Mr. Blanks holds degrees from Baldwin-Wallace University and Peabody Conservatory. He made a living as a singer in the Washington, D. C. Area in 2005-2007.  He has sung with such groups as Washington Bach Consort, Chantry, and Concert Artists of Baltimore.  During this time, Mr. Dingels performed his first Elijah and Mozart Requiems as tenor soloist, along with a slew of other concert works. Following this, Mr. Blanks participated in resident artist programs at Tri-Cities Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Sarasota Opera, and Chicago Opera Theater. Upcoming engagements include Tenor Soloist with Anthony Kowalkowski Orchestra Christmas Show, Tenor Soloist in Messiah with Harper Festival Chorus, Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors with Milwaukee Southwest Suburban Symphony, and Albazar in Rossini's Il Turco in Italia with Opera Southwest.

Mr. Blanks composes and arranges music in his spare time, and has premiered and recorded an original big-band jazz composition with the Baldwin-Wallace Jazz Ensemble.  He especially enjoys setting poetry and writing classical songs.  Mr. Blanks enjoys playing piano, and has worked as service accompanist and choir director for several churches, most currently Calvary Episcopal Church in Batavia. He is passionate about education, maintains a studio of voice and piano students, and teaches classes at Chicago High School for the Arts and Dominican University.