Fran Shelton received her Bachelor's of Music Education from Mars Hill College, graduating cum laude. She received her Master's of Music degree from Appalachian State University. Shelton holds membership in North Carolina Bandmasters Association, NEA, Women Band Directors International, National Band Association, and American School Band Directors Association. 

Shelton has served as President of the Western Bandmasters Association, President of the North Carolina Bandmasters Association, Secretary of the North Carolina Music Educators Association, President of Women Band Directors International. Shelton is the 1990 winner of the Award of Excellence in Western District, 1992 winner of the WBDI Scroll of Excellence, 1996 Teacher of the Year Award at Hendersonville HS, and 2004 WBDI Citation of Merit Award. In December of 2009, Shelton was awarded the Silver Baton Award by the Women Band Directors  International at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. 

She has served as clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States and has been staff conductor seven times on European Tours. Shelton has been Director of Bands at Hendersonville for the past 23 years. During her 23 years, the HHS Bands have received numerous "Superior" ratings with the concert, marching and jazz bands. The HHS Bands have performed at Billy Graham's Congressional Medal Ceremony, the 1996 Olympic Games, as well as the Gator, Sugar and Orange Bowls, Carnegie Hall in NYC, Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts, and the Kennedy Center in 2008. Most recently the HHS Symphonic Band performed Symphony Hall in Chicago in the spring of 2010.