichael in Carmel, IN. The show is normally taped inside Feinstein's, but this week's episode was taped in the Paul Dresser Room due to the Hotel's accommodation.
The No Title Needed Show airs Mondays at 8 am. The show can be followed on Facebook at .
