True North, a Rochester-based musical duo, is heading south to celebrate 10 years of making music together. The True North duo consists of the soulful vocals and guitar-playing of Dianna Parks and Tim Dallman. The two have been performing together for a decade and will be presenting a concert in celebration of their musical anniversary at the Chatfield Center for the Arts on March 27.
“Our first collaboration was 10 years ago for a member event at the Rochester Golf and Country Club,” says Parks. “I used to sit in sometimes with a group he (Tim Dallman) was in at the time, and then he joined my duo for a set at that show,” says Parks. “I’m really proud and happy that we kept it going and growing through the pandemic.”
Dallman recalls starting to cross paths with Parks about 13 years ago when the two would see each other performing around Rochester in different bands. “Dianna and I were among seven local musicians who formed a Heart tribute band that played many shows in the Rochester area, including opening for Creedence Clearwater Revival as part of Rochester’s Down by the Riverside Concert series,” says Dallman. “It was during that time that we had the idea of forming a duo.”
Between them, Parks and Dallman have played in a wide variety of Rochester-area bands including Hoag Park, Parks & Kleist, Incognito, fABBAulous, Crazy on You, Can’t Let Go, The Suits, and Fandango. Bands they’ve performed with have paid tribute to artists ranging from Elton John to Linda Ronstadt.
Both Parks and Dallman had an early love of music.
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Parks remembers first singing for an audience when she was around 6 years old while Dallman remembers he started playing guitar when he was 15. Parks recalls listening to music with her grandparents and teaching herself to play piano on their piano before she was 9 years old. Dallman says he “soaked up songs” from the radio before he started playing guitar.
“As soon as I could walk, I was making up dance moves and singing along to songs on the radio,” says Parks, recalling the music-filled home she shared with her mother and grandparents. She remembers being in four choirs at the same time when she was in high school, but, initially, performing in front of an audience made her physically ill. She confronted her stage fright when she turned 32 and performed as part of a town-wide talent show in Blacksburg, Virginia. She remembers her mom driving four hours to see the show and decorating the stage like her home to make herself feel more comfortable.
While it took Parks a long time to overcome her stage fright, she’s always had the spirit of a performer. “Many years later, I walked on stage at the Mayo Park Riverside Concerts to sing in front of 26,500 people,” says Parks. “I had a moment of terror, and then I remembered the living room concerts to china cabinets, told myself ‘I’ve been here before,’ and had the show of my life to that point.”
Dallman recalls forming his first band as a teenager. “Shortly after I bought my first guitar and amp, I formed a power trio with my cousin and a mutual friend. We could barely play our instruments, but we had fun trying to cover songs by bands we liked: Aerosmith, Rush, Cheap Trick, The Cars and others.” Over the years, Dallman says he’s played with many different bands performing covers at bars and events like weddings. He fondly recalls opening up for .38 Special with the ZZ Top tribute band Fandango in 2006 for Rochester’s Down by the Riverside concert series.
Performing with Parks in True North is something that Dallman says works well. “We have similar musical interests and our voices blend well together,” he says. “Mostly, we enjoy making music together, and that comes across to the audience.”
“I love songs that let him flex his immense guitar skills and talent, and my vocal skills and passion,” says Parks, mentioning songs like “Crazy on You” by Heart and “Stairway to Heaven.” “We also do some of Tim’s original music, and it’s really cool to see folks connect, especially to a fun one he wrote about retirement.”
Over the years, Parks and Dallman have had some memorable shows together as the True North duo. Parks recalls playing a show during the pandemic in a friend’s cul-de-sac where neighbors could listen from their own yards. Another memorable True North show was on “a perfect summer night” playing at the riverside deck outside of the High Court Pub in Lanesboro. “The deck was full of people who were enjoying every song, every note we played,” says Dallman.
When Parks and Dallman celebrate their musical time together at the Chatfield Center for the Arts with their “True North: Every Stage” concert on March 27, they plan to perform music that celebrates music from each stage of their musical journey together. Parks describes their style as “music for grown-ups” and says the show will include everything from “Down by the Water,” a song by the Decemberists and the first song the duo performed together, to new original music that no one has ever heard.
Looking back on their time making music together, Parks and Dallman are excited for the future. “As much as we’ve done,” says Parks, “I am looking forward to what comes next: more connection, more creativity, more music, and more fun.”
Learn more about True North at
www.facebook.com/TrueNorthMusicMN
. See True North perform live at the Chatfield Center for the Arts (405 Main St. S, Chatfield) at 7 p.m., Friday March 27. Visit
for more information or to get tickets.