We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kyle Dillingham. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kyle below.

Kyle, appreciate you joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

Like most children my interests were diverse. It’s surprising for some to learn that as a kid and even up until high school, I was focused on a career as a professional skateboarder. I was also into basketball and even quite serious for a good part of my childhood about following in my grandpa’s footsteps to become a wheat and cattle farmer!

As a parent myself now, I realize that it can be tough to navigate raising children, nurturing their interests and talents and trying our best to guide with wisdom. It’s actually a little bit terrifying if you stop and think about it. The thing that I can say for sure that my parents did correct was to show me unconditional support across all of my interests. What I mean is that my parents didn’t play favorites when it came to my interests. They showed equal support for my skateboarding, fiddling, basketball and farming. I can safely say that things may not have turned out like they did for me if I had perceived their preference, for example, of my music over my skateboarding. I can easily imagine a world where I would have pulled back in music and pressed in more to my skateboarding. Yet their love and support for all was blind. This gave me peace and space to figure out in time the path I should choose – free from the pressure to choose.

As I transitioned to high school, I decided not to go out for the basketball team. Instead, I focused all of my elective credits on music, and I continued with orchestra and added jazz band and band. Skateboarding was becoming more of a side item as well, but always with me. By the time I went off to college, it was more than apparent that music was my path. I had already made two featured appearances on the Grand Ole Opry and completed two international tours in Southeast Asia. I sat opposite the desk from my college dean and decided on a music performance track vs. music education. The question he asked me was simple. “Could I imagine a day when I would not want to perform?” The answer was clear, so I proceeded without a “plan B” education degree.

Almost 30 years later, I have now represented my home state of Oklahoma and the United States in over 40 countries. In 2019 I was invited back to the Grand Ole Opry to make my very own Artist Debut. And what do you know? I made my entrance onto that Opry stage playing my fiddle…while riding a skateboard! I turned a 360 right in the center of that “hollowed circle” where my childhood dreams of becoming a professional skateboarder and world-class fiddler all came together. And in the audience were my parents cheering me on. And to this day, I still wonder if they were there for the fiddle or the skateboard!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

From an early age, I was learning that whatever we have has been given to us. So in turn, we should share freely. That doesn’t mean that you always play for free — but rather that you always give it your all. I like to say that music is a powerful tool that, if positioned correctly, has the power to inspire, encourage, and heal.

I’ve built my life and career around that belief. I’m a violinist/fiddler, songwriter, and musical ambassador who has had the honor of performing in over 40 countries, representing the United States through cultural diplomacy programs and sharing the universal language of music. Whether performing at the Grand Ole Opry or in a village halfway across the world, I approach each audience the same way — with an open heart and a desire to connect.

By sharing my music — giving it everything I have every time — with the intention to inspire, encourage, and bring healing, I’ve found that doors open and hearts open. That’s really been the recipe for my success. On a global level, I’ve seen how music is the great connector. It very naturally brings people together from diverse backgrounds, languages, and cultures, and builds relationships where there once were walls.

For my clients, this means that I’m not just there to play music — I’m there to help connect their audience to the mission of their event. Whether it’s a corporate gathering, cultural celebration, or humanitarian cause, I work to create an experience that amplifies their message and makes the moment unforgettable.

What sets my work apart is that I see music as a bridge — one that links purpose with emotion, and people with each other. If there’s one thing I’d want readers and potential clients to know, it’s that my music is about more than entertainment. It’s about connection, meaning, and the kind of inspiration that lasts long after the final note.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Ultimately, I see my music as a ministry. Every performance is an opportunity to change lives — to inspire, encourage, and heal. I may not always know everything I’m supposed to do in this world, but I do know that we are all called — and capable — of doing one thing: to love our neighbor. Sometimes that “neighbor” is the person living next door, and other times it’s someone sitting in my audience halfway around the world in rural China. That simple calling is what motivates me. My music is just the vehicle I use to share that love and remind people that hope is still alive.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had learned more about saving and investing early on — back when I was young, earning money, and had very few responsibilities. As a self-employed artist, my retirement will ultimately be whatever I’ve saved, so I’ve come to understand how important it is to think long-term. I do have a Roth IRA for retirement now, but I wish I had started contributing to it much earlier. I also wish I’d bought my first home at a younger age. Those are lessons you only really appreciate with time, but they’ve shaped how I approach financial stewardship today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kyledillingham.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyledillingham/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kyledokc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-dillingham-76a2726/
• Twitter: https://x.com/KyleDillingham
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KYLEDILLINGHAM
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kyle-dillingham-1
• Other: https://www.opry.com/artists/kyle-dillingham

Image Credits

CN250820 Dillingham 0158.jpg: Charlie Neuenschwander
JPW_1338.JPEG: Jeremy Westby
IMG_3772.HEIC: Clarke Farmer