MILHEIM — For recording artist Tanner Bingaman, music is just not an expression of self, but also a therapeutic exercise in self care, and an opportunity to give back.

Bingaman’s musical journey began when he picked up his father’s acoustic guitar at the age of 16. Already an avid music fan, the guitar was a catalyst to becoming a singer-songwriter. Years later, Bingaman has a sentimental connection to his father’s old guitar, and he still uses it. It doesn’t matter that the guitar is less than perfect, and Bingaman sees the instrument as representative of how people can be. “I still play my dad’s old Goya that he passed down to me when I was first learning. It’s a bit ragged and rattles funny now and then, but I’d say we all fit that mold at times,” he said.

As a musician, Bingaman’s influences span as many generations as they do genres. From folk to easy listening; to hip hop and metal, the music that inspires Bingaman has a common thread: what the song is communicating, and how it makes him feel. “Influence generally comes down to hearing a song of any genre or style with a certain feeling that I want to be able to capture in my own way,” he said. And influence, according to Bingaman, can be difficult to see or understand, and it is strongly connected to the natural world. “I have this theory that all influence, drive, and motivation stems from natural phenomena that most might consider non-musical in nature,” he said.

After song writing for years, Bingaman estimates that for every one song that gets recorded for the world to hear, three are left on the cutting room floor. “For the most part, it just takes time. Time for songs to come and go, maybe stick around a while longer than others,” he said. Writing a new song involves many emotions and moods, and Bingaman accepts them as they come. “The songwriting process is a bit comical and at times maniacal in nature. It can also be soothing, calm, and easy,” he said. According to a wry Bingaman, he writes about “all the standard topics,” like kombucha, trips to surplus outlets, dancing naked in public, building sailboats, and shoe fly pie, as well as “strange things” like love and death.

It is sometimes comforting to a musician — and can offer a different experience to an audience — to have someone accompanying them on stage. Luckily, Bingaman has an equally talented significant other, Lauren Kerstetter, who joins him on stage at times. In addition to Kerstetter, Bingaman calls on a little help from his friends, Bobby Kelchner, Seth Chamberlain and Christian Tloczynski to play in a full band setting, where the sound is bigger.

Tonight at 7:30 p.m., Bingaman will once again be bringing his talents to Elk Creek Cafe & Aleworks, 100 W. Main Street, in Millheim. When in the area, he is something of a regular performer at Elk Creek, which is something he very much enjoys. “[Elk Creek’s] room is focused around the music, which makes it fun for me. I love to tell stories before songs and build a relationship with listeners,” he said.

Connecting to listeners, whether near or far, is something that is much more accessible with the advent of the Internet, and Bingaman has songs available for download on his website tannerbinga man.bandcamp.com, as well as iTunes and Spotify. A portion of all of his music earnings are given to charitable causes, like groups that help families in need and the environment.

As for the role that music plays in his life, Bingaman is appreciative. “It’s truly remarkable the role music has taken for me. It provides an other worldly sense of sanity — as well as insanity at times. It’s one of the most maddeningly beautiful things to become prevalent in my life,” he said. “We need art more than ever in this rambling universe.”