Sharde Thomas, the granddaughter of fife player Otha Turner, is now the leader of the last remaining group that represents the important African American tradition of fife and drum groups. The Rising Star Fife and Drum band was founded by her famous grandfather, who taught and encouraged Sharde to play—she made her public debut as a fife player at age six at her grandfather’s annual fife and drum picnic in Gravel Springs.. 

Thomas hand-makes her own cane fifes in the same manner as her grandfather and countless generations before her. In 2010 she released her first solo CD, "What Do I Do?" Since then she has appeared on numerous albums and has performed fife and drum music all over the world.