cello
Growing up first playing blues guitar, Tim Kampen naturally sought out styles outside of the classical box on the cello when he first picked up the instrument. With jazz being the main music Tim’s ears were soaking up in his childhood, he started playing cello in the style of upright bass. This led him to pioneer a new instrument coined “Cellola” – cello tuned a fifth lower. After studying for three years under Tracy Silverman in the Belmont jazz string quartet in Nashville, TN, Tim’s contemporary styles were sought out by Barrage 8 for the 2016-2017 National tour, where he began composing on the road. This led to REígnite – a band consisting of percussive electric strings and drums where an original motion picture is synced to Kampen’s three-movement soundtrack. Kampen has coined this a Symphonic Film™.
Kampen’s compositions have been selected to be played at the Nashville Composers Collective, and has featured: Grammy award-winning violinist of Snarky Puppy, Zach Brock; Juilliard grad violinist Tracy Silverman, electric violin inventor and member of the Turtle Island String Quartet; jazz fiddle extraordinaire Billy Contreras, and many others.
He is now innovating a jazz festival in Augusta Missouri, a prototype cello stand, and continuing to book tours for his film.
You can follow Tim’s journey on instagram @TimStrings, as well as his jazz group @JazzExpedition and film @REigniteFilm