Music community mourning loss of drummer ‘you could count on’

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Tyler Nelson lived his life to the fullest.

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Looking back, his mother wonders how he found the time to do it all. Nelson was a member of two bands, a Red Seal cook, a driving instructor, a landscaper, and always had time for his friends, family, or a jam session.

“He told me he loved his life,” Jennifer Herring said.

Nelson’s loved ones are still in shock after the 36-year-old was killed while riding his motorcycle on Route 11 on July 6. RCMP said in a release that they believe a car, travelling in the same direction, struck the motorcycle. Nelson died at the scene.

“I will miss him more than anything,” Herring said.

Nelson’s longtime friend who organized the jam nights he loved, Tim Melanson, is remembering Nelson as one of the most dedicated musicians he’d ever met.

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He said he was a drummer, but he was always interested in learning new skills, so he took up bass guitar and was getting into singing.

Melanson said Nelson had a welcoming presence that put others at ease.

“He was just always someone you could count on,” he said.

“To not have him be there when he’s been such a staple for so long is going to leave such a huge hole,” he said. “He will be missed and not just by me. The whole community is going to miss him.”

Herring said she’s seen “so many wonderful posts” about her son.

“I knew he had many friends but I didn’t realize how many people were impacted by him,” she said.

Some of those posts are from local musicians, sharing how Nelson encouraged them. One came from Vimal Krishna, who met Nelson in January during a jam at the Moncton Dart Club. New to the scene, Krishna said he didn’t know anyone there and felt nervous.

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He said it was Nelson who first approached him at the end of the night, telling him he was excited that Krishna had joined in. He said Nelson took the time to talk to him about the local music community and his influences.

“The style of music that I play is different and I didn’t know if anyone was interested in hearing that,” Krishna said. “He watched my Instagram videos and told me that I do something unique and he hasn’t seen anyone else do that around here. It was very encouraging.”

He remembers Nelson’s reassuring nods while they played together.

“I felt that I had someone rooting for me,” he said. “He encouraged me to play whatever material I have. Even if it’s 15 minutes of material, he advised me to approach venues and pitch it to them, and keep playing.”

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Seeing posts like Krishna’s makes Herring proud. She said her parents helped raise Nelson, who took after both grandparents.

“Tyler loved my dad, who was kind and generous. Tyler learned those traits from him,” she said. “Everybody loved Tyler. Even as a child, he’d walk into a room and start talking to anyone who would listen.”

His interest in music was inspired by his grandmother who Herring said played piano at her church and gave Nelson his first guitar.

After graduating from high school, Nelson joined forces with brothers Matt and Mike Brace and Nick Conlin to form The Daily Grind. Matt Brace said Nelson’s positive attitude helped keep them going throughout the 20 years they played together.

Together, the group checked items off their band bucket list like playing shows in cities outside their community and outside New Brunswick.

“I’m happy to say we accomplished that before he was taken from us,” said Brace.

The group was rehearsing for another bucket list show just two nights before Nelson’s death.

The band plans to take a break after the loss, but Brace said they hope to come back when they’re ready.

“He would have wanted us to continue,” said Brace. “These songs that we made over the years, we’re going to try to keep them alive and we will always dedicate them to him.”

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