TRAVERSE CITY — Bluegrass singer-songwriter Dan Tyminski is doing it all for his boundless love of music.
From being a 14-time Grammy Award winner, being prominently featured in the 2001 film, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” breaking genre boundaries by participating in unexpected collaborations and contributing to session work for countless iconic artists, Tyminski has contributed a lot to the music world.
He’s even featured on Michigan bluegrass hero Billy Strings’ acclaimed new studio album, “So Much for Goodbyes.” Tyminski sings harmony and backing vocals on the poignant “Wrestling an Angel” after the superstar guitarist spotted him outside Nashville’s Sound Emporium recording studio and asked him to join in.
He also recently released a single with Carly Pearce and Molly Tuttle, “What If You Loved Me,” that’s racked up more than 476,000 listens on Spotify and more than 81,000 views on YouTube. (Scroll down to watch the video.)
All of these projects are ways in which Tyminski has brought bluegrass and roots music to a wider audience and kept it alive for future generations to discover.
But Tyminski sees all of this as a bonus, not his reason for taking on these projects. Crossing genres and trying out new styles is all part of “a well-rounded musical life,” he said.
“Roots music can’t help but stay alive. The world is too full of people that are absolutely passionate about it. I’m not worried about the health of roots music, I’m worried about people honoring it when they play it,” Tyminski said.
One of Tyminski’s most popular crossovers is his vocal feature on EDM artist Avicii’s “Hey Brother.” With over a billion streams, the 2013 track proves that bluegrass sensibilities can in fact blend with electronic music.
Tyminski utilized some of these pop elements when crafting his 2017 album “Southern Gothic,” which proved to be a controversial move for many country and bluegrass fans. But that hasn’t stopped Tyminski from continuing to experiment with this unlikely combination. Earlier this year, Tyminski released a collaboration with Norwegian DJ Kygo, “Heaven On Your Mind.”
“It turns out that the type of energy that they have in that world kind of suits the type of energy that I bring to bluegrass music. So I’ve found kind of a home away from home, it seems, in the world of EDM,” Tyminski said.
Above all, Tyminski values the connection and the magic that is created through live music and interacting with an audience in real time.
“I think live music touches your soul in a different way than recorded music does. It requires more of your senses and more of your attention, and it’s a lot deeper of an experience to me,” Tyminski explained.
The singer’s love for live music and performing started at a very early age when his parents would bring him to shows, festivals, and bluegrass jams. He recalls one memory at a show with his parents in upstate New York that changed everything for him at only six years old. Tyminski had asked his mom if he could go up and sing a song with the band.
“She said, ‘If you want to go sing a song with the band, you can go ask them yourself,’ And she thought that was gonna, you know, stifle me, and ultimately I thought it was permission, so I walked down the aisle and I tugged on the pant leg of the main guy on stage and asked if I could sing a song. And he looked down and said, ‘Why, sure,’ And I got up there and I sang my song,” Tyminski recalled.
Much of Tyminski’s early experience in the music scene was collaborative in nature, which provided many important lessons about what it takes to have onstage chemistry with one’s fellow performers. Tyminski joined forces with Lonesome River Band in 1988 and then, beginning in 1994, spent several years playing with Alison Krauss & Union Station.
“If you’re going to go out and play music and you want to play to other people, be mindful that you have crossed over from having learned how to play to now learning how to present your music, and I think presentation is what draws the line between the people who go out and make it a success and the people who kind of stand on the side of the stage and keep their eyes hidden from the crowd while they play,” Tyminski said.
After a tour stop at St. Cecilia Music Center in Grand Rapids, Tyminski and his band will perform at Traverse City’s City Opera House at 7 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 21). Tickets, $35-$55, available for that show online at cityoperahouse.org/events.
Tyminski is looking forward to bringing the magic of live music to an intimate space where he can establish a real connection with the crowd.
“I never make a set list. I mean, I know there’s going to be a couple songs that I’m well-known for that I will be doing. . . But the rest of the night, I honestly try to look out in the crowd, connect with them and figure out what they want. I ask people to yell up songs they want to hear,” Tyminski explained.
Fans can expect to hear Tyminski’s biggest hits including, “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow,” the track on which Tyminski lent his vocals to George Clooney’s character in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” and “Hey Brother,” but they might also get a chance to request their favorite song on the spot.
“It is for the love of the music and bringing people together,” Tyminski said of encouraging everyone to get out and see a live show when they have the opportunity. “I think it’s just the most beautiful thing when we connect as people in the name of music, and that’s the only thing I’m trying to accomplish. I want people to come and have as much fun as they can handle.”