North Royalton High School (NRHS) senior Jacob Nellis recently had one of his original musical compositions, "Four Seven Eight," featured during a Contemporary Youth Orchestra concert held Saturday, May 9 at the Maltz Performing Arts Center in Cleveland.
Nellis began composing short songs on his computer during his eighth grade year. Now known as one of the top musicians in the North Royalton band program, Nellis developed a strong interest in music composition during his time at NRHS, particularly after taking AP Music Theory. He has been playing percussion for eight years after switching to the section at the end of fifth grade.
Nellis primarily performs orchestral and marching percussion, but his musical involvement extends beyond the percussion section. He also plays drum set in jazz band, performs in theater, and sings as a baritone in the NRHS a cappella group.
Throughout his musical career, Nellis has studied privately at Royalton Music Center, under his teacher Chris Russo. Through his compositions, he hopes to create “exciting, colorful music that interests audiences and performers alike.”
Members of the North Royalton band staff attended the performance to support Nellis and celebrate his accomplishment alongside his family and fellow musicians. He based the composition on breathing patterns for relaxation.
The Contemporary Youth Orchestra is nationally recognized for providing young composers and musicians opportunities to perform and develop contemporary orchestral works. Through the organization's program C Y We Write, Nellis was able to work with jazz composer Seulah Noh to create his piece.
“Jacob’s dedication to both performance and composition has truly set him apart,” said Band Director Chris Burdick. “To see one of our students have an original work performed in such a respected venue is an incredible accomplishment and a reflection of the talent, creativity, and hard work he has demonstrated throughout his time in our music program.”
Nellis will be attending The Ohio State University in the fall and will be majoring in environmental engineering.
