Tim Nelson grew up around music and pianos in Woodbury, Minnesota.  He showed an ear for music even before he was born – he kicked in rhythm during a Minnesota Orchestra performance of a Mahler symphony. As a two-year old, he could clap back any rhythm he was given.  As a child, he sang in the Minnesota Boychoir under the direction of Mark Johnson and took violin and piano lessons. When he was about 14, his classical piano teacher “fired him” because he preferred improvising on songs and melodies to practicing his assigned music.  He then started taking jazz piano lessons under Bill Duna and his improvisation and aural skills improved.  He loved band and jazz band in high school and played trumpet, euphonium and tuba.  While a student at the University of Saint Thomas in Saint Paul, he led the Bass Section of the St. Thomas Chamber Singers and took piano and banjo lessons and worked with Brian Casey learning MIDI keyboard and the Logic software.

One day while playing the very out-of-tune piano at his family’s cabin, Tim announced: “I love playing the piano; the piano makes me happy.  I should be a piano tuner.”  Tim then researched how he could learn the requisite skills to tune and service pianos and enrolled at the Minnesota School of Piano Technology as a student of Greg Gavin.  As a result, the piano at the cabin is now perfectly in tune and spotlessly clean! 

Tim is excited to be building his career as a Piano Tuner and is working towards his certification as a Registered Piano Technician.