MEET THE MUSICIANS: ERIN KASTE

WHAT INSTRUMENT DO YOU PLAY?

Violin

WHERE DID YOU STUDY?

Eastman School of Music

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

Minneapolis, Minnesota

WHEN DID YOU COME TO MEMPHIS?

1996

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO MAKE MUSIC FOR MEMPHIS?

It’s an honor to be a part of the music scene in a city with such a rich history. Music has connected me with so many amazing people in Memphis and I love sharing it with Memphians of all ages.

WHAT HAS IT MEANT TO YOU TO MAKE MEMPHIS YOUR HOME?

I’ve been here 25 years and have raised my family here; it’s our hometown. My wife works for SCS and both of my children are enrolled in SCS schools. We’ve owned homes in two great neighborhoods and have wonderful rescue pets from mid-south organizations. We’ve been involved in everything from scouts to baseball to ballet and love to frequent local restaurants and shops. Memphis has been a great place to live - it’s large enough to have tons of opportunities for our kids but small enough for their experiences to be personal.

YOU WROTE A CHILDREN’S BOOK FOR THE MSO EDUCATION PROGRAM, TUNES AND TALES, HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT? DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE A WRITER?

I’ve loved going into schools to share the MSO’s Tunes & Tales program since it began and when the schools went virtual due to Covid I wanted to create something teachers could play for their students to continue our connection. There’s an Opossum Under My Bed is based on a true story - One evening I came home from rehearsal to find my dogs trying to get under my bed and when I looked, an opossum was staring back at me! It took half an hour for my son and me to get him out and send him on his way. We suspect one of the dogs brought him in from the back yard. I added music from the violin and string quartet repertoire to enhance the story, as we do in the Tunes & Tales program.

I’ve written since I was a small child, and at one point, hoped to be a writer or journalist when I grew up, but in middle school I knew I wanted to be a musician instead. It’s been a hobby since!

“MUSIC HAS CONNECTED ME WITH SO MANY AMAZING PEOPLE IN MEMPHIS AND I LOVE SHARING IT WITH MEMPHIANS OF ALL AGES.” — ERIN