We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andre Chez Lewis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andre Chez below.

Hi Andre Chez, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I started playing piano somewhere around 8 or 9 years old. I had no piano instructor, just an old out of tune upright piano from my grandfather. I wasn’t trying to be a professional pianist; I was just a kid that was drawn to the piano every time I walked by it.

One day after an extended period of time practicing (I didn’t even think of it as practice at the time.), my Mom overheard me playing a song I composed. She basically hyped me into believing I was a child prodigy (which I wasn’t at all). The song I played was very elementary; so much so, that it could be played just using one finger. She called all of her friends individually to tell them I was a jazz pianist and asked me play my composition for each one of them over the phone. I’m sure nobody at the time heard me and thought I was a young extremely talented pianist. As a matter of fact, they probably got a good laugh from my Mom being overly excited.

But that is not what was important. The important part was I believed what my Mom said. I believed that I was a child prodigy because she made me believe it. I believed that the song I was playing was extraordinary (It wasn’t). That belief led me to keep learning music by ear, using my lunch money to buy music books at the local Barnes & Noble, and growing as a self taught pianist. I didn’t have a piano instructor, but that didn’t deter me. I eventually became the music director of a church at age 14 years old, got jobs as a house pianist at 2 restaurants, and started playing local club gigs with other musicians in the area. I didn’t get my first real piano lesson until I went to Berklee College Of Music in Boston when I was 18.

Knowing what I know now, I wish I had a teacher or a mentor earlier in my life. It definitely speeds up the process tremendously. When I was 23, I met one of the greatest pianist and teachers that ever lived, Dr Barry Harris. He and I became very close and he opened up my mind to all kinds of different approaches to music. He believed in me and always said he wished he could’ve started teaching me when I was much younger. I would advise anyone who is trying to be great at anything to find a great mentor.

Barry Harris taught me things that are not taught in most music schools. He taught me the way harmony works, how to improvise over “changes”, rhythm and how to feel syncopation, and he indirectly taught me how to read music better.

The most essential skills to be a great successful musician are love and passion for the craft, belief in yourself, and great mentorship. Other than that, it is important to have a good sense of rhythm and pitch, great music reading ability, a strong understanding of music theory, good instincts, and organizational skills. These things can all be developed over time.

One of the biggest obstacles that stood in the way for me was fear of what my peers would think of me when releasing music. Looking back, I wish I would’ve been more vulnerable as a musician at a younger age and not afraid to fail. I believe failing is a good thing when it is coupled with love and determination. Failure can be the greatest teacher.

Andre Chez, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Andre “Chez” Lewis. Most people know me as Chez (which is my middle name). I’m a pianist, music director, arranger, orchestrator and music instructor from Detroit, MI, now residing in Brooklyn, NY (since 2009). I play many styles including jazz, r&b, gospel, blues, classical, pop, and rock.
To date, I am currently the pianist and music director for the legend, Dionne Warwick, and also keyboardist/organist for the Grammy Award winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. I have worked with several Broadway productions, off-Broadway productions, including “MJ The Musical”, “Memphis The Musical”, and “Jelly’s Last Jam” to name a few, and I’ve been cast as a pianist in major films and television shows including Bob Dylan’s pianist, Paul Griffin in the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown”(2024), as the ballroom pianist in the upcoming 2026 film “The Bride”, and as a jazz pianist in the television series “Godfather Of Harlem” (2025).​ I’m currently a partner with the C. Bechstein piano company.

I’ve worked with many notable stars including: Dionne Warwick, Tony Goldwyn, Savion Glover, Loretta Devine, Billy Porter, Dominique Fishback, Anna Deavere Smith, Deedee Bridgewater, Bebe Winans, Timothée Chalamet, Forest Whitaker, Christian Bale, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jessie Buckley, Vivian Green, Chantae Cann, Chester Gregory, Arly Lariviere, Queen Esther Marrow, Abiah, Raii and Whitney, Anita Whitaker, and Kei Owada,

I’ve traveled the world playing music in 6 of the 7 continents: Japan, Barbados, Ghana, Italy, Bermuda, Portugal, Canada, Brazil, Greece, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, St Maarten, Jamaica, Austria, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Malta, and the United Kingdom.

I graduated from The New School’s College of Performing Arts with a BFA in Jazz and Contemporary Music in 2022 and I’m a protege of the late great pianist, Dr. Barry Harris who I worked closely with up until his death in 2021.

I’m most proud of my family I ‘ve been married to my Highschool sweetheart, Afiya Lewis since 2018. We have 2 sons, Angelo (6yo) and Aero (3yo), who are both young aspiring musicians.

The way that I got all of these amazing opportunities is with persistence. I kept trying until I got it right and kept letting everyone know that I wanted to play and be a musician. I took lessons from many great musicians. I’ve had to go to a few auditions and I had to know the right people. It is also important to always be a kind, disciplined, and a dependable person.

In the future, I’m looking to tour the world with my own solo music project and to take on more orchestrating and arranging opportunities. I’m also looking forward to teaching the lessons I’ve learned from the late great, Dr. Barry Harris.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Yes. My goal is to be the best I can be. I want to leave a legacy of greatness and inspire others. I want to show others that you can work hard and achieve anything, and I want to do all of this while being a great person, example, and role model and giving back to help others. I want to inspire my children who are also young musicians. I want to pass on all of the knowledge I’ve received from my great mentors to my sons and others as well. I want to pass on the teachings of Dr. Barry Harris so that the next generation of musicians can use that information to advance the music. I want to get people excited about music. I want people to love the music as much as I do.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding things for me about being a musician is getting respect from my peers, advancing the music, and constantly learning. Creating something that I can call my own. Being a teacher and watching my students develop the same love for music that I have.

I’m also grateful that I’ve been able to sustain myself with my craft. It wasn’t always easy, especially when I first moved to NYC at the age of 19 by myself, but it all worked out. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to meet some of the greatest musicians in the world, work with some notable stars, and travel the world playing music. I have the privilege to work with a legend that spans generations, Dionne Warwick. That in itself is an honor because I’m filling the shoes of the great composer, Burt Bacharach, who was Dionne’s original music director. I also play Broadway and Off-Broadway shows in NYC, and I play with one of the most famous gospel choirs in the world in The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. It’s a dream come true. I’ve even been fortunate to take my wife and 2 sons around the world with me.

Contact Info:

• Website: AndreChezLewis.com
• Instagram: @AndreChezLewis
• Youtube: @AndreChezLewis

Image Credits
@PaulMorejon, @KevinLucero, @ChristineLucero