School of Music

Dr. Reginald Lewis is the current Director of Jazz at Illinois Wesleyan University. Dr. Lewis held a position at Lincoln College for two years until the college officially closed, where he taught Music Appreciation, Jazz Theory, Jazz Arranging, Jazz History, Applied Lessons, and Music Combo. Dr. Lewis also teaches Jazz Improvisation at Chicago State University. Dr. Lewis graduated from Jackson State University with his Bachelor of Music Degree, Master of Music Degree from the University of Manitoba in Canada, and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign.

Reginald Lewis is a composer, educator and musician born and raised in Camden, NJ. At the age of sixteen, Reginald met up with his grandfather, the Philadelphia Tenor Saxophone legend, Robert “Bootsie” Barnes and his grandmother Sandra Turner - Barnes. Once Reginald began saxophone lessons with Bootsie, the rest was history.

Reginald has been featured in the Universal Studios biopic of James Brown “Get on Up” as a saxophonist in Little Richards band. He has also performed at the TD Bank Winnipeg Jazz Festival in the summer of 2015 with Q5, led by Quincy Davis, Super Duty Tough Work and The Thelonious Monk Tribute Band led by Jared Beckstead. Reginald also held a weekly gig at “The Yellow Scarf”, ran by Cassandra Wilson in Jackson, Mississippi. Reginald is also a part of “Simply This”, who released album entitled "Stepping Up” in 2021. Reginald has also given masterclasses at Ohio State University, Anderson University and Furman University with “Simply This”. Reginald recently performed at the Further Jazz Festival in Normal, IL. He has also guest conducted the HBCU All Star Jazz Band at the Midwest Clinic.