dolmayan first became interested in drums at the age of two. his father was a saxophone player and when his mother would take him to watch his father play, he would mimic his father's drummer. he learned to play the drums by putting on records and practicing for hours a day, and continued said practice for years. dolmayan describes his musical style as one influenced by whatever he could get his hands on, including the jazz albums belonging to his father and the rock albums he shared with his friends.