A native of Mountain View, California, Sheila Townsend began her performing career early with Peninsula Youth Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre’s Young Conservatory Program, Foothill Music Theatre and Mountain View High School’s choral and drama departments. She began her education at New York University studying musical theatre and pre-med and completed her degree, a Bachelor's of Music in Musical Theatre (Magna Cum Laude) at the esteemed Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University.
After a few years of classroom teaching and music direction, she founded Upper Floor Studio and is grateful every day to teach incredible singers who are also amazing people. From Madison Square Garden to middle school choir, her beloved “Upper Floorians” are taking the world by storm. A member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS,) she loves staying on top of the most recent research in vocal pedagogy and methodology. Ms. Townsend was awarded the Joan Frey Boytim Award for Independent teachers, one of fourteen in the United States.
Sheila is an enthusiastic teacher and performer who loves to share her passion for music and musical performance while encouraging technical excellence and individual artistic expression.
She also enjoys doing vocal direction and master classes for local schools, theatre companies, and professional organizations. Past projects include providing vocal direction/assistance for productions at Monte Vista High School, Saratoga High School, Los Alto Stage Company, California Theatre Center, and Los Altos Youth Theatre. She was a featured guest clinician at Cal-West NATS festival as a performance specialist for Musical Theatre and Contemporary Commercial Music.
In addition to teaching, she has performed all over the world as a soloist and a member of Actor’s Equity Association. One critic said that she has “fabulous pipes” (John Orr) and another said the she is “the best singer in the whole wide world.” (Sheila’s Mom) In early 2020, Ms. Townsend thoroughly enjoyed touring North America with the cast of “Llama Llama Live” as Mama Llama.
A lover of new works and the creative process, Sheila enjoys working with composers to develop new works in musical theatre. She can be heard playing Hestia on the original cast album of “Gold: The Midas Musical” which won best new musical at the Theatre Bay Area Awards in 2019. A recipient of the Leigh Weimers Emerging Artist award, Ms. Townsend tickled the adjudicators with her stand up comedy and hopes to tour the show in the future.
To date, her favorite roles are that of “Wife” to Mr. Townsend, “Dog- Mom" to Stella the Westie, and “Mama” to Jane which opened August 2023.
For more information, please contact Sheila Townsend
Sheila@upperfloorstudio.com
650.823.4697 (text or call)
For more information on her upcoming performing projects, visit
SheilaTownsendOnline.com