Many Musics of America

Sharde Thomas

Sharde Thomas has been carrying on her family’s tradition of fife and drum music since she was a child. First learning how to play the fife under the tutelage of her grandfather, Otha Turner, Sharde has since released records, performed live, and discussed this music at festivals, concert halls, and on University campuses around the world. Her group, the Rising Stars Fife and Drum Band, performs updated and ‘remixed’ versions of her grandfather’s music, as well as new and original compositions.