I have always enjoyed watching the interactions between our cats and my students and musician friends, and seeing (and sometimes hearing!) the cats’ reactions to music. These moments are short stories in themselves. The idea for ‘The Accidental Orchestra’ came about in 2018 when my husband and I were watching our cats and imagining which musical instruments they might play based on their personalities. We were laughing about them being in a band or orchestra and what it would sound like. Five years later, here they all are in the story – Ollie’s group of friends!