Event

TOM KASTLE | Foundry Hall

Tom Kastle has spent over two decades on the road and on the water as a singer, tall ship sailor and captain, songwriter, and teller of tales, both personal and those steeped in long tradition.

As half of the maritime folk duo Tom & Chris Kastle, he toured throughout the United States as well as Ireland, Scotland, Poland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand delighting audiences and producing 11 recordings plus a soundtrack for PBS (WTTW Chicago).

As a sailor, Kastle has crewed over a dozen tall ships, was the mate on the schooner Charlotte Ann, relief captain of the tall ships Windy, Windy II, Red Witch, and Inland Seas, and the Master of the square topsail sloop Friends Good Will. Born and raised in Chicago, and active in the folk and maritime scenes there for decades, Tom followed his heart and relocated to Madison, Wisconsin, where he is a member of the Madison Songwriting Guild, the Candid Concert Opera Company, the Outside Agitators, and is the occasional tenor banjo and cowbell player for the Forward! Wisconsin Marching Band; one of the few (if not only) marching bands with accordions.

In addition to touring, Tom enjoys using song and story in nature and environmental programs and holds a degree in Human Ecology. He has worked with institutions and organizations such as the Inland Seas Education Association, Friends of the Chicago River, the John G. Shedd Aquarium, schools and libraries across the country, and the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater founded by Pete Seeger.