Dawson Kling was born and raised in Moore, Oklahoma. Before joining the education teams at Rhythm X and The Cavaliers in 2023, Dawson was fortunate to be a performing member with The Academy, Bluecoats, Carolina Crown, and Rhythm X. 

Dawson currently resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, working with Fishers High School and Carmel High School. Outside of teaching, Dawson remains active as a freelance arranger. Dawson is a proud partner of Pearl/Adams Percussion, Innovative Percussion and Evans Drumheads as an educational artist.