14 western tidewater living
Music brews, percolates in Kasey Square's imagination Barista performs, composes, produces flavorful sounds STORY AND PHOTOS BY STEPHEN H. COWLES
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s Kasey Square prepares coffee that gets customers humming, he's also got a tune playing in his head that wants performing. The co-owner of Storehouse Coffee in downtown Franklin not only creates cups of java to people's satisfaction, but he also composes, performs and produces music of his own making. During lulls and after closing the shop with his wife, Delia, he will go to a table where he'll noodle on an electronic keyboard; applications on a connected laptop aid in recording and scoring as he's playing. Originally from Newport News, he came to Western Tidewater through his family. His mom, the Rev. Dr. Evelyn Square, is pastor of Scott's Revival Church in Franklin, which was started in the 1960s by her father, the late Bishop Clinton L. Scott. Dad is Ernest Square, who is the chairman of the church deacons. “All of us know how to play a musical instrument. Our grandmother, Bernice Scott, taught us organ and piano,” said Square, who started lessons on the drums at 3 years old (“I thought I was a drummer”) and continued to about 10 before going on to other instruments including classical and Hammond organs, keyboards and synthesizers. “I have not stopped playing since,” said Square, 35. At Norfolk State he majored in music education. After a year off following graduation, he woke up one day with the thought, 'I'm going to start teaching,” and went on to do so at Lake Taylor High School. “There was not a lot of freedom in public education,” Square said about the decision to stop five years later. “I'm more of a creative force when it comes to art.” Knowing how to play trumpet, guitar and even a little bass are also in his musical toolbox (“Violin is scary.”), and that enabled
music makers
