Richard D. Lewis is an artistic late bloomer whose music emerges out of the Folk/Americana tradition. His original songs contain a sharp political edge reflective of his past involvement in the protest movements of the 1960's and related struggles continuing into subsequent decades. These life changing experiences set a solid foundation for his current dedication to issues of human rights and social justice, including abuse suffered by psychiatric victim/survivors.

 

Richard once wrote and performed a few "protest songs" in the early 1970's, but left his guitar and songwriting idle for multiple decades. However, semi-retirement in 2015 led to a renewed inspiration and a total re-immersion back into fresh contemporary musical endeavors.

 

Richard follows a mantra of "Making Music to Change the World," but insists that those efforts must avoid an "agit-prop," or politically stilted style of writing and performing. He believes that the very best artistic creations are those that are truly "higher than life," and nurture the very best inclinations of the poetic and compassionate human spirit. His music has also been influenced and shaped by 25 years of counseling experiences in the south coast of Massachusetts, helping people whose lives have suffered from the violence of poverty and other various forms of trauma and drug addiction.

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Richard now calls himself a "Snowbird" and currently splits his residential time between Marion MA. and Dunedin Florida, which is located in the Greater Tampa Bay area.

 

Richard's ideal performing environment would be small intimate venues and house concerts where there are opportunities for up close and personal dialogue with the audience.