There are many ways that one could describe Dr. Amy Lewis. She is a saxophonist, a pianist, a professor, and consummate musician, but she describes herself as a music teacher first.
Lewis is one of the newer faculty members in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Mead Witter School of Music with a focus on Music Education. In her research, she focuses on systemic racism in music education. She wants to expand how music teachers approach music making in K-12 classrooms so that children can experience music in a more holistic way. One issue that Lewis explores is how music educators determine what music is appropriate for classroom-based music learning. She sees this as a literacy issue that can inhibit people from being able to come together to create music because they operate according to musical literacies that are not validated in schools. She is also interested in addressing the structure of schools of music to encourage students who are musicians to also become music teachers.
Lewis is a native of Kansas City, Missouri who is deeply connected to her personal heritage. In her bio, she always mentions her parents, Jayne McShann Lewis and Bennie Lewis, and grandparents, Frances McShann Shelton and Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Jay McShann. Her grandfather led an orchestra, The Jay McShann Orchestra, was the first orchestra that Charlie Parker played in. In fact, it was McShann that gave Parker his nickname, “Bird.” She describes her family as a “jazz family,” so her interest in music came as no surprise. “My parents were very intentional about making sure that I had access to playing music,” she recalls. Lewis also has a twin sister who is a professor at The Ohio State University.
After earning her undergraduate degree in music education from DePaul University, she earned a masters degree in teaching leadership from Concordia University while working as a music teacher in the Chicagoland area. She earned her Ph.D. from Michigan State University and joined UW-Madison in 2023 as an assistant professor in the School of Music.
Lewis has had a decorated teaching career. She taught general music, beginning band, middle school choir, and jazz band for grades K-1 and 6-8 in the Chicagoland area. She was named the 2015 Illinois Education Association Teacher of the Year and received the 2019 Black Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Association Emerging Leader Award.
Lewis, her wife, dog, and cat have had a smooth transition to Madison and they have quickly integrated into the community. “Madison has so many spaces to create community in different ways,” she says. Like a true Madisonian, she has her favorite gym and neighborhood bar and she loves to enjoy the outdoors. Lewis also enjoys both the local and touring music scene in Madison.
Lewis serves the Madison community with her expertise as a musician and music educator as a member of the Madison Jazz Society Board. She also joined the orchestra for the 2024 Gospel Carols concert produced by Tammy and Leotha Stanley.
As a union advocate, Lewis is also involved with United Faculty and Academic Staff, a labor union representing faculty and academic staff at UW-Madison who are members.
Lewis is excited about being a part of the legacy of work in education generally, and music education specifically, at the UW-Madison. She is looking forward to bringing her ideas for improving music pedagogy in K-12 classrooms to districts across the state.
