Aaron Jonah Lewis
Musician, Teacher, Artist
aaronjonahlewis.com
aaronjonahlewis@gmail.com
Education
- Suzuki Teaching Certification, Greater Washington Suzuki Institute, Washington, D.C., 2006
- BA Human Ecology, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine, 2005
- Diploma, High Honors with Distinction, Interlochen Arts Academy, Interlochen, Michigan, 1999
Teaching Experience
- Private lessons in fiddle and violin (bluegrass, old time, jazz, improvisation), three-finger, clawhammer and jazz banjo, mandolin, guitar, and bass, Bar Harbor, Maine; Richmond, Virginia; Brooklyn, New York; Glasgow, Scotland; Berlin, Germany; Detroit, Michigan, 2001-present
- Fiddle Workshop Weekend, Friends Of American Old Time Music And Dance, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, UK, 2014
- Workshops and Masterclasses in Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Ukraine, with Tumbling Bones, 2014
- Fiddle Workshop, Torsåker Bluegrass Festival, Torsåker, Sweden, 2014
- Banjo and Band Workshop, Pijnackerplein Bluegrass Festival, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2014
- Fiddle Masterclass, Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival, Westport, Ireland, 2014
- Clawhammer Banjo Workshop, Fire In The Mountain Festival, Wales, UK, 2014
- Workshops and Masterclasses in India with Corn Potato String Band, 2013
- Fiddle and Banjo Workshop, Smoked Country Jam Bluegrass Festival, Cross Fork, PA, 2013
- Banjo Workshops, English Folk Dance and Song Society, London, England, 2011
- Fiddle Workshop, High Strung Music Store, Durham, North Carolina, 2010
- Fiddle Workshop, Maverick Festival, Suffolk, England, 2010
- Banjo Workshop, Maverick Festival, Suffolk, England, 2010
- American Music and Dance Workshop, Leith Folk Club, Leith, Scotland, 2009
- Masterclass in American Fiddling, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now known as Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Glasgow, Scotland, 2009
- Fiddle Workshop, The Tolbooth, Stirling, Scotland, 2009
- Fiddle Workshop, High Strung Music Store, Durham, North Carolina, 2009
- Fiddle Workshop, Maverick Music Festival, Suffolk, England, 2008
- Fiddle Workshop, The Tolbooth, Stirling, Scotland, 2008
- Band Workshop, Out Among the Stars Festival, Benton, Pennsylvania, 2008
Performance Highlights
- U.S. State Department Cultural Diplomacy Tour of Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, and Ukraine, with Tumbling Bones, 2014
- U.S. State Department Cultural Diplomacy Tour of India, with Corn Potato String Band, 2013
- Kaustinen Folk Music Festivaalilla (Biggest folk music festival in the Nordic Countries), Kaustinen, Finland, 2013 and 2011, with Froggy Mountain Boys
- Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, with Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line, 2013, and with Long Branch Ramblers, 2012
- Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, with Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line, 2013
- Music City Roots, with Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line, 2013
- Karneval der Kulturen, Berlin, with Froggy Mountain Boys, 2012
- Tour of US and Canada with Thomas Dolby, playing in his band and appearing as support with Ben Belcher, March-April 2012
- Tour of UK with Thomas Dolby, playing in his band and appearing as support with Ed Hicks, November 2011
- Rootsway Festival, Parma, Italy 2011 with Thomas Bailey and Joe Troop
- Heimathafen, Berlin, 2010-2011 with Froggy Mountain Boys, Rathaus Ramblers, Laura Bean, and others
- Kulturbrauerei, Berlin, 2010-2012 with Thomas Dolby, Old Fish Jazz Band, Rathaus Ramblers
- Boheme Sauvage in Heimathafen and in Grüner Salon, Berlin, 2010-2011 with Froggy Mountain Boys, Rathaus Ramblers
- Berlin Philharmonie, Berlin, 2010 with Gypsy Gentlemen
- Maverick Festival, Suffolk, England, 2010 with Thomas Dolby
- TED Global, Oxford, England, 2010 with Thomas Dolby
- Carnegie Hall, Scotland, 2009 with The Hot Seats
- Acoustic Music Centre, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2009 with The Hot Seats
