Sheela Das is the Artistic Director of Creative Concepts in Music. She an Ohio Arts Council Roster Artist since 2019 in both the Music and Multi-disciplinary categories. She is a director, vocalist, musician, and prolific songwriter realizing an extensive career creating, designing and producing artistic programs to engage the community in the arts.


She studied Music at Cleveland State University on performance scholarships which, combined with a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Michigan, helps her connect Ohio educational standards to her musical teaching artistry.


She is a member of Sheela & The Others, a 1960s rock band. Also a member of SpYder Stompers and Sugar Pie, The Blues Devils, Red Haired Girl, Sugar Pie's Swing Dance Party.  Sheela served on the review panel of the Ohio Arts Council Arts Partnership Program, 2016-17.  

Commissioned performances -
Sheela performed her original music and gave trainings through the Kennedy Center for the Arts in a residency led by Todd Rundgren a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee (2021), multi-instrumentalist, song writer and producer, @U. of Notre Dame in 2016. She provided shadowing opportunities for teachers at a South Bend arts magnet school followed by a professional development workshop entitled, "Teaching through Music" for district-wide educators. 


Sheela created and directed numerous commissioned performances for festivals including for Cleveland Public Theater (CPT) founder James Levin (Cle World Festival, FireFish Festival, 2015), works for Raymond Bogban through CPT's Station Hope event 2016- 20, and for the Ingenuity Festival, 2015.  Sheela served as the Parade Director of the 2017 Firefish Festival.

Teaching through the Arts -
Sheela continually develops new opportunities for community involvement in the arts as well provides high-quality music curriculum through Creative Concepts in Music. Sheela's music curriculum is embodied in over 350 original songs whose use has been supported for 10 years in classrooms by local foundations, schools districts, and public entities. Songs are created for English Language Learners (ELLs) covering grammar, spelling, social studies, vocabulary, self-care, math, peace, empowerment, environment, and science.


Professional Development Workshops -
Sheela Das has provided numerous workshops for educational professionals across Cuyahoga and Lake Counties in Ohio.

Partnering with the Community -
Sheela is one of Ohio's most sought after community music workshop presenters at festivals and events.  She provides engaging musical workshops for arts organizations and non profits located in Boston, Charleston WV, Pittsburgh and Lorain County.  


Ohio partners include the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Delaware City Schools, Toledo Public Schools, Cleveland Playhouse, Broadway School of the Arts, Shore Cultural Center, Lake Erie Folk Festival, Blue Sky Folk Festival, Raccoon County Festival, Cleveland Sight Center, Hungry for Music, Heights Music Hop, Cuyahoga County Libraries, Open Doors Academy, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Natural History Museum, Todd Rundgren's Spirit of Harmony Foundation, Guitar Center Foundation, Antidote Creativity, Inner Circle Foundation, Cleveland Public Theater, Karamu House, Greater Cleveland Aquarium, Shaker Public Library, Roots of American Music, Euclid Public Library, and the Cleveland Regional Council of Science Teachers.

SHEELA DAS, ARTIST, DIRECTOR

With more than 26 years of experience in creating programs, designing curriculum, and creating academic song lyrics, director, musician, and vocalist Sheela Das energizes students and teachers alike.


Her culturally-sensitive songs encompass language arts, social studies, science, and self-determination. This high-energy performer captures the moment with original and traditional music featuring vocals, guitar, ukulele, and penny whistle. 

NEWS ARCHIVE BELOW

TeachArtsOhio programs wrap up at Cleveland Schools serving English Language Learners with artist, Sheela Das. Cleveland Museum of Arts support SATO music in Parade the Circle, and through community puppet building workshops leading to the event. 

Summer camps including Art in the Park (Lorain) and The Edge (Twinsburg) immerse students in musical adventure. 

Festival goers around NE Ohio enjoy the music of SATO including as Wade Oval Opener for National Touring Act Rachael and the Wildflowers. 

NEWS ARCHIVE

2023

SPRING Ohio Arts Council, Luis Munoz Marin songwriting residency begins. Musical/drama coaching residency begins at Stonebrook Montessori. Intergenerational puppetry program completed at Shaker Heights Library thanks to OAC grant. 


2022

FALL Ohio Arts Council residencies enable English Language Learners from Prek to 12 to learn through the arts. Afterschool drumming, and songwriting programs begin with the CMSD, Say YES program.


2021 
FALL Ohio Arts Council residencies enable English Language Learners from Prek to 12 to learn through the arts. Afterschool drumming and puppetry programs begin.


​SUMMER songwriting camps/puppetry camps were held serving 80 students in grades K-8​. Songwriting camps/puppetry camps were held serving 80 students in grades K-8.


JANUARY​:  Ms. Das facilitated virtual school performances, parent meetings, and community workshops to enable thousands of Ohio citizens to appreciate, connect, and converse about the arts created through the Ohio Arts Council TeachArtsOhio program. 


2020

FALL/WINTER: TeachArtsOhio grants were implemented in two schools serving 500 students weekly.  International Newcomers Academy students learn about academics through the arts.  Luis Munoz Marin students are writing songs across the disciplines. 


SUMMER: Virtual summer music camp, songwriting camps, singing with senior citizens, and puppetry camp for families were highlights.  CCM presented a community video at the Cleveland Public Theater Station Hope event viewed by thousands of online viewers. 


SPRING: CCM'S partnership with Open Doors Academy enters its 5th year. Senior rock chorus runs February - April weekly at the Senior Resources Center, Old Brooklyn through the Broadway School of Music. 


2019


DECEMBER NEWS: International Newcomers Academy Winter concert of K-12 and autism classrooms takes places featuring bands, choirs, guitar and ukulele students singing original compositions of Sheela Das, Director.


OCTOBER NEWS: CCM rolls out its first afterschool literacy-based program designed for middle school students. 


AUGUST NEWS: The Ohio Arts Council has made their 2019 selection of artists to join their official roster of teaching artists.  Sheela Das is listed in both the music and multidisciplinary categories.    


JULY NEWS: The Ohio Arts Council has approved two TeachArtsOhio grants naming Sheela Das as an artist in the CMSD and Delaware City Schools enabling her to model Teaching through the Arts and songwriting performance with 40 teachers and 400 students in grades 1-8 this school year. Thank you Ohio Arts Council for supporting this work to enrich the lives of Ohio residents!


JUNE NEWS:  Summer song writing camps are in full swing as are festivals and workshops! A final recording day with Open Doors Academy scholars and staff was a huge success.  We led the camp in creating an original song which was professionally recorded onsite for a camp video.  

MAY NEWS: Todd Rundgren's Spirit of Harmony Foundation to feature Creative Concepts in Music at Playhouse Square, State Theater, May 5th, 2019 show! Thank you, Todd and The Spirit of Harmony Foundation!


2018

DECEMBER NEWS: 

Creative Concepts in Music will assist with the musical production of several grade level performances in Delaware, Ohio.  The work took place during Spring and Fall residencies in 2019. Thank you Ohio Arts Council!


AUGUST NEWS: Sheela Das is selected as a resident teaching artist through the Ohio arts council TeachArtsOhio program. During 120 days, Ms. Das will help the school integrate the arts into subjects building-wide and provide public performances with students.