Cara Wildman is a highly sought after bodhrán player at the cutting edge of the instrument's modern development. She credits a large part of her musicality to growing up playing western swing with her father and going two-stepping with her parents in her hometown of Dorchester, Texas. She has toured with Joanie Madden, Oisin Mac Diarmada's Irish Christmas in America, Máiréad Nesbitt’s Celtic Spells, was a founding member of Irish band The Consequences, and more. Cara was the 2021 All-Ireland Fleadh Fest champion and holds two degrees in music education from Texas Christian University, and a Masters in Irish Traditional Music Performance from the University of Limerick in Ireland.

Cara teaches regularly in the festival circuit and has taught at the Gulf Coast Cruinniú, Catskills Irish Arts Week, Goderich Celtic Roots Festival, The Gaelic College, MAD Week, Milwaukee Irish Fest Summer School, The O'Flaherty Irish Music Retreat, John C. Campbell Folk School, and Percussive Arts Society International Convention, among others.

Donal Lunny described her playing as having "great taste...as an artist she can be immersed in her playing while retaining perspective on its contribution to the music. The development of the bodhrán is an exciting work in progress. I think Cara is at the front edge of this development..."

Cara holds a BA & MA in Music Education with a focus on percussion from Texas Christian University. She is an active performer, playing regularly with the Sherman Symphony Orchestra, Mesquite Symphony, McKinney Philharmonic, Women’s Chorus of Dallas, Dallas Asian American Youth Orchestra, and the Sherman Community Players.

Cara teaches/performers regularly at conferences across the country, including Texas Music Educators Association Clinic & Convention (TMEA), Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), and Southwestern Chapter of the American Choral Director’s Association (SWACDA).

She is a former member of the 2007 Carolina Crown Front Ensemble, the Irish Memory Orchestra, and the Irish Symphonic Winds.

Cara is the percussionist, bodhrán player and sean-nós dancer for Celtic Spells, a new production produced by Mairead Nesbitt (Celtic Woman & Rock Me Amadeus) & Neil Grover (Grover Pro Percussion & former timpanist for the Boston Pops).

Cara’s awards include being named the Bill Whelan Scholar for the Irish Memory Orchestra, graduate assistant at Texas Christian University, winner with the TCU Percussion Ensemble for the 2008 PASIC call for tapes, and winner with the 2006 TCU Drumline at the PASIC Drumline Competition. Cara has recorded on over 13 commercially available recordings, including Prelude to Paradise (2015, TCU Percussion Ensemble), & Escape Velocity (2009, TCU Percussion Ensemble).

Cara is endorsed by Grover Pro Percussion & Metloef Drums.

Cara holds a BA & MA in Music Education from Texas Christian University, with a focus on percussion. Her teaching experience is wide and varied, including stints as a band director/director of percussion in Keller ISD, an elementary music teacher, and a freelance consultant/private lesson teacher in the DFW area.

She has presented twice at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) in 2019 & 2021, and was a guest instructor for the Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps in 2019.

Cara is a regular guest instructor on the festival circuit including at The Gaelic College (St. Ann, NS, Canada), Goderich Celtic Roots (Goderich, ON, Canada), O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat (Midlothian, TX), John C. Campbell Folk School (Brasstown, NC), Catskills Irish Arts Week (East Durham, NY), Milwaukee Irish Fest (Milwaukee, WI), MAD Week (Washington DC), Gulf Coast Cruinniu (Houston, TX), and others.

In addition, she has been a guest lecturer at universities across the country including, Western Washington University, Oklahoma City University, Southern Nazarene University, Texas Christian University, University of Oklahoma, University of Tyler, Lamar University, McNeese University, Furman University, University of Central Missouri, University of Memphis, Bowling Green University, Stephen F. Austin University, Mississippi State University, University of Texas at Arlington, University of South Carolina, Texas A&M Commerce, University of Central Florida, University of Northern Alabama, Lee University, Tyler Junior College, Canada Days of Percussion, Philippines Days of Percussion, and others.