We recently connected with Paul Nelson and have shared our conversation below.
Paul, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Finding our purpose, to me, is a lifelong journey. Life certainly provides opportunities at the strangest and most trying times and I think it is up to us as individuals to take advantage of those moments.
Growing up, my brother and I raced dirt bikes in the sport of motocross and my family was fully committed to that. We were racing most weekends of the year, practicing several days a week, and even dieting and training for proper preparation and fitness. At the same time, I was participating in band in high school. Motocross was so engrained in our lives that my parents would often pick me up from band practice or Friday night football performances and we would take our RV and trailer straight to wherever we were racing. It was a serious commitment and I think my brother and I loved every, or maybe most, moments of it. We got to see so much of the country, make lifelong friends, and really learned the value of work ethic and working to achieve smaller goals that eventually lead to the accomplishment of a larger picture dream.
Fast forward to my late teens as I was finishing up high school, and that path of motocross seemed to take a turn. A few too many concussions and injury scares from both my brother and I and my family decided to call it quits. Leaving high school and motocross at the same time was really tough for me. It seemed like nothing about life was the same and I had a really hard time adjusting to a slower paced lifestyle. I mentioned earlier that I was playing trombone in high school band because that eventually would come to fill the void I was feeling in college. Initially I was studying Kinesiology, hoping to practice sports medicine in some capacity and stay involved with the sport of motocross. Music, however slowly permeated into my life and I started performing and teaching.
I decided to change my college path and pursue music full time. The life lessons from motocross really translated well to the career pursuit of music. A lot of my teachers at the time thought I was insane for seeing parallels between one of the most dangerous sports and trombone, but I held strong that the sport guided me in my life to know how to set goals and work toward them. Today I am teaching music at a college and a high school, writing music for own 19-piece concert orchestra, and composing and arranging for various projects around LA. It took a lot of time to find my place in the world, but I am grateful for the number and variety of experiences I have been fortunate to have.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Music is such an enjoyable career path to follow because of the number of opportunities that arise. I do not have too many “steady” gigs other than teaching at two local schools. My main gig is performing on various trombones. I consider myself a specialist of bass trombone and contrabass trombone, but I also play the more commonly known tenor trombone. I have been fortunate to record for some TV and film projects, studio albums, and often get to write the parts we are recording as well. I particularly enjoy that I can rotate my working titles, from performer to arranger to orchestrator or composer. No day is the same as the next and for me, it really keeps me motivated and invested in my work.
My passion project is ‘Paul Nelson’s Big Ol’ Band,’ a 19-piece concert orchestra featuring my original music and arrangements. It provides an opportunity to work with some of my favorite musicians from around the world and express my experiences and story in life. I have an album of music ready to record in the near future, however, it is a very costly endeavor so it will take some time to do it right. I may not be the best with words, but I feel I can really share who I am and where I come from in the form of music. It also provides a platform for speaking on topics I am passionate about, such as social injustice in American prisons, wealth disparities in the US, and frustrations with living in a country that seems to be falling backwards instead of progressing forward. I hope to use my music to elevate the voices and feelings of those affected by these injustices in the world and bring about change in a meaningful and communal way.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I mentioned before that motocross prepared me so well for taking on the world. I think three impactful things I have learned are persistence, kindness, and solidarity. The first one is pretty simple; we don’t usually accomplish our goals in one try. We have to learn from our mistakes, take risks and keep evolving as our experiences provide new perspectives. The second one is maybe most important to me. Be a person who people want to be around, who want to share their time and energy with, and who want to work toward a common goal with. Last might be one of my favorite things I learned from racing. We don’t accomplish dreams on our own. I was lucky enough to have a family and friends who gave everything to my racing career. Music is similar because we don’t play solo. My band is made up of 19 individuals all working to make one piece of music sound good at a particular moment in time. It would be nothing without those who give their energy and best efforts. I think it is so important to support our fellow brothers and sisters, make the most of our mutual relationships, and give our best to those around us.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
It is a common theme to face imposter syndrome in the arts. I have several degrees related to what I do for a living and my resume is really building to something to take pride in. I am always proud of who I am, but it can still be scary to commit on a daily basis. I try to remind myself that who I am is defined by my career or even my skillsets, or lack thereof.
I have found a lot of comfort in facing imposter syndrome by finding new hobbies. Starting fresh in a new skillset is a great reminder of the hard work I have put in toward music. It helps me clear my mind so that when I come back to a music project or arrangement that is killing me, I have a lighthearted perspective and can put my true self into the project instead of something harmed by ego.
Contact Info:
- Website: paulnelsontrombone.com
- Instagram: @paulnelsontrombone
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-nelson-372804178/
Image Credits
Vincent Neale Photography Cole Nelson Sarah Nelson
