Sheila Firestone: Composer, M.S. Ed. has been a student of musical composition since 1987.
Recent works
Building Bridges of Love, a song for piano and voice. 2021
“Pandemic 8’46”, A work for Piano and Violin which musically tells the story of the spread of the Pandemic and some of its effects. 2019-2020
“Restoring Balance” – a seven movement work spanning the seven weeks of the Counting of the Omer which contains seven different motifs, one for each of the seven weeks of the Omer, with two different voice combinations each week until the four voices join together during the seventh week. 2021
“Tree of Life Blessing” – 2021
1st place winner in the National League of American Pen Women Biennial Music Competition 2020, “The Forest Primeval” for strings and piano, and “A Lakeside Walk with Joe,” orchestral and piano versions. The piano version won 3rd Place in the Biennial competition. Ceremony postponed, to take place in Washington, D.C. April of 2022. Sheila will perform Building Bridges of Love and the Lakeside Walk with Joe, at the Pen Arts Awards Reception.
Miriam and the Women of the Desert a musical journey into the Exodus, is told through the eyes of Miriam the Propehtess was premiered in 2019.
Waters of Transformation, was the second place winner in the first National Leaguee of American Pen Women, Vinnie Rheam Music Award Competition.
Other important works include, Third World E-Waste Graveyards, The Grandchildren’s Suite, The Pandora Triptych, several preludes, choral pieces and Ancient Blue Threads, a collection of original sacred songs with some settings of traditional words with original music.
In 2019 Sheila was named the Pen Woman of the Year by the Florida State NLAPW. At thata conference Firestone earned the 2019 Exceptional Achievement Award for her opera Miriam and the Women of the Desert.
She is a Patroness of Sigma Alpha Iota, a female music fraternity, and is a member of the SAI Composer’s Bureau.
Sheila is a contributing composer to the Delian Society, an international online organization of composers of new tonal music.
Her instrumental works have been performed in Washington, DC, Seattle Washington, France and Japan.
The Pen Women Press has published Abraham Lincoln, a choral piece in their commemorative anthology, Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln. Her works are heard in concert and in places of worship. An article From Lullabies to Gap Years and a Berceuse by Sheila appears in Creative Genius: The inspirational Wisdom of Pen Women.
The Metz concerto, a work by the Delian Society members to which Sheila has contributed, was performed on November 22, 2009, in Seattle, Washington. The Robin Hood Suite was performed in Japan.
Several Music Publications:
Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln: a Commemorative Collage,2009 Pen Women Press Abraham Lincoln, SATB with Piano
Kol Isha Songbook: Women Cantor’s Network, 2019, Adon O Lam
Adding Our Voices: The Torah of Jewish Women in Song Initiative. Reclaiming Judaism Press, Tallit of Sisterhood, Refuah Shalayma, to be published 2020, “The Tallit of Sisterhood” and “Refuah Sheleighma.”
Educational Overview:
Sheila Firestone/Composer, BAE FAU, MS. Education FIU – From 1973 -1998 she taught in The Dade County Elementary School Gifted Program at Highland Oaks Elementary School. She held certifications in Early Childhood, Elementary Education, Emotionally Handicapped and Specific Learning Disabilities and the Gifted Endorsement.
She specialized in Communications, Future Problem Solving, Thinking Skills, Creativity, and Music, Words, Opera, a program where children developed their own musicals. She was also a Great Books Leader and an Editor of the Gifted Newsletter. Sheila was named The ESE (Exceptional Student Education) teacher of the Year by Chapter 121 of the Council for Exceptional Children in 1989. In 1991 she received a “Teacher of the Year,” Award for the Miami Dade County Public School Board.
Sheila has received many grants and awards for her classes. Firestone offers educational workshops featuring her teaching materials and group presentations to youth and other groups.
Sheila founded Songs For A New Day in 1990 publishing an interdisciplinary /whole-language-teaching program. She served as Chairperson for the Dade County Very Special Arts Festivals from 1990-94. In 1996. Firestone was named Educator of Note by the Miami Young Patronesses of the Opera. She served as Patroness President to the University of Miami’s, Sigma Alpha Iota National Music Sorority. Her works have been performed in concert by the UM chapter and The Miami-Dade County Youth Symphony.Her children’s ballet has been performed by talented school programs and workshops have been given to many other youth groups. She presented at many Conferences on Gifted Education
The National League of American Pen Women is an organization of published Writers, Artists, and Composers. NLAPW. Sheila has served as First Vice President of the Florida NLAPW. She served two terms, from 2014-2018, as President of the Boca Raton National League of American Pen Women. Among their various outreach programs into the community this group offers workshops to area youth as well writing, art or music study scholarships to deserving students. She is the current Music, Outreach and Membership Chairperson.