ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals welcomed the Toronto Blue Jays on opening day, which meant another anthem during the pre-game ceremony.
After the Clydesdales made their journey around the warning lane and the parade of current and former Cardinals made their way onto the field, both teams lined up for the playing of the national anthems.
Since the Blue Jays were the visiting team, performances began with local violinist Abigail Stahlschmidt performing “O Canada.”
In a 2020 interview, Stahlschmidt told Rene Knott of 5 On Your Side that she first picked it up when she was four years old.
“My parents wanted my sister and I both to be involved in music,” she said.
The influence of her former conductor Shane Williams gave her inspiration.
“He was really amazing at conveying the love of music and creativity. Instead of caring about the notes on the page, it was about bringing them to life,” she said.
Abigail’s skills have taken her all over the world. She has played in some unique places.
“Honestly, it was an incredible experience,” she said. “Bulgaria, that was the ancient Roman amphitheater built in 90 AD.”
And she is more than just a musician.
“I’m always working toward what’s next on my calendar,” she said in the 2020 interview. “I’ve been modeling since I was 12 years old.”
She was on the pages of Elle magazine.
“They had a spread written about modeling and music. I was honored to be a part of it,” she said.
Role model and role model.
“I love the moments when little kids come up to me after a concert and say, ‘You inspired me to play the violin,'” she added.
However, Abigail’s performance probably won’t be the one most Cardinals fans remember. Cardinals legend Adam Wainwright took the mic shortly after to give his rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
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