Shannon Dowling got her first solo in her elementary school’s holiday program at the age of eight, singing the first verse of “So the Sheep May Safely Graze” and has performed music ever since.  She graduated with a degree in Music Performance, Vocal Emphasis and a certificate in Musical Theatre at Humboldt State University. There she performed in the Mad River Transit Singers, the Madrigal Choir, the University Singers (where she had the opportunity to conduct as well), and in operatic, musical theatre and stage play productions at HSU, Humboldt Light Opera Company and Pacific Arts Center Theatre.  She continued to do musicals and stage plays in Tustin, CA and later in the greater Seattle area and currently performs on Bainbridge Island, WA.  From college until now, she has regularly performed as a lead singer with jazz, funk and rock bands, and also played bass guitar and sang with Seattle alternative bands Shelix and Plains of Abraham.  

Shannon is the Owner/Instructor at the Bainbridge Island Signing Academy where she gives classes to children aged 0 - 6 years in private, daycare and preschool settings on Bainbridge Island and in downtown Seattle. This is a music-based program, where the instructor sings to the children while using American Sign Language (ASL). In class, the children are encouraged to not only sign, but also to sing, dance and act. She also operates the BISA Vocal Studio where she gives private Vocal Coaching and Voice Lessons, and has contracted as a Vocal Director (Odyssey 5/6 Multiage Program's Doo-Wop Wed Widing Hood) and was the Music Director for BPA's Theatre School production of Willy Wonka, Jr. and Mainstage production of The Full Monty. She has also been seen onstage at BPA in Island Theatre's 10 Minute Play Festival (Mora), Hansel & Gretel (Hansel), Cats (Bombalurina) and Chicago (Go To Hell Kitty) and can be seen next as Sailor Moon in Keiko Green's Experience Points in the 2014 One Act Fest and Lucy in Avenue Q. She has taught with BPA's Theatre School since 2011.