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Did Carl Nielsen have a hard time in his early years?
Nielsen was born on 9 June 1865, the seventh of twelve children in a poor peasant family, at Sortelung near Nørre Lyndelse
When did Carl Nielsen's interest begin in playing violin?
When sick in bed with the measles, Carl Nielsen had tried out on the little violin.
What happened after Carl Nielsen tried the violin?
Carl Nielsen's parents did not believe he had any future as a musician, they apprenticed him to a shopkeeper in a nearby village when he was fourteen.
When did Carl Nielsen begin to get recognition for his talent?
After learning to play brass instruments, on 1 November 1879 Carl Nielsen became a bugler and alto trombonist in the band of the army's 16th Battalion in Odense.
Did Carl Nielsen continue with the violin and composing after becoming a shopkeeper?
Nielsen did not give up the violin during his time with the battalion, continuing to play it when he went home to perform at dances with his father.
Are there any other interesting aspects about Carl Nielsen besides not giving up the violin during his time with the battalion?
The army paid Carl Nielsen three kroner and 45 øre and a loaf of bread every five days for two and a half years, after which his salary was raised slightly.

Question: How did he end up in the army?
Self-contained rewrite: How did Carl Nielsen end up in the army?