Canadian French horn player Jeff Nelsen entered this world just
as the Canadian Brass was being launched, in December of 1969. He
was the lucky third child to Ron and Diane Nelsen who owned and
operated a pig farm near Edmonton, Alberta. If it's true that music
adds to animals' well-being, those pigs must have been thriving,
with both parents being opera singers, Jeff of course practicing
the horn, and his older sisters, Lisa and Suzanne, playing flute
and bassoon.
Jeff is the newest and youngest member of the Canadian Brass. He
arrived in the summer of 2000 to take over from Chris Cooper, who
opted for a more settled life in California. Today, the famous
five are as tight a group as ever: Jens Lindemann and Ryan Anthony
on trumpet, Gene Watts on trombone, Chuck Daellenbach on tuba and
the energetic Jeff on horn.
"It's very new to me, and it's heaven," he says. He was ready to
accept the first horn chair in the Vancouver Symphony when he was
called to join the Canadian Brass, where Jens, his childhood chum
from Alberta, already was a valued member. Jeff's playing was polished
from being a member of the Montreal, Vancouver and Winnipeg symphony
orchestras and performing with most of Canada's other major orchestras.
Now he had to reinvent himself as a performer.
"The Canadian Brass shows feel like improvisations, even though
they are not ́ except sometimes accidentally," he laughs. Jeff's
ability to focus and think on his feet was honed by auditions for
such orchestras as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles
Philharmonic, where he was runner-up for both positions. "I have
the concept of auditioning down really well. I'm going to write
a book that maps out the path to audition success," he says.
In a few weeks after joining the Canadian Brass, Jeff had to learn
new repertoire for the road, choreography and the interaction with
audiences that is at the heart of the Canadian Brass.
"We have a 25-minute Gershwin Suite that's all choreographed, for
example. It starts with 'Summertime' and a beautiful h-o-r-n solo."
His voice quivers in mock fear at this exposed solo, yet he doesn't
seem to suffer from nerves. "It helps to remember why I play the
horn: to enjoy it and to have fun. It's all about the music. Anybody
who is playing music is having a pretty incredible life."
Jeff's initiation with the quintet was a long tour of Europe. "We
played 23 shows in 25 days. It took all of my concentration and
all of my energy every single show. It was so great for my mind
and my spirit. But I also know I can do a lot better and I will."
"The Canadian Brass are amazingly popular in Germany. There were
three encores most nights. When we walked out, I had no idea which
encore would be called, and I just prayed I had it memorized."
An old friend from McGill University in Montreal came to see a show
and complimented Jeff afterwards for his playing. "Tell me what
was not so good," asked Jeff. The friend said, "Well, you look very
proper on stage, almost geeky ó not quite yourself.
"You know, on stage I go into this 'good son' routine and Chuck
and Gene make jokes about me and we laugh with the audience. But
lately I take a different approach, much more relaxed. I'm not thinking
about 'behaving', since I don't when I'm off stage. I've done a
lot of concerts in this relaxed frame of mind now and I'm growing
into it, always creating as I go."
Another change is the magic Jeff now adds to performances in a
very literal sense. He has always been interested in magic. During
a Halloween show in St. Louis the five all wore masks and Jeff had
on his sorcerer's hat. "To finish our entrance piece I pulled off
a big fire-filled, flashy magic trick. The crowd loved it, so it's
part of the show now."
A new element in Jeff's life is the Canadian Brass' constant togetherness
whether they are on tour or at home in Toronto, where the group
rehearses and makes CDs and videos.
"We travel together, we stay in the same hotel, eat lunch and dinner
together and perform at night. Even though Chuck and Gene are founding
members of the group and the rest of us are much younger, there
is no generation gap. I spend a lot of time with Chuck and Gene
and learn from them about music, business and spirituality. They
are like kids, unbelievable! And they are insatiable shoppers, always
looking for new gadgets. I'm into that too, big time. I have a blast
with Ryan and Jens too, of course!!"
Master classes are part of the Canadian Brass' tours. When the
group visits a city with a major music school, all five are often
invited to work with the brass students. "I'm still a bit shy,"
says Jeff about this process and adds, "but the greatest thing about
the Canadian Brass is our status in the music community. We have
all these opportunities to be a huge influence on thousands of kids.
I love that!"
Jeff's Web Diary is another creative outlet for him. "It's an opportunity
to be very personal with our fans, to inspire them and to show them
that people can do absolutely anything they can dream up! Hey, I
grew up on a pig farm!!"
He is also interested in learning the business and management side
of the Canadian Brass. The group has agents, but they manage themselves
́or rather, Chuck and Gene take care of that. It is Chuck's
dream that the Canadian Brass will some day have its own music school,
where students are taught all the necessary elements to a successful
career, not only music but also psychology, business and stage presentation.
They make an excellent model themselves, staying focused and relaxed
by meditating, which they have ample time to do on their long flights.
"Now that I have tons of air miles, I have no wish to travel," laughs
Jeff.
He entered a real New York pressure cooker his first Christmas
with the Canadian Brass, when they played their traditional Lincoln
Center performance with the principal players of the New York Philharmonic.
"It was a double quintet concert at Avery Fisher Hall with mostly
new stuff. I even had to improvise as percussionist.
So there I was, the farmer's boy from Alberta sitting next to Phil
Meyers, first horn of the New York Philharmonic!" His eyes widen
in amazement. From all accounts the concert was a great success
and is already booked for this year.
"I live trying not to expect anything, because that creates potential
for disappointment," he says of these challenges. "You can think
about it and you can imagine it, but now that I'm living my dream
and I'm immersed in it, it's simply full speed ahead. No fear! It
still doesn't seem real, though, so don't pinch me," he says.
When he has a few days off, he is settling into a house in downtown
Toronto. The front window is covered by an over-size TV screen.
"I had a wall removed so I can have my own movie house in one big
space," he says. With his hectic life style, it may be an
advantage to be single.
"Yeah, when I'm on the road, I'm so busy that I don't really miss
anybody, but I hope that will change. I'm ready to meet my
wife."
Where might he be going next?
"To the airport," he says with a grin.
