Artie Nelson:

Artie was a snare drummer in the Interstatesmen

Drum and Bugle Corps. In the early 1960 Artie began to teach

the Junior Corps in the Area. The word that best describes his teaching style is intense. He was very strict and very musical. Artie demanded a very high level of focus from his drummers that would always pay big dividends in the end. His part writing was ahead of it's time . Through the use of such techniques as tuned Bass he was able to portray the percussion section as a musical unit instead of just an accompaniment to the brass. If you listened to any percussion part written by Artie you could hear that it fit and that it made musical sense.

Artie taught several of the corps in both Upstate N.Y. and Western Massachusetts from the early 1960'S to the mid 1970's. Ironically Artie did not drive. He took a bus to where ever he had to teach. In 1972 Artie was the percussion Caption Head for the Magnificent Yankees from Utica , N.Y.. During that season the corps had beat Blue Rock in Percussion Excellence. Together with Brass Instructor Ron Ghetti, Artie helped to create the entire next generation of Drum Corps People in The Pittsfield, Mass./Albany , N.Y. Area.

Once a year Artie would take a trip to Switzerland. He had established a relationship with a drummer over there. Artie was one of the first American Percussionists to use Swiss Rudiments in American Drum Corps.

Artie also had a reputation for being a great field percussion Judge. He was known for his Fairness and Knowledge of Music. He was a Chief Percussion Judge who was in charge of training new Percussion Judges in The All American Association.

Several Young Percussionists can thank this man for a very high level of performance that he showed them the way to.