Live Music,
Real Faith, All
Family
Live Music,
Real faith, all Family
For nearly two decades, The Garms Family has been doing what few groups can: creating highly-entertaining Christian concerts that leave audiences feeling like family. Known for musical excellence and genuine warmth, the Wisconsin-rooted band believes music combined with God's Word changes lives. Their Nights of Encouragement are packed with great music, family banter, honest stories, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Made up of parents David and Kris Garms and their sons and daughters—Ben, Taylor, Leesha, Sam, Jayme, and Caleb—the family band's teamwork is captivating. Hymn sings in the living room exploded into a full-time touring ministry, featuring over a dozen recordings and a dynamic acoustic sound that blends Southern Gospel, bluegrass, and inspirational styles. They stage meaningful songs with tight harmonies and a wide variety of instruments, resulting in a seamless and engaging concert experience audiences often describe as “Branson, but better.”
When not on the road, the family lives in Arkansaw, Wisconsin, where they're renovating a former school into The Gospel Gym, a concert hall and recording space. The Garms Family loves each other and the people God brings to their concerts— making every concert more than a performance, but a memorable night of encouragement.
“May the God of endurance & encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Jesus Christ, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 15:5-6
David
Emcees and studies theology. Plays accordion, but not polka. Drives the bus. Tells the worst Dad Jokes. Our biggest fan.
Kris
The heartbeat of the family. Everyone's favorite. Taught us harmony. Knows the family's dirty laundry. Makes life beautiful.
Instruments
Accordion, 12-string guitar, percussion
Instruments
Upright bass, Merlin dulcimer
Ben
Our oldest, tallest brother. Whiz at live sound and pushing buttons. Makes agate jewelry. Gets the best smile award.
Taylor
Freelance designer. Flunked piano lessons. Loves writing and people, but bad at texting. Very fond of Wisconsin cheese.
Instruments
Guitars (acoustic & electric), banjo, bass
Instruments
Piano, mandolin
Leesha
Sweet voice, powerful communicator. Often smothered by kids after a concert. Cooks great pasta. Always drafting another book.
Sam
Virtual orchestrator. Hits all the low notes. Main drum player. Avoids instruments with frets. Also known as The Crazy One.
Instruments
Dobro, harp
Instruments
Drums, percussion, harmonica
Jayme
Caleb
Etsy shop owner, camera pro, and animal lover. Cuts the guys' hair. Claims to be the only sane member of the family.
Family extrovert. Sports enthusiast. Huge music library, but mainly listens to three artists. Sings too loud around the house.
Instruments
Violin, mandolin, banjo, and cello
Instruments
Guitars (acoustic & electric), bass, percussion
David
Former aircraft mechanic and Director of Christian Education. Now David uses those skills to drive bus and lead the band. He’s also been a security guard, a preloader at UPS®, and a floor-guard at a roller rink. Playing 12-string guitar since high school, David fills accordion, upright bass, drums, electric guitar, and tambourine as needed. He’s the emcee, head of the booking department, and the family’s biggest fan. His chief passions are theology, teaching his kids, servicing Bertie the bus and other vehicles, up-keeping The Gospel Gym, and practice sessions.
Instruments
Accordion, 12-string guitar
Roles
Manager, booking agent, bus driver
Kris
She’s the heartbeat of the family and David’s co-pilot. Wearing many hats, Kris has been a restaurant hostess, a MaryKay™ consultant, and daycare provider— all while homeschooling the kids! By far, being a wife and mother has been her favorite occupation. The family’s gospel music journey began because Kris fell in love with quartets and hymns in a little country church as a six-year old. Empathetic, committed, and candid, she is loved for her beautiful spirit, stirring alto voice, and touching testimonies. The primary upright bass player, she has an ear for harmonies and is the expert on sheet music.
Instruments
Upright bass, Merlin dulcimer
Roles
Booking agent, communications, copilot
Ben
He got his first guitar at age 11, sang with the Minnesota Boychoir—receiving the Alto of the Year award in 2002—and wanted to be a police officer. He’s now a bass, plays over five other instruments, and traded his dreams of the uniform for the musician’s life. Ben is an audio engineer, managing the family studio and live sound, and a dedicated follower of Christ. His ear is tuned to arranging and he keeps the cargo trailer organized. He enjoys outdoor labor, firearms, analyzing music, songwriting, photography, and challenging his siblings in basketball shoot-outs.
Instruments
Guitars, banjo, bass, drums
Roles
Audio engineer, packing expert
Taylor
Graphic designer and food specialist. She keeps the family’s online presence alive while running her own design business and website. Once tone-deaf and a hater of piano, Taylor sings soprano and is often requested to record a CD of her passionate piano music. She plays mandolin and adds tin whistle, violin, and guitar if needed. Composing most of the family’s original songs, she also arranges harmonies and creates each concert program. On the side she writes, studies theology, researches the Civil War, dabbles in photography and videography, and bores the family with the latest facts, news, and fads in… anything.
Instruments
Piano, mandolin
Roles
Designer, website & social media manager
Leesha
The wardrobe manager and principal history buff. On select Civil War battlefields, she knows exactly “who was where and what happened there”. Gifted with a beautiful lead voice and graceful stage presence, she loves to sing and provide interpretive sign. Dobro is her preferred instrument, though she’ll throw in a little banjo and tambourine too. Her ambition is to improve Christian fiction and she is in process of completing her first middle-grader novel. She’s the family’s birdwatcher, the first one to read multiple Jules Verne and Charles Dickens books in their entirety, and is known as “The Boss” when cleaning the Nautilus.
Instruments
Dobro, harp
Roles
Wardrobe coordinator, research guru
Sam
Chief percussionist and jokester. Skilled at orchestrating music, inventing games, and keeping people in stitches, he has a surprisingly rich bass voice and livens the stage with his energy. The drum throne is his favorite spot during concerts, but he likes to play bass, harmonica and accordion as well. An entrepreneurial mind, Sam plans to launch a soundtrack company and release a Civil War board game he created. He is an avid basketball player and likes to critique the finer details of fiction. He’s always up for a rousing game of Boggle (five-letter words or more only) and discussions on how to improve the band (when you can take him seriously
Instruments
Drums, harmonica, cajon
Roles
Keeping everyone laughing
Jayme
Multi-talented musician and the boys’ hair technician. Pursues photography, writing, graphic design, and playing two-on-two basketball with her brothers. She has a tender heart, a zeal for good and an interest in animals. A versatile vocalist, Jayme easily transitions from a strong lead to blended soprano, alto, or tenor harmonies. (Her bass skills remain untested.) She soars on fiddle and mandolin, in addition to cello, accordion, piano, guitars, bass…and more! She is a talented artist, often gifting people with her artwork, and endeavors to become a designer and video editor.
Instruments
Violin, mandolin, cello
Roles
Photos, videos, & social media
Caleb
His power vocals and confidence on stage impress audiences, but he’s quick to say he’s not the star—Jesus Christ is the only “star” in his life. Aficionado of quartet music, Civil War history and legendary basketball players. Besides singing, he plays guitar, accordion, bass, and various forms of percussion. Caleb is the basketball go-to, always the first to grab a ball and use his left-handed plays to beat out right-handed family members during pickup games. When not in school he shoots hoops, reads, hones his writing skills, and digitally colors old photographs of generals.
Instruments
Guitars (acoustic, electric)
Roles
Harmony checker, expert packer