Aaron "The Animal" Barber

Born - 20th of February - San Francisco, California

Passions:  Playing music, making computer games, art, movies, and hiking.

Gear:  DW drums and Hardware, Zildjian Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, Vic Firth Drumsticks

Influences:  Deen Castronovo, Marco Minnemann, John Bonham, Steve Smith, Dave Weckl, Daniel Erlandson, Akbar DePriest, Mike Kenta, Charles Dowd, Randal Larson, Dave Jette, many others...

He grew up in Oregon taking private lessons in jazz and classical percussion but was also heavily into rock.  He played his first professional gig at age 14 and was later influenced by local metal bands and drummers around Portland, including Deen Castronovo.  Upon his first Deen encounter, Aaron quickly threw away the traditional jazz grip he was taught in school, and started breaking all the musical rules.  Dropping out of music school, he decided to get his experience on the road, playing full-time in several hard rock bands.  Eventually, his travels led him back to his birthplace - California where he joined up with Jay Gordon of Orgy and his uncle Rick Gordon recording music and doing an Atlantic Records showcase.  Weary of all the travel, he settled down in Los Angeles and went back to school to study engineering at UCLA, but all the while, kept up his chops and reading skills by playing in the jazz band and a local fusion group for fun.  Now back in the Northwest, Aaron enters the Seattle music scene again -  ready to rock.  Fueling the backbone of N5 - his elegant gymnastic drum technique draws on primal power; reminiscent of  animals past!