My Drumming

Whether you’re in need of a reliable session drummer, live performer, or collaborator, I’m here to help bring your musical vision to life.

I’ve been playing drums for the past 28 years (since I was 12). With several decades of experience, I’ve honed my craft in a variety of genres including rock, pop, punk, indie rock, Americana, and experimental music. I’ve been playing with bands and studying everything related to music passionately since I was 16.

I’ve been the drummer for Kolton Moore & the Clever Few since the start of the band in 2012, gaining invaluable experience in both live and studio environments since. I also have extensive experience with audio recording & post-production, photography, video production, social media and digital marketing, and podcasting that I bring to all projects I join.

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What I Offer

Live Performances:

  • High-energy, engaging performances for any size venue or event
  • Adaptability to your band’s sound and style
  • Professionalism on and off stage

Session Drumming:

  • Available for recording sessions, whether remote or in-person
  • Skilled in various genres: Rock, Americana, Indie, Punk, Experimental, and more
  • Ability to quickly pick up material and deliver precise, creative drumming (although I prefer to hear and contemplate new music in advance when possible)
  • Comfortable playing with or without a click

Collaboration:

  • Collaborative approach to songwriting, arranging, and recording
  • Open to exploring new ideas and experimenting with different sounds
  • Experience working with bands and solo artists alike

Why Work With Me?

  • Reliability: I understand the demands of a professional career and value punctuality, preparedness, and clear communication.
  • Versatility: From aggressive punk beats to subtle, groovy rhythms in the pocket, I can adapt to (nearly) any musical style.
  • Experience & a Diverse Skill Set: Over a decade of playing in diverse settings, both on the road and in the studio, with additional experience in digital marketing technology, photography, and audio/video production.
  • Professionalism: As a musician, I know that the success of a project depends on smooth collaboration. I bring a positive, focused attitude to every gig, session, and rehearsal.

My Drumming Influences

  • Steve Jordan
  • Chad Smith
  • Brad Wilk
  • Danny Carey
  • Jon Theodore
  • 2 (Sleep Token)
  • Mike Johnston (long-time student and fan of MikesLessons.com)
  • Cameron Carbone (took lessons from at Paragon Drums in Dallas for about 6 months in 2023-2024)
  • …and many more

My Musical Influences

Testimonials

“The only fellow in the band who’s been in the band as long as me… He’s damn good at the drums.”

– Kolton Moore, Kolton Moore & the Clever Few

“Aaron Dowd is one of the most proactive musicians I have been around. He is always looking for new innovative ways to improve himself without public credibility. Aaron keeps and sustains a great attitude and is always looking to better himself in all dimensions in life, whether it is playing drums, working on his health and fitness goals, or being a good pal.”

– Landon Hoffman

“I had the absolute pleasure of being able to start a band with Aaron back in 2021. Together we recorded 6 songs that have since then helped us gain our first record deal, play our very first show opening for a 1,500+ people crowd, gain a strong regional following in DFW, and provided the first push we needed to become a functional band. It is Aaron I owe the gratitude for his hard work, creativity, positivity, and most importantly his friendship. We most certainly would not be in the current position we are in today without Aaron’s contribution. I 1,000% recommend jamming and learning from him. He is an exceptional artist and human.”

– Lucas Cote, Laredo

Songs I’ve Played Drums On:

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Let’s Work Together

If you’re looking for a drummer who brings professionalism, versatility, and reliability to the table, I would love to connect with you! Whether you need a session player, live performer, or someone to collaborate with on your next project, I’m ready to help you take your music to the next level.

I’m based in Fort Worth, but love traveling as long as expenses are covered. Drop me a line and let me know what you’re looking for.

Contact Me:

Let’s make some great music together!

My Backstory

I started playing drums in 1998 when I was 12 years old. I took a few lessons with a local drummer who played at the church my family was attending, and then started teaching myself by playing along to records I liked. I thought it would be cool to be a professional rock drummer as a career, but I wasn’t sure if that was going to be possible.

In my early 20’s, I figured out that being a rock drummer was going to be a tough career to make money in (especially living in a small town outside of Fort Worth, Texas), so I started looking for remote work I could do to earn money while traveling, especially work that was related to the music industry.

I started by learning graphic design and website development, then also started studying recording, mixing and mastering, marketing, audience growth, social media, and video production.

Around that same time (2010-2012) I had discovered and fell in love with podcasts, so I started applying the skills I’d learned to helping people start and grow podcasts. This provided me with a basic income while I was going out on the road to play shows with a new band I had just joined, Kolton Moore & the Clever Few. My work in podcasting eventually led me to join a startup called Chartable that was acquired by Spotify in 2022, but that’s a story for another time.

We recorded two albums and played hundreds of shows between 2012 and 2014, ultimately burning out from the stress of the road and being a young and relatively unknown band. But the work we put in during those early years eventually paid off. After a few years of being inactive, our fan base had exploded in size and were demanding new music and live shows. This fan enthusiasm helped convince us that it was time to get back to playing music together, and in late 2019 we started working on a new record and playing live shows. Covid in 2020 derailed us a little bit, but by 2021 we were back on the road and learning how to be a band again after a 5+ year hiatus.

My Gear

Here’s most of the gear I use in my work.

I’m a longtime Apple user (since way back in 1988), so my main computers are a Mac Studio at home, a Macbook Pro for the road, and an iPhone 16 Pro.

Drums

Auto-generated description: A drum kit is set up in a room with various cymbals and drum pads, surrounded by music equipment.

C&C Player Date 1 - 13", 16", 22" (Main Kit)

Yamaha Maple Absolute Custom - 12", 16", 24"

Ludwig 80’s Big Beat Maple - 12", 13" 16", 24"

Snares

C&C 8x14 Player Date 1 Mahogany

Ludwig 8x14 Flat Black Beauty

Ludwig 6.5x14 Supraphonic

Pearl 6.5x14 Free-Floating Brass

Cymbals:

24" Paiste 2002 Big Beat

22" Paiste 2002 Big Beat

20" Paiste 2002 Big Beat

19" Paiste 2002 Big Beat

22" Meinl Byzance Medium Crash

21" Meinl Byzance Matt Halpern Double-Down Crash-Ride

20" Meinl Byzance Medium Crash

19" Meinl Byzance Brilliant Crash

16" Meinl Byzance Medium Hi-Hats

14" Meinl Byzance Medium Hi-Hats

Synths/Pads:

Roland SPDX Pro

Camera / Recording Gear / Mics:

(2) Sony A7C Mirrorless Full Frame Camera with 20mm 1.8 G lens, 35mm 1.4 GM lens, 85mm FE 1.8 lens

Insta360 X5

GoPro Hero 12

Apollo Twin Mk2 Audio Interface

Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 (3rd Gen) Audio Interface

Adam T7V Studio Monitors

Sony MDR 7506 and Sennheiser HD-600 Headphones

Audix D6 Kick Drum Mic

Shure Beta 52A Kick Drum Mic

Sennheiser e604 Tom Mics

Shure Beta 87A Snare Mic

Shure KSM137 Small-diaphragm Condenser Microphones, Stereo Pair, Overheads