- Royal Concert Hall, Strathclyde Suite, Celtic Connections, Scotland, 2009 with The Hot Seats
- Old Fruitmarket, Scotland, 2009, opening for Allen Toussaint with The Hot Seats
- Blue Plate Special, Live on WDVX-FM, Knoxville, Tennessee, 2008-2013 with The Hot Seats, Special Ed and the Shortbus, Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line
- Spiegeltent, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2008 with Special Ed And The Shortbus
- The National Theater, Richmond, Virginia, 2008, opening for Del McCoury Band with Special Ed and the Shortbus
- Toad’s Place, Richmond, Virginia, 2007, opening for Sam Bush with Jackass Flats
- Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, 2007 with Special Ed and the Shortbus
(See complete performance history at aaronjonahlewis.com/calendar.html)
Discography
- “Corn Potato String Band, Volume Two” by Corn Potato String Band, 2015
- “Corn Potato String Band” by Corn Potato String Band, 2014
- “Recordings On Honest-To-Goodness Wax Cylinder” by Roochie Toochie & The Ragtime Shepherd Kings, 2014
- “Outside Looking In” by The Brain Cloud, 2013
- “WormWoodEnsemble 5 – String Quartet 2” by Michael Tuttle, 2013
- “Carnival” by Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line, 2013
- “Galax, NYC” by Square Peg Rounders, 2013
- “The Slomski Way” by The Slomski Brothers, 2013
- “You Shouldn’t Know From It” by You Shouldn’t Know From It, 2012
- “Miles & Gallons” by Max Paul Maria, 2012
- “Wild Hog” by Aaron Jonah Lewis and Thomas Bailey, Featuring Max Johnson, 2012
- “Route 77” by The Froggy Mountain Boys, 2012
- “CaBoume 5” by CaBoume, 2011
- “Latcho Nash Nash” by Latcho Nash Nash, 2011
- “Beginner’s Guide to Hoedown” a Cut A Shine Collective Compilation, 2011
- “Rusty Feeling” by Jackass Flats, 2011
- “Short Dark Tales” by Dan Fib, 2011
- “Live At Manouche” by The Froggy Mountain Boys, 2011
- “Rollin’ In Rhythm” by Rathaus Ramblers, 2011
- “The Sound Of Now, Vol. 1” Nowkoelln Flowmarkt Compilation, 2011
- “Taking Razzer To The Tinkers” by Aaron J. Lewis and Ed Hicks, 2011
- “Detached” by Pineross, 2010
- “Jonathan Robinson String Trio” by Jonathan Robinson String Trio, 2010
- “Jumping Through Hoops: Songs of Bravery and Courage” by Kari Groff-Denis, 2009
- “Phil’s Patio” by Aaron Jonah Lewis and Matt Ball, 2009
- “The Hobocamp Mud Show” by Furious Frank, Southern Love Records, 2009
- “Live at Rockwood Music Hall” by David Cieri, 2009
- “It’s Always August” by Thomas Bailey, 2009
- “Retreat To Camp Candy Temptation Island” by The Hot Seats, 2009
- “Greetings from Jackass Flats” by Jackass Flats, 2009
- “Drip Dryin’ With The Two Man Gentlemen Band” by The Two Man Gentlemen Band, Serious Business Records, 2009
- “Untitled” by Mammy, 2008
- “Rats In The Kitchen” by Special Ed and the Shortbus, 2008
- “Ground Beef Patrol” by Special Ed and the Shortbus, 2007
- “Special Ed and the Shortbus” by Special Ed and the Shortbus, 2005
- “Downhill From Here” by Special Ed and the Shortbus, 2005
- “Sounds of Mount Desert Island” by Aaron Lewis, 2005
- “Mountain Breakdown” by Aaron Jonah Lewis and Danielle Byrd, 2005
Art Performances, Installations and Exhibitions
- “Beating/Breaking Shell”, (Composer/Performer) in collaboration with dancer/choreographer Rosalind Masson, Nah Dran at Ada Studio, Berlin, 2012; DanceLive Festival performance at Woodend Barn, Banchory, Scotland, 2009; Work Room residency at Tramway, Glasgow, Scotland, 2009; Movement Research Open Perform performance at Dance Theater Workshop, New York City, 2009; Dance House residency at Trongate, Glasgow, 2009
- “Life. Love. Pursuit,” (Musician) Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Durham, North Carolina, choreographed and directed by Rodger Belman, 2009
- “Sounds of Mount Desert Island,” (Solo Installation), Dorr Natural History Museum, Bar Harbor, Maine, 2005
- “Human Fireworks,” (Performer, Writer, Director), Bar Harbor, Maine 2005, 2003
- “Maximum Vision,” (Solo Installation), Dorr Natural History Museum, Bar Harbor, Maine; Bangor Children’s Museum, Bangor, Maine, 2003-present
