Nashville Drummers Podcast

Hosted ByDan Ainspan, Nathan Sletner

Meet the up-and-coming players within Nashville’s diverse drumming community, plus interviews with special guests from music cities near and far. Hear their stories, be inspired, and share some laughs with us along the way.

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Aaron Paulsen: The Art of Content & Creativity, One-Man Band, Skillmaxxing, Social Media Trends

May 18, 2026

Season 1

Episode 87

02:14:46185.28M Comments Off

Welcome Chicago drummer, musician, and entertainer, Aaron Paulsen! Amassing over 4.6 million followers across social media platforms, Aaron has taken his generation by storm with his unique video creations that blend extreme musicianship, storytelling, and undeniable humor. We dive into Aaron’s upbringing as a classical percussionist from Chicago, dropping out of a percussion performance scholarship during COVID to pursue content full-time, and the eventual move to Nashville. Aaron breaks down the genesis of his one-man-band setup and other rhythmic gag videos, and his shift from short-form to long-form content. The conversation covers mental health and social media trends, martial arts training and other hobbies, skepticism around traditional industry endorsement models, how to be your most creative self, and fulfilling your true purpose. We hope you enjoy!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:51 Welcome, Aaron!
3:43 Chicago Roots
8:16 One-Man Band Origins
10:14 Musical Family and Influences
14:53 Comedy Influences
19:53 Martial Arts And Drumming
31:48 Rezo Custom Drum Heads (Sponsor)
33:03 Move To Nashville
40:18 Nashville vs LA Culture
49:11 Content Creator Breakdown
52:19 Authenticity vs Polished Content
1:05:45 Dropping Out, Mental Health
1:08:44 Drum Box (Sponsor)
1:09:36 Social Media Comparison
1:15:09 Be the Trend
1:16:15 Skillmaxxing
1:21:03 Low Boy Beaters (Sponsor)
1:26:14 Shorts to Long-form Content
1:30:54 Building a Brand
1:36:10 Defining Success and Purpose
1:43:47 PASIC and Percussion Culture
1:48:40 Navigating Endorsements as a Creator
2:07:52 Drum Supply (Sponsor)
2:08:59 Advice for Young Creators
2:13:22 Outro