Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Nelson.
Hi Andrew, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I come from a musical family on both sides and music has always been an important part of our lives.
I started piano lessons at age five, and my parents encouraged my sisters and me to explore music without putting too much pressure on us. I grew up listening to their extensive CD collections, which spanned everything from classical and jazz to folk and progressive rock.
When I was about 12, I heard Led Zeppelin for the first time on a road trip. My mom had brought along Led Zeppelin IV, and I played the opening track, “Black Dog,” over and over. Shortly afterward, I discovered Yes’s album Fragile, particularly its opening track, “Roundabout.” I hadn’t heard anything quite like these songs before, and I was completely hooked. Around that time, I naturally gravitated from classical piano toward guitar. My dad had a Martin acoustic guitar that had belonged to his late sister, who was a singer-songwriter. He taught me fingerpicking, ragtime, and blues, and after getting my first electric guitar for Christmas, I taught myself a bunch of my favorite songs.
I eventually started jamming with friends and formed a high school band that played funk and progressive rock. During those years, I also developed a serious interest in jazz, particularly improvisation, which opened up an entirely new world of musical expression. By my teenage years, I knew I wanted music to be my career and life’s work. I began performing at local venues, playing weddings, and teaching lessons to people in my neighborhood. With my parents’ support, I studied privately with faculty members at the University of Utah while still in high school, eventually earning my bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance there.
After graduating, I performed with various bands and as a solo artist. That journey eventually led me to form Pixie and the Partygrass Boys with a high school bandmate and some local musicians. The band took off, building a strong following in Utah before expanding to tour nationally. We signed with a label, performed at venues and festivals across the country, and recorded six albums, one of which received Grammy consideration. It was an incredible experience that went beyond anything I had imagined when I first started playing music.
After years of constant travel and the demands of touring, I eventually experienced burnout and decided to leave the band a couple of years ago. Since then, I’ve focused on building my solo music career, performing guitar and piano at private events throughout Utah while also expanding into DJing.
Teaching has also been a constant throughout my career and has grown into a substantial part of my work. It’s been rewarding to share what I’ve learned through my own musical journey with other aspiring musicians.
Music has always offered me more possibilities than I could pursue at once. Now that I’ve built a more stable career outside of touring, I’m excited to return to creative projects that have been on the back burner for years, particularly composition and music production. I feel like I’m entering a new chapter, drawing on everything I’ve learned so far while making more room for the creative work I’ve wanted to pursue for a long time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
While I’ve always been grateful for the opportunity to make music my career, it hasn’t been the smoothest road. One of the biggest challenges has been making a living from music without losing my passion for it. When something you love becomes your livelihood, the demands of the job can sometimes overshadow what made you fall in love with it in the first place.
I experienced this particularly during my years of touring with my former band. The personal sacrifices, constant travel, long drives, and lack of sleep were exhausting enough, but there was also the expectation of giving it your all on stage every night, regardless of how you felt. All of this can be especially difficult when the financial rewards don’t always reflect the effort involved.
The music industry can be difficult for working musicians, and at times, it can feel like we’re an afterthought. There’s often a disconnect between the time, skill, and effort that go into what we do and how that work is valued. Much of what makes a performance look effortless happens behind the scenes, and people don’t always see or understand what it takes.
Financial uncertainty is another challenge. Slow periods can come up unexpectedly. As an independent musician and small business owner, I don’t have the security of a steady salary or other benefits that often come with traditional employment. You learn to adapt and make things work, even when things are unpredictable.
Another ongoing challenge has been managing my own expectations and the high standards I set for myself. I have so many goals within music, whether it’s releasing solo albums, publishing sheet music and method books, or continually improving as a player. Pursuing all of these goals takes time, and it can be difficult to feel like I’ve done enough in a day. Finding a healthy work-life balance when you’re your own boss has been an ongoing process.
Ultimately, I feel that the challenges have been worth it. I’ve gained a lot of resilience and wisdom through these experiences, and I feel better equipped to navigate whatever comes next as I continue my musical journey.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and music educator. My work on guitar and piano spans a wide range of styles, including jazz, bossa nova, classical, bluegrass, rock, blues, and funk. I enjoy arranging popular songs for solo performance and adapting to different musical settings, whether I’m playing solo at an intimate event, performing with a band, or DJing a wedding reception.
My years touring with my former band were a formative part of my musical career. That experience taught me a great deal about performing, collaborating, and navigating the music industry. Today, I perform primarily at private events throughout Utah, offering guitar, piano, and DJ services—sometimes all three at the same event.
I’ve spent years developing my own guitar and piano curriculum, with an emphasis on helping students understand the musical ideas behind the songs they love. My goal is to help them become independent musicians who can learn songs by ear, compose their own music, and play confidently with others.
Alongside performing and teaching, I’ve released original music and am developing method books and sheet music. I look forward to devoting more time to music production and composition.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the mountains and easy access to trails and outdoor recreation. What I don’t care for is the sometimes poor air quality, summer heat, and the downsides that come with the city’s rapidly growing population.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.andrewnelsonmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janelson27
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrew.nelson.35175
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andrewnelson7469
