Sheela Das is the artistic director and founder of Creative Concepts in Music. With more than a decade of teaching through the arts, she has directed, produced, and delivered compelling workshops and original stage productions for students, community members, and professional venues alike.

From songwriting workshops, instrumental music, and playwriting and puppetry camps, to classroom residencies, Sheela brings her multi-instrumental talent to the joy of hundreds of audiences each year. She has composed more than 350 original, interactive songs to teach the curriculum in grades K-12 in subjects 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 with the Ohio Arts Council’s TeachArtsOhio program in Cleveland, Delaware, and Toledo, Ohio (2018-2022). Bringing students to the stage presenting their original lyrics or instrumental performances are key outcomes.

Sheela has frequently been commissioned by James Levin (founder of Cleveland Public Theater, One World Festival, and Firefish Festival) to produce stage and artistic works (2016-2018). She was commissioned by international recording artist, producer, and musician Todd Rundgren 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 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 the greater Cleveland area.

“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

Availability

Upon request

Video courtesy of the teaching artist.