March 19, 2024

Concert performance was magical

Have you ever flown in slow motion over a mountain meadow at twilight ... with beautiful music weaving together voices, guitar and other heavenly instrumentals?

Neither have I!

But I got a little taste of that when I heard Derik Nelson and Family at the Jasper County Concert Association show on Sunday afternoon.

There are three charming siblings ... Riana is a singer, tour manager and graphic designer .... Derik is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer ... Dalten is a singer, video designer and lighting director. They did a variety of songs from different eras that I knew with full lighting and videos, but I thought the best ones were Derik’s original songs. I especially loved one that he wrote for his grandmother called, “Geraldine.” It had tight harmonies and a beautiful video.

Dalten had five huge screens set up with video that matched the songs. He even digitally produced “clones” of his siblings ... singing, playing instruments ... when they needed background support. On a song that Derik wrote called “Silver Snow” we listened to warm harmonies while we watched snow blow through trees on a mountain side.

I love harmonies. Even David Crosby (of Crosby, Stills and Nash) was quoted as saying that this family had “very good, nice harmonies.”

They had wonderful arrangements of songs made famous by James Taylor, Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, Fleetwood Mac and Pharrell Williams. You can find some of Derik Nelson and Family original works at www.deriknelson.com

If there ever was a show that reminds me why I am a Jasper County Concert Association member ... it was this show. I loved it.

Mike Wignall

Newton