(The image with this article is of Aaron performing at the 2017 London Drum Show with Kaz Rodriguez.)

These are the words Aaron Spears used to announce his switch from DW to Sonor drums. And already, there is a first video available, and being watched over 60,000 times in a few days. According to Aaron, more videos are released soon.

Sonor welcomes Aaron Spears


Aaron's current brands are

• Remo drumheads
  
• Sonor Drums
  
• Vic Firth
  
• Zildjian cymbals

But Aaron has more to share on switching to Sonor:

"So excited to be able to share the news with you guys about me joining the Sonor family. Please check out the vid when you can. We have more stuff coming at you soon.

Thank you for the love and all the positivity. You guys are AMAZING!!!!"

"When I replay in my mind the exact moment when I sat behind an SQ² kit for the first time, all I can do is smile...
It was at that exact moment when I realized that I had just found something extremely special... If I close my eyes I swear I can hear and feel exactly what I felt in that showroom...

Without a doubt I knew that I was playing some of the most amazing drums on the planet. I was totally impressed with the warmth of the tones, the balance of the attack, and how quickly and effortlessly they tuned up. I just kept shaking my head because I couldn't believe what I was experiencing, it seemed unreal.

My entire life, drums have always been extremely fun for me and I'm thankful for that. Playing the SQ² kit takes that fun to higher levels for me that I honestly didn't know was possible. It's truly an honor for me to be a part of the legendary Sonor family."

Thomas Barth, Sonor's International Artist Relations Manager

"Aaron playing our drums and being a part of the Sonor family is huge for us and beyond exciting. He's not only an outstanding and super-talented drummer, but also such a humble human being with a big heart which makes him a perfect fit for the artist family. We're all looking very much forward to this and highly appreciate his trust in the Sonor brand and the people behind!

Welcome to the Family!!"

The Sonor family
Sonor has a long list of devoted artists that are with the company for many years. Except for Nicko McBrain of course, who joined the Sonor family again in 2016. Best known are probably Steve Smith (Journey), Jack DeJohnette, Chris Coleman (Beck), Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson), Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), Phil Rudd (AC/DC), Benny Greb, Tomas Haake (Meshuggah), Jojo Mayer (Nerve) and Tool's Danny Carey.

Here is an edited part of Aaron's bio from Sonor's announcement on sonor.com.

Aaron's love for music began in a pentecostal church in Washington DC he went to with his parents as an infant. Music was a big part of the religious service. Seeing and listening to the choir and to the backing musicians really struck a chord with little Aaron. Being a part of that environment, playing and expressing himself through music became a natural desire of his. Fortunately for us, among all the musicians in the church band, the drummer was the one that captivated his attention the most.

Aaron's development as a musician can be mainly credited to the music he listened and ultimately played along to - which came from his parents personal collection. Gospel artists like The Winans, Commission, The Hawkins, and Hezekiah Walker really opened up his ears to the world of drumming possibilities he had in front of him.

Aaron's first band experiences were with the church band, and with a band he was a part off during high school. The church band ended up being one of the most important experiences Aaron had as a developing musician. It also helped him secure his first big gig with a local band called the Gideon Band at the age of twenty-three, which also led to his first major break in the summer of 2003.

Usher
Gerald Heyward - a big inspiration during his early days but a close friend later on -happened to be listening to some tracks by the Gideon Band in the presence of Valdez Brantley - Usher's musical director. Valdez got interested in Aaron's drumming and invited him to audition for Usher's supporting band, the Funk Rock Orchestra. Aaron, along with hundreds of other drummers, sent a video of him playing along to some Usher songs for the audition process. Valdez, Usher and the rest of the crew ended up selecting Aaron as the drummer for the world tour. Playing with Usher, and getting called for a second run was the sign Aaron needed to commit to his calling and to his dream. Aaron quit his day job and went on tour with Usher. And the rest, as you all know, is history.

Since joining Usher, Aaron has had the opportunity to play around the world and in some of the most popular televised shows in the United States like Saturday Night Live (SNL), and the 2005 Grammy Awards where he performed Caught Up with Usher and Sex Machine with The Godfather of Soul James Brown.

Awards
Aaron was also nominated for a Grammy award in 2004 as a music producer, for his work on the tracks Superstar and Confessions(Interlude) from Usher's 2004 album 'Confessions'.

In 2006, Aaron won the Modern Drummer Reader's Poll award for "Best Up and Coming Drummer" and took part in the Gospel Summit at the 2006 Modern Drummer Festival.

Aaron's credits
A few of the big names Aaron has toured and recorded with:

• Ariana Grande
  
• Gideon Band
  
• Chrisette Michelle
  
• Chamilionaire
  
• David Cook
  
• Joanne Rosario
  
• Lil Wayne
  
• Carrie Underwood
  
• Jordin Sparks
  
• Chaka Khan
  
• Adam Lambert
  
• Israel Houghton
  
• Usher
  
• The Backstreet Boys
  
• Lady Gaga
  
• Italian Superstar Tiziano Ferro
  
• American Idol tour