About
Fiddling since the age of three, Ruth Shumway spent her formative years among the vibrant North Carolina folk community, playing bluegrass and old-time at local contests and gigging with her family band while also studying classical and playing in the youth symphony. She fell in love with music’s ability to tell stories and foster community and knew almost immediately it was the thing she wanted to dedicate her life to. She studied at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts for part of high school before attending the Berklee College of Music, majoring in violin performance with an American roots minor.
While at Berklee, she formed her band Catfish in the Sky, an eclectic Americana/folk/fusion band consisting of cello, ukulele, fiddle, and cajon. In the past four years, they have played at festivals such as Grey Fox, Appaloosa, and the IBMA street fest, been aired on the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour and Sirius XM’s Bluegrass Junction, and been featured in the Bluegrass Standard. They have also competed in the Freshgrass Band contest, winning a recording session at Compass Records, and performed for the Amplify Berklee Gala and the 2025 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award ceremony. Currently, they have a five song EP available on Bandcamp and are working on their debut album. ​​
Outside of her band, she has toured with Shawn Gerhard’s Ultimate Garth Brooks Tribute and The Charlotte Bluegrass All-Stars, was the string section leader for the 2025 Berklee Commencement Concert, and played in the pit for The Music of Led Zeppelin at the Colonial Theatre, Boston University’s production of You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, and UNCSA’s production of La Clemenza di Tito. She has worked at the Violin Shop in Nashville and as assistant to the Berklee string department, was backstage manager for Berklee’s International Folk Festival, and volunteered with Berklee’s Really Eclectic Orchestra (BREO) for two years. She also played in Ali Tahir’s Thicc Orchestra, an orchestral prog-metal band, and participated in countless student recording projects. She has worked and taught at several music camps including Morningside Music Bridge at New England Conservatory, The Swannanoah Gathering’s Old Time Week, and the Mark O’Connor Method Camp. She was a recipient of the Fletcher-Bright, Berklee World Tour, and Old Time Music Award scholarships. She is the current winner of the Galax Bluegrass Fiddle contest.
Ruth has just moved to Nashville where she plans to launch a vibrant and varied music career playing many different styles with many different people.
Learn more about Catfish in the Sky
