Charlotte Littlehales
Owner, Head Instructor (Voice, Ukulele, Guitar, Piano, Group Classes)
Armed with a Bachelor of Music (and a K–12 music education minor) from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Charlotte has been teaching voice, piano, guitar and ukulele since 2011—and still genuinely loves it. She’s worked with students of all ages and abilities, including several years supporting children on the autism spectrum and their families, which shaped her belief that music should feel welcoming, flexible, and fun.
She’s a fully certified Let’s Play Music and Sound Beginnings instructor, a longtime performer (around San Diego) and session vocalist (globally), and a composer who’s written everything from children’s songs to vintage soul singles. She’s even scored two independent films—proof that music class skills do transfer to the real world. Whether she’s teaching, performing, or composing for clients around the globe, her goal is simple: help people fall in love with music and feel confident making it.
Trainings / Development: Completion of Somatic Voicework (TM): The Jeanie LoVetri Method (Level I); Certified Let's Play Music teacher; Certified Sound Beginnings Teacher
Phil Pardell
Drum Instructor, Head of Band Program
A San Diego native and drummer since 2002, Phil has been making noise professionally for a long time—and thankfully, mostly the good kind. He holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, with a minor in K–12 music education, and brings that mix of real-world experience and thoughtful teaching into every lesson.
When he’s not behind the kit, he’s producing, engineering, or laying down drum tracks as a session musician. His musical tastes run wide (jazz, rock, Brazilian, Latin, soul, funk, metal, punk—and whatever else catches his ear), and he loves helping students explore styles they didn’t even know they liked yet. Passionate about music education and working with students of all ages and abilities, he teaches private lessons for ages 7+ and currently runs our student band program. He also spent two years as Music Director at School of Rock Oceanside, where he proved that learning music can be both structured and ridiculously fun.
Jessica Afable
Piano Instructor
Jessica is a piano teacher, DJ, and music producer with a lifelong passion for music and education. A graduate of Humboldt State University, she has taught music in elementary schools and worked with students from pre-K through 5th grade, creating engaging, age-appropriate lessons for learners of all levels.
Raised in a family of musicians and artists, she began piano at age six with a strong foundation in sight-reading and music theory, and developed a deep appreciation for musical structure, style, and sound across a wide range of genres. Alongside teaching, she has DJ’d on vinyl since 2002 at clubs, radio shows, and art galleries throughout the Bay Area and Southern California, and is an experienced digital music producer fluent in Ableton, GarageBand, and studio production tools. Her goal as an educator is to build strong technique while encouraging creativity, confidence, and a genuine love of music.
