Cassandra Nelson
Cassandra Nelson
Piano, Strings, Woodwinds & Brass
Cassandra (Cassie) Nelson is a 2nd generation musician. Her mother was a professional and competitive pianist, exposing her to the instrument early. By 7, Cassie also began studying starting with viola & oboe in her elementary school programs. By 12 she had already performed as a soloist alongside the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra and the rest is history. Cassie participated in orchestra, choir, concert band, marching band and jazz band and by auditioning her way into All State Orchestra for viola and English horn all 4 years of high school. By graduation, she had proficiency to performance level on piano, oboe, trumpet, viola, and violin, as well as English horn, bassoon, french horn, saxophone, and even the steel drums.
Originally, Cassie was accepted into West Virginia University to Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, with a minor in music, but switched to be a Music Education major after being told she would only have an office job as an engineer. This unique switch provided her insight for a different approach to her teaching. Cassie focuses on skills for lifelong musicianship along with a strong focus on the technical and scientific requirements necessary to produce the best sound, which must be adapted to human issues and growth.
During her time at WVU she performed and wrote music with Steel Drum creator Elle Mannette, performed for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. and traveled to Texas with the WVU Symphony Orchestra to perform after winning a national competition. After earning her Bachelors in Music Education, Cassie took the position of Music Director at the Clay-Battelle School in Blacksville, West Virginia teaching strings, band, general music, and musical theatre grades 4-12. Notably, during her time there she was awarded the VH1 Save the Music Foundation Grant of $40,000. She transitioned into Itinerant Orchestra Director of 4 public schools ranging from grades 4-8. Cassie earned several distinctions as an outstanding educator including Earned the Scouting America Elbert K Fretwell Outstanding Educator 2021 and the Grammy Museum Outstanding Music Educator Quarter-Finalist 2023 & 2024. In addition she was the Director of Events for the annual West Virginia String Day from 2021 – 2024, as well as a board member for the West Virginia Symphony Education Committee and also President of the WV Orchestra Directors Association from 2020 – 2024,
In 2022 Cassie opened Nels Bells Music, a music studio in Morgantown, West Virginia, where students of all ages learn instruments in individual and group lessons. It all began with Cassie traveling from porch to porch during lockdown and by winter, moving into a single room studio, overwhelmed with student interest and requests. From there, she added more teachers and acquired a larger space, now home to 20 teachers! In Fall of 2024, Cassie transitioned her role from Private Teacher to Owner/ Operator and continues that position remotely from Florida.
Cassie has continued performing throughout her career with her professional quartet all across West Virginia and plans to continue in Florida as an addition to teaching for the Rock Box Music School.
Cassandra (Cassie) Nelson is a 2nd generation musician. Her mother was a professional and competitive pianist, exposing her to the instrument early. By 7, Cassie also began studying starting with viola & oboe in her elementary school programs. By 12 she had already performed as a soloist alongside the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra and the rest is history. Cassie participated in orchestra, choir, concert band, marching band and jazz band and by auditioning her way into All State Orchestra for viola and English horn all 4 years of high school. By graduation, she had proficiency to performance level on piano, oboe, trumpet, viola, and violin, as well as English horn, bassoon, french horn, saxophone, and even the steel drums.
Originally, Cassie was accepted into West Virginia University to Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, with a minor in music, but switched to be a Music Education major after being told she would only have an office job as an engineer. This unique switch provided her insight for a different approach to her teaching. Cassie focuses on skills for lifelong musicianship along with a strong focus on the technical and scientific requirements necessary to produce the best sound, which must be adapted to human issues and growth.
During her time at WVU she performed and wrote music with Steel Drum creator Elle Mannette, performed for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. and traveled to Texas with the WVU Symphony Orchestra to perform after winning a national competition. After earning her Bachelors in Music Education, Cassie took the position of Music Director at the Clay-Battelle School in Blacksville, West Virginia teaching strings, band, general music, and musical theatre grades 4-12. Notably, during her time there she was awarded the VH1 Save the Music Foundation Grant of $40,000. She transitioned into Itinerant Orchestra Director of 4 public schools ranging from grades 4-8. Cassie earned several distinctions as an outstanding educator including Earned the Scouting America Elbert K Fretwell Outstanding Educator 2021 and the Grammy Museum Outstanding Music Educator Quarter-Finalist 2023 & 2024. In addition she was the Director of Events for the annual West Virginia String Day from 2021 – 2024, as well as a board member for the West Virginia Symphony Education Committee and also President of the WV Orchestra Directors Association from 2020 – 2024.
In 2022 Cassie opened Nels Bells Music, a music studio in Morgantown, West Virginia, where students of all ages learn instruments in individual and group lessons. It all began with Cassie traveling from porch to porch during lockdown and by winter, moving into a single room studio, overwhelmed with student interest and requests. From there, she added more teachers and acquired a larger space, now home to 20 teachers! In Fall of 2024, Cassie transitioned her role from Private Teacher to Owner/ Operator and continues that position remotely from Florida.
Cassie has continued performing throughout her career with her professional quartet all across West Virginia and plans to continue in Florida as an addition to teaching for the Rock Box Music School.
