Photo of Sheela Das

Sheela Das

Music: Multi-Instrumentalist & Songwriting
Home Cuyahoga Shaker Heights Ohio United States Work Phone: (216) 372-6268
Website: www.creativeconceptsinmusic.com

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Biography

Sheela Das is the artistic director and founder of Creative Concepts in Music which expanded to include art, playwriting, puppetry, and virtual class options in 2020.

With more than a decade of teaching through the arts, she has directed, produced, and delivered compelling workshops and original stage and video productions for students, community members, and professional venues alike.

From songwriting workshops, instrumental music, playwriting and puppetry camps to classroom residencies and rock shows, Sheela brings her multi-instrumental talent to the joy to several hundred audiences each year. She has composed more than 350 original, interactive songs and 52 Youtube videos to teach the curriculum in grades PreK-12 in subjects ranging from social emotional learning to language arts and science. By engaging with Sheela’s songs, students struggling with basic literacy skills (including English Language Learners) demonstrate enhanced academic performance. Her music and compassionate approach gently connects with whole classrooms and models effective arts integration for teachers and administrators. Creative, original performances at festivals and schools are a signature of Sheela’s work. Her passion for the arts and audience engagement skills are sought-after.

Highlights of Sheela’s artistic career include artist-in-residence experiences (2018-2025) with the Ohio Arts Council’s TeachArtsOhio program in Cleveland, Delaware, and Toledo. Bringing students to the stage presenting their original lyrics, plays, or instrumental performances are key outcomes.

Completion of the OAC Creative Aging Initial training through Lifetime Arts in New York enabled her to create several intergenerational programs in puppetry and playwriting and receive a Certificate of Recognition from the City of Bedford, Ohio.

Commissioned work includes:

The Cleveland Museum of Art to create “Athena’s Orchestra”, a 10-piece Parade the Circle group of costumed musicians performing her original song accompanied by life-sized imaginary instruments and an 8-foot lyre (2025).

Sandy Spinks (Bedford Ward I Councilwoman, President of Bedford Historical Society) to produce and deliver two musical presentations during 2024 and 2025, connecting the history of the town and historic news events to live music with audience participation.

Jane Peterson (Case Western Reserve, International Braids Conference 2025) to produce and present a musical review of rock and roll from the 1960-1990s with SATO rock band.

James Levin (founder of Cleveland Public Theater, One World Festival, and Firefish Festival) to produce and present stage, parade, and artistic works (2016-2018).

Todd Rundgren (Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, recording artist, producer, and musician) to share his Kennedy Center for the Arts residency at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana (2016) where she modeled arts integrated lessons and provided district-wide professional development workshops using her original music.

In 2014, Sheela performed with the touring band Spyder Stompers and Sugar Pie, at the prestigious Brooklyn Folk Festival in New York. She is a regular musical performer throughout Northeast Ohio with her 4-piece band, SATO (1960s-2020s rock and original alt-rock music).

RECENT PROJECTS:
Building a Puppetry Practice: Skills to create large puppets for stage and parades, OAC Artist Opportunity Grant, 2024

Building a Puppetry Practice: Creating live puppet shows, OAC Artist Opportunity Grant, 2025

Learning through the Arts, Natividad Pagan International Newcomers Academy (Cleveland), Students in grades Pk-9 experienced creative songwriting, playwriting, puppetry, and performance during a 120-day TeachArtsOhio residency.

 

 

The award of this badge shows that the artist participated in a two-day workshop at the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning that focused on understanding arts integration, domains of youth development, behavior management, academic and fine arts standards, outcomes and indicators, and learning strategies and activities. The earner developed a program plan to apply these concepts in their work with students, earning a score of 75% or greater related to specific scoring criteria.

The award of this badge, “Behavior Management: A Guide to Creative Chaos,” is the third module in the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning’s (CAL) teaching artist professional development series that provides attendees an understanding of the ages and stages of all learners and adaptation skills for arts activities using the Universal Design for Learning. The earner has recognized physical, cognitive, social, and literacy development benchmarks specific to the different ages of students and has demonstrated an understanding of the students they will likely encounter to help determine ways to help manage their behaviors through the arts.

Grade Levels/Age Groups

  • Grades 1-3
  • Grades 4-5
  • Grades 6-8
  • Grades 9-12
  • Young Adults
  • Adults
  • Older Adults
  • Students of all abilities struggling with basic literacy skills

Facilities and Resources Required

  • Tables
  • Performance space
  • Chairs
  • White board if facilitating songwriting
  • Performance space/stage

Organizational Involvement

• Ohio Arts Council
• Moonbull Studio
• Puppet Showplace Theater
• Esperanza, Inc.
• FireFish Festival
• Lake Erie Folk Festival
• Cleveland Museum of Art
• Cuyahoga County Public Libraries
• Cleveland Metropolitan School District
• City of Bedford Parks and Recreation
• Bedford Historical Society
• Cleveland Public Theater
• Cleveland Rocks Past, Present and Future

Availability

Upon request

 

Notes

“Ms. Das understands the special needs of our kids. I have seen the most passive and non-responsive/non-social/non-verbal/non-participatory students come alive because of [her] song.”
– Ms. Maggio, MA, CCC/SLP