Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, August 6, 1994 TAG: 9408090009
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By CHRIS COLSTON Special to the Roanoke Times & World-News
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Long
And when he's not playing the French horn, conducting a full symphonic band or singing in a choir, you might find him at home tinkering on the piano, the seeds of a 25-page classical music composition dancing in his head.
Nelson has won four musical writing contests and had his music performed by a Radford University chamber ensemble. Better yet, the Music Educators National Conference chose one of his compositions for performance.
There's a strong urge to deem him some kind of Renaissance Man. But instead of long hair, a goatee and a flowing robe, Nelson has neatly combed hair and favors T-shirts, a fuschia-and-gold paisley vest, striped shorts and sneakers. Heck, he couldn't grow a goatee if he wanted to.
He's only 14 years old, for crying out loud. Just call him the Renaissance Kid.
``To have such a deep interest in classical music at his age is extraordinary,'' said Nelson's mentor, Bob Wall, director of instrumental music at Christiansburg Middle School. ``Most of his fellow students enjoy playing video games and sports.''
Charles and Norma Nelson bought their son a Casio keyboard when he was 7 years old. ``It had a built-in thing that graded how well you played,'' Norma Nelson said. ``It didn't take him long to outgrow that.''
Where many parents force their children into piano lessons, Tim Nelson begged for them. ``We have to push him away from the piano,'' Norma Nelson said. ``When we have to discipline him, we tell him he can't play.
``Where did he get his talent? It's a gift from God. He sure doesn't get it from his momma.''
His musical career began to blossom at the age of 7 under the tutelage of Nicolo LoMascolo, a retired Radford University music professor. ``All he had me play was classical music,'' Tim Nelson said. ``I guess it just grew on me.''
He began writing music five years later as a fifth-grader. He titled his first piece ``A New Beginning For Rag.''
``When I finished it I thought it was a big accomplishment,'' he said. ``Now I look back and it seems pretty simple.''
Since then he's written 35 to 40 compositions.
``His motivation is self-induced,'' Wall said. ``Where most middle-school students average two or three pages for a written theme, Tim produces a 25-page musical score plus as many as 18 musical parts. And some of those parts range from one to two-and-a-half pages in length.''
Writing music just seems to come naturally to him. ``The first time I did it, it didn't seem like a big deal,'' he said.
Finishing the job simply takes time and work. ``I might be thinking of a melody and fool around with it,'' he said. ``I'll keep singing it over and over in my head until a second melody comes.''
When he's struggling, Nelson often will rise out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to watch the sun rise. ``It gives me inspiration,'' he says.
So many long hours require sacrifice, however, which means he sometimes has to miss his favorite television show.
``I like working late at night, but it takes a lot to turn off the TV and go downstairs to the piano,'' he said. ``I have this thing for 'Mork and Mindy.'''
Nelson is studying under David Phillips, professor of music and composition at Radford University. ``I'm teaching him the same things I'm teaching my college students,'' Phillips said. ``I've found him to be a diligent worker and a quick learner.''
When he's not writing music, Nelson plays in the Roanoke Youth Symphony, sings in the Montgomery County Voice Choir, is a member of the Christiansburg High School Band, has written editorials for the school newspaper, is a member of his school's forensics club and takes a graduate-level computer class at Radford University.
He's won the Parent-Teacher Association's Reflections award for musical composition four straight years on the local level and finished second in the state last year. Through auditions he was named All-District Symphonic Band, All-County band for the French horn and All-County chorus.
He conducted his own 25-page score, ``March of the British Foxhunters,'' for Christiansburg Middle School's spring concert in May.
His composition ``Prelude in A Minor'' was performed during Radford University's 1993 holiday concert.
That particular composition has given him his greatest claim to fame. The 1994 Music Educators National Conference honored him with a Certificate of Excellence for that piece, which was performed April 6-9 in Cincinnati at the National Biennial Conference.
The work was judged the best composition in his age group from 27 submitted in the MENC Southern Division, which includes states south of Virginia and west to the Mississippi River. His piece then was judged against all other divisions from across the country.
It did well. ``Prelude in A Minor'' was one of 14 works in the nation to be selected for performance.
``It's sort of like being named first team All-America in football,'' Wall said. ``It's quite an achievement.''
But Nelson's life hasn't always been filled with success. In second grade he failed to make the Boy's Choir. ``At the time I was very disappointed,'' he said. ``But at that age, I couldn't match pitches very well.''
Even that setback worked to his advantage. ``He turned his attentions toward band then,'' Norma Nelson said. ``Composing became his first love.''
These days he's working on his first orchestral piece. ``It's a lot harder than I thought,'' he said. ``Sometimes I wish I had a little orchestra at home to try it out.''
by CNB