//about//

Howie Kantoff has been writing and performing music ever since he was a teenager growing up in the Chicago area in the early 1980's. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a psychology degree, he immediately embarked upon his musical career, mainly as a drummer/percussionist. From 1993-2001, Howie was a member of Sire/Reprise recording artists Poster Children, with whom he recorded five albums and toured extensively, including appearances on the Lollapalooza festival and MTV. Since 2000, he has been a drummer with the performance art ensemble Blue Man Group, with whom he performs regularly. In addition, Howie has appeared in productions of 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' and 'The Buddy Holly Story', and works as a freelance musician with a variety of artists.

Lately, Howie has committed his time and energy to music composition. As a college student in Ann Arbor, he took composition courses in the U of M music school, while in 2008-2009 he studied composition at Roosevelt University with Dr. Stacy Garrop. In 2002, he released his first full-length album as a singer-songwriter, 'I'm Not OK, You're Not OK', and since 2009 has been composing music for modern dance classes at the Old Town School of Folk Music.

Howie composes in a wide variety of musical styles, from songs and chamber pieces to minimalist and electronic works, and writes music for a range of settings, including dance, theater, and film. He cites Peter Gabriel, Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, and Steve Reich amongst his many influences.

In addition to music, Howie is an accomplished amateur photographer, and enjoys long-distance bicycling. He currently lives in Chicago.