Biography

Michael Lewis is a songwriter's songwriter. He cares deeply about
how each song is written and carries out the task with lyrical and musical integrity. Here you will find honest, gritty and emotionally-intelligent songs written, recorded and performed with wit, poignancy and a 'head in the clouds-feet on the ground' brand of realism that always moves, always connectsLewis is a first-rate guitarist and certainly has the knack for writing great songs and producing even, layered recordings.  His skills as an accompanist are evident from the very first note.  He plays with a dynamic and expressive conviction which combine his expansive skills on guitar, piano, Irish bouzouki and mandolin with a voice that is powerful, rich and stirring. Lewis switches effortlessly between instruments creating a listening experience that is panoramic and interesting, and always with a poet's ability to capture what is universal and enduring in human experience.  He has been awarded two grants from the Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Lewis also performs in the duo Traveler's Dream along with Denise Wilson. The band has been touring for 14 years and has four recordings to their credit. The band performs music that is rich in tradition but driven by innovation and creativity. In additional to their original material, their repertoire includes songs from the Celtic lands and French Canada, hard-driving Irish jigs and reels, sea shanties, and traditional American songs.
 
When not on the road performing, Lewis enjoys walking the fields and woods of the surrounding countryside with his dog Ruby. He is a big fan of 19th and early 20th Century British literature, his favorites being Dickens, Hardy, Virginia Woolf, John Galsworthy, Rosamond Lehmann, and Austen.  Contemporary(isn) influences include Joanne Harris, John Fowles, Sebastian Faulks, May Sarton, Mary Oliver, Naomi Shihab Nye, Rainer Maria Rilke, William Styron, Sarah Waters. Susanna Moore, John Banville and Michael Ondaatje, among others.  He is an avid opera lover, enjoys classical and choral music, and is a faithful fan of Masterpiece Theater.  Michael is currently at work on his first novel.

For more information about the band Traveler's Dream you can visit their website at www.travelersdream.net