Mr. Nelson is in his 7^th year as Assistant Director of Bands and Director of Percussion at Lake Central. He has been active as a music arranger and designer for the past nine years for percussion ensembles and marching bands in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Florida, Michigan, and North Carolina.

Mr. Nelson received his Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Saint Xavier University in Chicago, Illinos. His principal teachers have included James Walker, Kevin Leper, Tina Keitel, Richard Janecki, Richard Viano, Lee Beddis, and others. He is a former member of the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps and has served as Music Arranger, Coordinator, and Instructor for many drum corps including Phantom Legion, Blue Stars, Glassmen, and Boston Crusaders. In this time these groups have finished in the top six of their respective classes and have won a combined total of three DCI High Percussion Trophies and DCI World Championships.

Mr. Nelson holds professional memberships in the Music Educators National Conference, Percussive Arts Society, and the Vic Firth Education Team. He is also an artist/endorser for the Vic Firth Corporation and Dynasty Percussion USA Corporation.