- “Talking Piece,” (Performer, Writer, Director), Bar Harbor, Maine, 2002; Richmond, Virginia, 2004
Honors and Awards
- Guinness World Record, Largest Mandolin Ensemble (Mando Marshal), Galax, Virginia, 2012
- Eighth Place Bluegrass Fiddle, Old Fiddlers Convention, Galax, Virginia, 2012
- Fourth Place Bluegrass Fiddle, Old Fiddlers Convention, Galax, Virginia, 2011
- Fifth Place Traditional Band, Appalachian String Band Festival, Clifftop, West Virginia, 2010
- Fifth Place Bluegrass Fiddle, Old Fiddlers Convention, Galax, Virginia, 2010
- Bank of Scotland Herald Angel Award, Special Ed and the Shortbus, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2008
- First Place Neotraditional Band Competition, Special Ed and the Shortbus, Appalachian String Band Festival, Clifftop, West Virginia, 2008
- Sixth Place Bluegrass Fiddle Competition, Old Fiddlers Convention, Galax, Virginia, 2008
- Grand Prize, independent Music World Series, Southeast Region, Special Ed and the Shortbus, Nashville, Tennessee, 2007
- First Place Bluegrass Fiddle, Old Fiddlers Convention, Galax, Virginia, 2007
- Second Place Bluegrass Fiddle, Old Fiddlers Convention, Galax, Virginia, 2006
- Fourth Place Bluegrass Fiddle, Old Fiddlers Convention, Galax, Virginia, 2005
- Second Place Old Time Fiddle, Maury River Fiddlers Convention, Buena Vista, Virginia, 2005
- Sixth Place Bluegrass Fiddle, Old Fiddlers Convention, Galax, Virginia, 2003
Television and Radio Appearances
- RTE-1, Dublin, Ireland, “Arena,” hosted by Seán Rocks, with Corn Potato String Band, June 25, 2014
- Resonance FM, London, England, “Sound Out,” hosted by Carole Finer, with Corn Potato String Band Duo, May 28, 2014
- RTE-1, Dublin, Ireland, “Country Time,” hosted by Sandy Harsch, with Tumbling Bones, April 19, 2014
- Dublin South FM, Dublin, Ireland, with Tumbling Bones, April 9, 2014
- East Coast FM, Co. Wicklow, Ireland, with Tumbling Bones, April 9, 2014
- Near FM, Dublin, Ireland, with Tumbling Bones, April 8, 2014
- ARTxFM, Louisville, KY, with Corn Potato String Band, January 16, 2014
- 99.1 Friends FM, Kolkata, India, with Corn Potato String Band, August 29, 2013
- WUMB, Boston, MA, with Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line, July 18, 2013
- Finnish National Radio with The Froggy Mountain Boys, July 12-13 (Kaustinen Festival), 2013
- KDHX, St. Louis, MO, with Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line, June 27, 2013
- (TV and radio) Music City Roots, Nashville, TN, with Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line, June 12, 2013
- WERS, Boston, MA, with Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line, April 22, 2013
- WAMU, Washington, D.C., with Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line, April 16, 2013
- WDVX, Knoxville, TN, Blue Plate Special with Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line, March 8, 2013
- (TV) Cable 9 Community Television: The Music Preserve at Cuyahoga National Park, Ohio, with Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line, Febraury 9, 2013
- WDET, Detroit, MI, with Ben Belcher, April 4, 2012
- WXPK, White Plains, NY, with Thomas Dolby, March 31, 2012
- WXPN, Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live with Thomas Dolby, March 23, 2012
- Resonance FM, London, UK, “Sound Out,” hosted by Carole Finer, Solo, October 1, 2010
- WDVX, Knoxville, TN, “Blue Plate Special,” with The Hot Seats, Special Ed and the Shortbus, June 20, 2009 and December 17, 2008
Film Credits
- ‘Bike Ride,’ a Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line music video (2013) – youtube.com/watch?v=hGeuA3rzjXE
- ‘Carnival,’ a Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line music video (2012) – youtube.com/watch?v=fbp8-Yr0gPs
- ‘Jealous Hearted Me,’ a Long Branch Ramblers music video (2012) – Director, Editor – youtube.com/watch?v=cBZca2VWFyQ
- ‘Toadlickers,’ a Thomas Dolby music video (2010) – youtube.com/watch?v=5SuZMwe-XRc
- ‘Zay Gesundt’ dir. Beau Marie (2009) – Musical Director, Violin – vimeo.com/5591316
- ‘The Dreamless Sleep’ dir. Nancy Andrews (2004) – Banjo, Mandolin – nancyandrews.net