MUSICAL BIO
Nelly started playing piano at age eight, studied
composition at the Royal Conservatory of Music with Juno Award winning
composer Alexina Louie, and completed her Bachelor of Music at the
University of Toronto. In her teens, she received several prizes for
her original compositions, including two First Awards from the Kiwanis
Music Festival of Greater Toronto. She received airplay for her first
song, at age 16, after a friend passed along her tape to a local radio
station in Nova Scotia. While growing up, Nelly listened to a variety
of music from country and classical to Top 40. Her greatest influences
were Anne Murray, David Foster, and Chopin.
Some
of her live performance highlights include the 2002 Miss Korea Beauty
Pageant at George Weston Recital Hall, showcases with Bluebird North in
Hugh's Room, Artsweek, and appearances at the
nationally televised Peoples Church. After a few years of serving in
church ministry as a worship leader and music director, Nelly entered
the classroom and taught English to high school students.
While soul searching in the Rockies
in 2003, Nelly decided to give her singing and songwriting a chance. In
2005, her self-titled debut album, produced by Brian Gagnon (who has
worked with early Shania Twain), was released to radio and received
considerable airplay. Her single Marrow of My Heart was added to soft rock stations in the US and Canada. It also appeared on Eric Norberg's Adult Contemporary Music Research Letter (US), alongside Kelly Clarkson's Because of You
as a recommended single to AC radio. She took the No. 21 spot on the
monthy Pop/Rock Composer Chart in June 2006 at Emusic.com's music
download site. Nelly has made appearances on CTV, Omni, TLN, and Vision
Televsion, as well as radio interviews, and concerts for both
mainstream and Christian audiences.
Nelly is currently studying in a Master of Divinity program and continues working on her next musical project. Details & release TBA. | |
