D. Scott Kramer

D. Scott Kramer is the director and primary administrator of Hands of Love Ministry. His love for music started early as he took up the guitar at age 10. Over the next several years, he also learned to play the bass guitar, piano and drums. Throughout his high school years, Scott played in several local bands and first recorded music professionally at age 19. He later graduated from Illinois Central College with an Associates degree in Computer Information Systems and from Eastern Illinois University with a Bachelors degree in English.

After college, Scott moved to Champaign, IL and at the age of 23, he came to know Christ as Savior. Over the next three years, Scott started writing and recording Christian music and as a result, he received a recording contract with an independent record label River Records. Scott’s first national release on River Records was called “On the Proving Ground.” Several of the songs charted on radio stations around the country and Scott ministered throughout the region.

Over the next several years, Scott worked closely with River Records owner, Ron Volz. Together, they recorded and produced numerous regional Christian recording artists and operated a commercial recording studio in downtown Peoria. It was in 1994 that Rachel West, a long-time friend of Ron Volz, began working with Scott and Ron. In 1995, Scott and Rachel were married and in July of that year, Scott also joined the staff of Grace Presbyterian Church as Director of Communications.

While holding down his responsibilities at Grace, Scott continued to record and together with Rachel, they ministered throughout the Midwest with their music ministry called “West & Kramer.” They also started hosting the RiverLife Gospel Music Cruises on the Spirit of Peoria in the summer of 1996. Beginning in January of 2000, they went full time with their newly created ministry called “Hands of Love.”

Scott’s credit list includes the recording, mixing and mastering of over thirty regional full length projects and countless demos. He produced Women of Vision’s first full length CD, from which they captured the Gospel Music Association’s Grand National Prize at Estes Park, CO. He has also had several years of broadcast mixing experience including two Peoria-area programs called Grace Alive and Firm Foundation and has acted as the audio-for-video mix engineer for the Al Denson Show (taped and recorded in Nashville, TN). In 2000, he was the video director for Fernando Ortega’s “Live Home Tour” concert video. Scott has also written articles and reviews for three national magazines including Church Production Magazine.

Today he handles the administrative aspects of the ministry and also operates the ministry’s recording studio. He and Rachel have two children, Maria and Weston. For the last five years, Scott and Rachel have also led the praise & worship music at Grace Presbyterian Church.