Abigail

Speaking of relics, it was a relic from the Army Corps of Engineers who, as my freshman advisor in college, said, "If you're serious about engineering, you'll give up your clarinet." So, obediently, with the last mist of Interlochen Arts Academy rising from my eyes, the clarinet went into the closet.

It wasn't until six years later as I sat in Lincoln Center and witnessed clarinetist, Richard Stoltzman, elevate the audience Atlas-like to the C-three-octaves-above-middle-C that I vowed to get my music back. It was another three years before I had a chance to surround a reed with my aching embouchure. But, that heroic act (if I do say so myself) transformed my life from mild-mannered engineer to black-clad nocturnal musician.

Since then, I picked up the saxophone, as is expected of reed players, and have performed in the pit band for regional theatres (American Players Theatre, Madison Repertory Theatre, Childrens Theatre of Madison, and Fireside Theatre) in some of the best musicals that a reed player could hope for, including 144 consecutive performances of "Fiddler on the Roof". (It is not the number of performances that is so impressive as the fact that I cried during the last scene each time.)

Photo on left: Abigail's first professional gig in 1986. She played a musician in a Russian wedding band in a Checkhov play with American Players Theatre on tour in Milwaukee.

Photo on right: What musicians will do for a gig! In December 1990 at Fireside Theatre, the trumpet player and the reed player (Abigail) had to dress up as Santa and Santa's Helper to hand out gifts to diners in the restaurant before each performance of Fiddler on the Roof.

Best yet, I have had the opportunity to write my autobiography in the air with my band SHIRA, the jumpin' jazz folk fusion band.

SHIRA in 1995. Left to right - Dan Barker (keys), Abigail Cantor (reeds), Hartmut Weithe (drums). SHIRA still performs and also performs jazz under the name of The Cantor Set.

Now, I am immersed in the vibes of The Relics' musical tesseract and watching the happy crowds translate the sound waves into body movements. What joy! Rock on!