Aaron Crawford

Aaron Crawford is a professional musician, audio engineer, technologist, and educator with multiple decades of experience in the music industry. As a touring and studio drummer, he has shared the stage with acts including Eminem, Muse, Weezer, Twenty One Pilots, The Black Keys, Incubus, Coheed and Cambria, A Perfect Circle, and many more. One of his bands was named the 2013 Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands international champion, selected from over 32,000 competing acts, and was twice recognized by Alternative Press magazine as a Top 100 Band to Watch. He has been affiliated with acts on Facedown Records, Epitaph Records, and Motor Music, and held endorsements with C&C Drum Company and Sabian Cymbals. 

In the studio, Aaron's production, engineering, and performing credits span multiple genres and chart-topping releases. He has worked in studios across the United States, managed multiple recording studios, and designed, built, and operated his own facility. His work on Norma Jean's Wrongdoers (Razor & Tie/Solid State Records) debuted at No. 37 on the Billboard 200, No. 1 on the Christian chart, No. 3 on Hard Rock, and No. 7 on the US Rock chart. Additional credits include Everything in Slow Motion's Influence (Facedown Records) and The Depth and the Whisper's The Waiting is the Hardest Part (Motor Music). He brings extensive experience as a studio musician alongside his engineering and production work. 

Crawford's expertise in live event production and sound reinforcement has placed him behind the console for an extensive roster of clients, including the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, Sporting Kansas City, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City's Union Station, the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, and corporate partners such as Sprint/T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. He has served as Director of Audio Engineering for Platinum KC/XP and Director of Audio Engineering for the soundSCAPE Music Festival in Maccagno, Italy for multiple seasons. In 2014, he was a primary participant in the Guinness World Record for the loudest open-air stadium, and in 2011, production work tied to the Kansas City Chiefs earned an Emmy Award for Best Human Interest Feature. 

Aaron holds a Master of Arts in Music from the University of Central Missouri (Cum Laude), with a focus on immersive sound, 3D audio, synthesis, and interactive visual technologies, as well as a Bachelor of Arts from Missouri Western State University (Cum Laude) and holds degrees in Performance, Audio Engineering, Music Technology, and Psychology. His research explores the future of spatial audio, immersive sound design, real-time multimedia integration, and the integration of new audio formats in both live and studio settings. Passionate about pushing the boundaries of audio technology, Aaron continues to explore interactive media and emerging trends at the forefront of music production and sound engineering through his solo project, dataPOINTS. 

Aaron is a faculty member at the University of Kansas School of Music where he teaches Audio Engineering and Music Technology. His teaching background includes multiple years as faculty in the Audio Engineering department at Kansas City Kansas Community College and extensive experience as a private music educator in drums, guitar, bass, and music technology. He has presented at Audio Engineering Society events and instructed master classes at the University of Alabama. Crawford brings the perspective of a working professional to KU's Music Production and Technology program, grounding the curriculum in the realities of stages, studios, and productions while bridging the gap between the classroom and the industry.