Dawson Kling was born and raised in Moore, Oklahoma. Dawson attended Westmoore Highschool and Oklahoma City Community College. His WGI career began in the 2015 and 2016 seasons, performing with Resistance Indoor Percussion. His first season as a performing member of Rhythm X was 2020, which is when he moved to Centerville, Ohio. Dawson marched with The Academy, Carolina Crown, and Bluecoats before his time with Rhythm X.

While living in Oklahoma, Dawson worked primarily with his alma mater, Westmoore High School (2017-2019), as well as Carl Albert High School (2016) and Putnam City West High School (2019). Since moving to Ohio, Dawson has worked with Bellbrook High School, Centerville High School, and is currently a snare technician at Rhythm X and The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. Dawson still resides in Centerville, Ohio, and remains very active giving private lessons remotely.