Paul Kampen

Acoustic & Electric Guitar

Paul Kampen is a guitarist, singer and songwriter that offers a soothing variety of music that warms the soul. The unique and heartfelt melodies reach across generations with an authenticity that is rare in today’s pop idol culture.

Paul learned to read music with the trumpet beginning in 4th grade and stayed with the instrument until his 1st year in college. By age 12 however, Paul had a new interest with the guitar and received his first guitar that Christmas. Paul was self-taught for the first 3 years and then took lessons for a short period of time until his teacher ran out of new material for him. Paul went on with self-study until college.

His primary musical influences were from the rock genre until college when he went on to study classical and jazz guitar and music theory at Florissant Valley Community College, Southeast Missouri State University and CASA (St. Louis Conservatory and School for the Arts. During those college years, Paul discovered jazz-rock fusion; a genre he still loves today. Paul has a double major in finance and accounting and a minor in music – go figure.

Read more about the why behind Paul's renewed passion for music

Charles Arms

Double Bass & Electric Upright Bass

Charles Arms began playing bass guitar as a teen. It came as a request from a dear friend who, as a drummer figured if you couldn’t find a bass player, you could always make one. Soon after, Charles added acoustic guitar to his interests, but bass has always been his first love, and it has lasted more than 20 years.

Charles comes from a family of Gospel singers, so the love for music was a natural one. He studied trumpet and baritone horn as a youth before pursuing electric bass guitar. As he matured as a bass player, he was able to use his self-taught skills to earn gigs with a variety of locally prominent cover and blues bands through his college days at the University of Tennessee.

After college, Charles’ journalism career began to take shape, and after a four-year stop in Nashville, he moved along with his family to St. Charles, MO. Soon after, he was given an opportunity to be part of the Crossroads Praise Band. Charles spent more than seven years helping lead worship in a variety of settings. An experience he attributes to greatly expanding his skills, knowledge and musical interests.

In 2001, Charles began study of the Double Bass and since then, the instrument has become the center of his musical focus. He has studied with Don Martin of the St. Louis Symphony and continues to work to become a more accomplished player.

His influences and interests are very wide-ranging and include the bluegrass of his Appalachian roots, country, rock and especially jazz and contemporary Christian artists.