Susan Aylard is well known in the Shuswap and Okanagan Valley as a professional violinist who performs with the Okanagan and Kamloops Symphony Orchestras and teaches violin at the Shuswap Community Music Academy. Fiddling with a band has always been one of her goals After years of searching for the right mix, she formed The Cats and the Fiddle. Two of her favourite fiddle stars are Natalie McMaster and Leahy. Mad Pudding was also an inspiration because they showed how classically trained musicians can create awesome folk bands. Further inspiration is the eclectic combination of cellist YoYo Ma, fiddler Mark O’Conner and bassist Edger Mayer. What a great mix! Susan’s playing is a mix of all these great artists combined with over 30 years of classical training. Because she doesn’t want to sound too old we should clarify that she began her studies at the age of 2-1/2.

Sonja Heide recently moved to the Shuswap Valley from Vancouver to take over The Maples Waterfront Resort. During the summer months guests at the resort were, on occasion, known to join her and her Sister Susan jammin’ by the campfire. Sonja studied violin at the coast and performed with the Senior Vancouver Youth Orchestra for many years. Her favourite instrument, other than voice, is the classical guitar.

Heather Harris likes PLAID and is guaranteed to be wearing it everyday in some form or another, especially now that she's had a plaid guitar strap made!  Besides plaid, she also likes the outdoors, reading and hobby farming during the summer months.  Musically, she's the rhythm guitarist hiding in the back row although she will admit she's learned alot from the musical extroverts around her and will occasionally stand in the front row.  When not doing farming or music, her life is kept busy with family and working part-time with the local school district.

Adrienna MacKnee is a new business woman after the purchase of a niche company called Dog Hiking Adventures in Vernon.  This is no walk in the park!  Think tire chains, bears and a strenuous 3-5 hour hike in the middle of nowhere!  To further exhaust her, she still enjoys snowboarding although does admit to some sedentary pleasures like reading and watching "Survivor".  An active lady in the musical department as well, she keeps the rest of the group hoping by keeping the beat on drums (very fast if she's cold).  In addition
to drums, she has played the oboe, trumpet and piano while performing with jazz trios, college orchestras and choirs.

Natalie Sherwood Knowing how much music was important to them,  Natalie's parents encouraged her to find an instrument of interest.  So, at age 7, Natalie began to learn the piano.  Piano, then led to guitar at age 14,  and Bass guitar at age 17,  and somewhere in the middle of those years there was the trumpet.  Not to mention, and love for singing.  Throughout the years, Natalie has enjoyed playing in high school and college jazz bands, musical theatre and church bands.
   In 2004, Natalie had a great opportunity to sharpen her skills on bass with the Juno award winner, Greg Sczebel.  Highlights in that area were getting to play live on "100 Huntley Street" in Toronto, Ontario, as well as "The Miracle Channel" in Lethbridge, Alberta.  In 2006, after getting married to an instant family of one husband and three boys, she began playing bass for " The Cats and the Fiddle".  Aside from playing in the band, Natalie work's at an Insurance office, and teaches piano on the side.
  Her newest ventures are putting her new grand piano to good use by finishing the last two levels of her piano degree,  and figuring out "how the heck those Cape Bretoner's play the piano like that!!"