Conversations with Kasey Holt

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kasey Holt.

Hi Kasey, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started playing violin at the age of four and kept on playing since then. I was a really shy kid. I was the kind of kid who hid under the table at girl scout meetings or was completely silent and unable to speak with teachers at school, so playing music and having a skill that set me apart gave me confidence and was integral to developing self-worth. And it helped me feel less alone.

Because I always felt music was there for me, I chose to commit to it as a practice and a trade. Now I continue making and recording music- I have several albums and singles on Spotify and Apple Music – as well as another song coming out October 11th (my dad’s birthday).

In 2019 I started a small music education company for kids and continue running it with the goal of giving them the chance to learn and develop a skill that sets them apart, gives them confidence and fosters a sense of community. I absolutely love it.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No! When I was young, my parents definitely had to get me to practice because I wouldn’t always do it on my own. And there were plenty of times early on that I seriously considered quitting altogether and just doing something else. Even now, I still have thoughts like- Well, I haven’t made anything lately so it’s pretty much like I’ve already quit. But whenever I have a thought like that, I also hear a voice inside myself obstinately objecting to it, and there’s an almost stubborn urge to “get back to work.”

Perhaps that’s the eternal struggle- always having the option to quit but choosing not to.

Teaching young kids is always a challenge- it takes a lot of patience. Sometimes the struggle is communicating effectively so they understand not just the task but why we’re doing the task in the first place. What benefits one person might confuse another, so it also requires flexibility and openness, which isn’t always easy to extend. Other times the struggle is directing kids to focus their attention or channel the lively energy they already have into developing their skills. Sometimes the struggle is getting the fun that we’re having to be productive and beneficial on a deeper level, or it can be encouraging and inspiring them to keep trying when they’re beginning to feel defeated. But many of those struggles- and overcoming those obstacles-are what makes it so rewarding.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I play violin and teach violin to kids, and I pride myself on making a notoriously difficult instrument fun and palatable for kids. One of the things I’m most proud of is seeing how much my students have grown over the years and the positive impact to their life that music has made. I love making music, and bringing beauty into the world through art, whether it be music, drawing, writing… It’s all part of expressing the deeper part of us that brings us together. To me, sharing that with young people so that they too can bring more beauty to the world is remarkable and worthwhile.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Music and arts education have suffered a lot, especially in California. I think one of the silver linings post-pandemic is that people have realized that not everyone thrives in public/industrial-type school settings- enrollment for schools has been declining for a couple of years now. With people becoming more aware of alternative schooling options-be it private schools, home-schooling, or home-school academies and pods- people have more choices when it comes to how they want to educate their kids and what kinds of extra-curricular activities they want to invest in, and I think music education in general will thrive as a result.

I also think that during and post-pandemic, many of us realized the importance and value of live music. There’s already a drive to keep live arts alive, and what better way to do that than give kids the opportunity to take up a musical skill?

Contact Info:

• Website: kaseyholt.com, heartstringsed.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaseycarolyn/
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2RwhTTmR4ZIDmt3LQETRdd?si=jIKbjkkGSbi7qwhARshryg