Cathleen Crudden: 'I played clarinet for the Pope'

When I was younger I got to play clarinet for Pope John Paul II. He visited Toronto, and all the Catholic high schools had a competition to form a papal band – it was quite remarkable playing in a band of that quality. My clarinet still sits on my bedside table staring at me, trying to make me feel guilty to play it again. I also played saxophone, and rented one once as a prelude to a purchase. I told my husband I’d definitely play it but he was skeptical. I think I played it once in the month we rented it.

I love bad hair metal. It’s somewhat embarrassing but I’m very much a Guns N’ Roses fan. I remember going to my younger sister’s bedroom and seeing a poster of Guns N’ Roses – they all had big hair and makeup and I thought they looked ridiculous! However, when she played me their music, I loved it. Together she and I have gone to several of their concerts, even one where she almost got us arrested. Someone accidentally spilled a beer on her, and when she got agitated, a security guard turned up and shone a flashlight in our faces and said ‘Do we have a problem, ladies?’ It ended fine, but afterwards I told her she would have been on her own if he’d kicked her out of the concert!