Next Generation: Dawson Lee

Putting in the time and feeling a palpable pay-off is reason enough to continue working at your musicianship. But for local instrumentalist Dawson Lee, it’s the joy that comes from playing live that keeps him coming back.

Dawson Lee

“Playing in your room, by yourself or practicing with your band is completely different from playing live,” the young guitarist said. “The people that watch you, the energy that happens between you — if you’re playing in front of an audience and they really like you, it’ll keep you performing.

“What’s always kept me coming back was seeing people appreciate me doing something that I put hours and hours into crafting. I guess I’m just taking advantage of it — I want to use it, because I have it. If I can bring joy to people, that’s what keeps me coming back.”

Initially a piano student, Lee picked up guitar around age 12, when he was influenced by Guitar Hero and a particular video of a 1970s band that kicked off his interests in classic rock.

“I knew I wanted to play music when I was about 11 years old, and I think I saw a video — Black Sabbath playing in Paris 1970,” he said. “I saw the way people responded to it and how much people enjoyed it. I just thought, ‘I want to do that.’”

This original dalliance with guitar and bass led Lee to be “kind of the ‘guitar guy’” growing up, packing his schedule with show choir band, jazz band and even marching band, where featured guitar-playing is a bit out of the ordinary.

“In marching band, when I was a junior, we did a show called ‘Dig,’ where we had this rock prop in the center of the field, and the color guard would gradually take layers away with pickaxe props, with a diamond revealed in the center in the fourth movement of the show, and I would get up on the rock and solo,” Lee said. “It was so fun. I love doing stuff like that.”

Currently studying at the University of Sioux Falls, Lee quickly found his passion for music could be translated into what he does for a living in the future.

“I was a music education major with an instrumental emphasis,” he said “I give guitar lessons now, with four students. I like teaching, and I want to keep doing it, but I guess I realized I would rather do it as something on the side, rather than make it my job.”

Lee grew up in the church, with heavy music influences coming from worship music. He still occasionally plays with the worship band at his home church of Sioux Falls First Assembly of God, as well as helping out when able at Embrace and Restoration Baptist, where a service called “Set Free” sparked a new passion in him.

“There are a lot of people where unfortunately they don’t feel welcomed in most churches because of things they’ve done or maybe the way they dress, and ‘Set Free’ was just the perfect place for them,” Lee said. “It was kind of a rock-and-roll church. It catered to ‘the depressed, oppressed, convicted and addicted’

“I discovered how much more fulfilling I found worship music to be when playing rock and roll.  So I’m now a music ministry major — that’s a recent switch for me — because I’d love to work at a church some day.”

He comes by his worship-music influences honestly, with both of his parents actively involved in performing arts. His father has been involved in theatre for many years, and his mom is an occasional recording artist and worship leader. It’s through seeing these examples through the years that has led him to this new possible career path.

“I see what others get to do full-time as their job and how much fun they have doing it, and it really encouraged me,” Lee said. “They probably weren’t even sure if they wanted to do music for the rest of their lives, and here they are doing it. They get to touch so many people through it. Leading them to a place of worship is really important — and I’m convinced I’m nothing without god giving it to me. It’s a way I can give back, and I believe that if I’m not using it for him, I’m not sure that there would be anything better to do.”

When he’s not studying or offering his talents up to worship services, Lee is putting in the time with his band, Aladdin Sane, which he describes as “very classic, hard rock,” playing lots of 70s and 80s music. One of his proudest moments as an artist came alongside his bandmates, when Aladdin Sane recently won the Sioux Empire Battle of the Bands.

The musician cites Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads among his greatest rock influences. “There are things you can take from each player as you learn and grow — and you kind of become you.”

When he sets his sights on the future, Lee is just happy to continue playing in some capacity.

“Every guitar player goes through the ‘I want to be rich and famous and tour and make money off music,’” he said. “My switch of majors kind of indicates this, but I realized I didn’t really want that. I don’t want to be famous. You have a point where you realize money isn’t everything.

“What I would love is to have a job that I enjoy, can make a decent living and can just have a normal life. My goals would be to continue to lead worship with people and stay involved with music — if I can do that for the rest of my life, I’m happy.”