Artist description Lewis Nitikman, keyboardist, songwriter, producer and arranger, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1959. At 15, he moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, with his family, and by the age of 17, he was well on his way to becoming a key player on the West Coast music scene

Music Style Songwriter in the styles of...Melodic Pop and Rock, New and Tradtional Country ,

Musical Influences beethoven, Bach. Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet, The Beatles, Genesis, Supertramp, And by far the biggest...ELTON JOHN!

Artist History Lewis' big break came when he was 22. Stonebolt, a Canadian pop group, asked him to replace John Webster as keyboardist for their album, Juvenile American Princess. After recording the album, Lewis joined Stonebolt on a tour through North America and Japan. He also toured with the Beach Boys and Burton Cummings. When the touring ended, it was time for Lewis to carry on in a direction that was destined to take him closer to his goal of writing and producing an album of his own. However, Lewis felt that he needed some formal training. He applied to Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He was awarded scholarships in arranging and composition and graduated the two-year diploma course with the highest academic grade point average. After graduating from Berklee, Lewis, in his usual meticulous manner, wrote and produced an album using various session players, including himself as keyboardist. The album, Diamond in the Rough, now 10 years old is still enjoying airplay in Canada and has just been re-released in Europe. In 1988, Lewis met Neil James Harnett, a local musician, who shared Lewis' passion for writing and producing. Together they wrote and produced the album Times Like These, an album that combined their different, but complementary music styles. In the following year, Neil was nominated for the "most promising male vocalist" Juno award. In 1990, Neil and Lewis (as band leader) opened for two highly successful acts, The Doobie Brothers and The Jeff Healey Band. Recently, Lewis travelled to Nashville to collaborate with some top writers, including: Patricia Conroy (Juno award-winning country music artist and Nashville resident); Daryl Burgess (signed songwriter with EMI, Nashville); and Bruce Miller (co-writer of Fear of Being Alone, a recent hit for Reba McIntyre). Lewis has also written with the following successful artists: Steve Diamond (co-writer on various successful albums, including ones by Eric Clapton and the group, Heart); Bill Buckingham (winner of five consecutive annual BC Country Music Awards for engineering and production); Neil James Harnett (Juno nominee for Best Male Vocalist on an album produced by Lewis); David Wills and Ray Roper (both formerly of RCA recording artist, Stonebolt); Saffron Henderson (a well-known BC entertainer and the daughter of Bill Henderson of the band, Chilliwack); Barry Mathers and Curtis Tulman (of Juno-nominated country artist, The Cruzeros). Lewis has performed and worked with some of British Columbia's most prominent entertainers and engineers, including: Bobby Taylor (former Motown recording artist); Catherine St. Germain (well-known BC entertainer and the daughter of country music artist and television personality, Ray St. Germain); Howard Rissin (studio engineer for recording artists Rita MacNeil, Boulevard, Idle Eyes, Diamond in the Rough and Farron); Matthew Gerard (formerly of BMG recording artist, Regatta); Rocko Vaugeois (formerly of Canadian recording artist, One Horse Blue); Lovena Fox (well-known BC recording artist and actress); John Riley (lead singer and songwriter for British recording group, Boy on a Dolphin); Kim Kuzma (popular Vancouver vocalist and performer); and Ron Irving (Vancouver songwriter). Northwood, a Canadian television production, has utilized many of Lewis' songs, some of which are still receiving airplay overseas. At present, a song that Lewis co-wrote with John Reilly, of the group Boy On A Dolphin, is enjoying airplay in the UK. Most recently, the British Figure Skating Champion skated to the single, Arrow. As well, Vancouver artist, Mike Behm, has released a CD entitled Accidental Magic on which Lewis played keyboards and co-wote the title track. Stonebolt, a group which Lewis has played with since 1981 has released a new album on which he has a co-writing credit on the single, Let's Go Back. Lewis has been invited in April to Nashville to co-write with some of Balmur Music Inc.'s top writers. Today, Lewis' songs, many of which have been covered by a number of prominent Canadian artists, are still receiving international airplay. Lewis has won several songwriting competitions and he owns and operates The Basement, a state-of-the-art recording facility. He has been an instructor at the Trebas Institute, an audio engineering school in Vancouver, and for years was the Entertainment Coordinator at the very popular nightspot, the Pacific Pallisades Hotel, in downtown Vancouver. Recently, Lewis performed with the Catherine St. Germain band in a successful Canada Week concert appearance in Taipei, Taiwan, after which he was invited back to produce a single on an album for one of Asia's top recording artists. The single is entitled Separate Lives and is being played throughout Asia. Lewis is a popular and sought-after songwriter and performer. He is a consummate professional whose musical talents and constant strive for perfection make him highly respected by his peers in the Vancouver music industry

Instruments Piano, Keyboards

Albums Co-produced and co-wrote

Press Reviews REVIEWS READ THE REVIEWS Review by: Andy Chapman The reason you're here - don't waste time, get to it! ARTIST: JOHN REILLY SONG: ARROW GENRE: POP / EASY LISTENING ACOUSTIC SIMILAR: ELTON JOHN I generally loathe this kind of easy-listening softy stuff, but I had to try really hard not to enjoy this. "Arrow", written by John Reilly and Lewis Nitikman, is deftly composed, well produced and beautifully voiced. It's definitely one of those songs that'll 'help you get through the day'. Arrow showcases a potent cocktail of piano, acoustic guitar, strings and light percussion. It's almost a perfect example of the genre and it reminds me of Elton John's less pompous moments and a little of "Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay". The vocals for me were the best part of "Arrow". I really like John's voice – there's a great deal of passion and sincerity lurking there in his vocal chords and he doesn't at any point sound forced or out of his depth. Lyrics? Very good. This is a song about lost love, lonliness and a yearning for the past. John is quite a poet and he definitely captures the emotion that is so clearly expressed with his voice. "Let me fall into my dreams, see how it might have been. No goodbyes. The sleep of the just. The touch of your skin. All my dreams just fade to lies. When I wake up in the dark You're the arrow in my broken heart." Arrow's chord progression and overall structure is also strong. Sure it's a little cliché, but the variations and breaks ensure that you don't get bored. I like the way the acoustic is intertwined. The little solos are not attention-seeking, but definitely complimentary and beneficial. In addition, the piano fills out the bottom ranges and adds to the song's honesty. Summary: This is certainly a great song, folks. Perhaps it's not everyone's cup of tea, but if you like easy listening acoustic style music, then this one is definitely worth your while. Charisma: 8.00 Technical Skill: 7.50 Structure: 8.00 Interest: 7.50 Lyrics: 8.00 Performance: 8.50 Arrangement: 8.00 Recording Quality: 8.50 Long Term Appeal: 8.00 OVERALL: 8.00 Download this song at: http://www.flippermusic.com/

Additional Info Produced numerous Jingles, Corporate sound Tracs and Demos in Vancouver, Taiwan and Toronto

Location Richmond, B.C. - Canada

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