Director & Coach Bios
Isabelle Zapata, Band Director
Ms. Zapata has been involved in the performing arts her entire life! As a child, she performed in community dance recitals and musical theater productions and participated in the band (symphonic, jazz, marching) and choir programs offered at her schools. In high school, she fell in love with the marching arts, and went on to perform with nationally competing winter drumlines (WGI), such as OCI and Pulse Percussion, and Drum and Bugle Corps(DCI), such as the Academy and Pacific Crest. She went on to receive her degrees in Instrumental Music Education (BM) and Percussion Performance (BM), as well as her single subject teaching credential (music) from CSU Long Beach. She also holds an MA in Elementary Education from SDSU, an Associates degree in American Sign Language and Deaf Studies from Palomar College, and an MS in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from USD. She has completed the first two levels of Orff certification training through the San Diego American Orff-Schulwerk Association, as well. Outside of Cardiff Schools, Ms. Zapata has previously worked with various youth orchestras and high school marching band and concert percussion programs throughout Southern California.
As a lifelong animal-lover and advocate for avian conservation, you can also find her caring for parrots in a variety of settings! She is the Executive Director of Free Flight - a nonprofit parrot sanctuary in Del Mar, a regular transport volunteer for SoCal Parrot - a nonprofit rescue/rehab/release sanctuary for wild parrots throughout Southern California, and cares for her own flock of five rescue cockatiels at home: Romeo, Louie, Sizzle, Oreo, and Tofu!
Connor Caricchio, Flute Coach
Hi there, my name is Connor Caricchio. I have been playing the clarinet since fifth grade. In my first year of high school, which was at La Costa Canyon High School, I started learning the Flute and have been playing it off and on for 6 years. I have been playing with the Ada Harris Elementary School Wildcat Band since September of 2025 as the bassoonist. The bassoon is the biggest and lowest woodwind of its kind, while the flute is the highest and oldest instrument known to man, and it gives me great pleasure to be the flute coach of the Ada Harris Elementary Wildcat Band.
Daniel Novoa
Daniel Novoa is an award winning music performer and SoCal native. After earning two consecutive undefeated world championship titles and a bronze medal with the world renowned Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, he gives back to the activity by serving as visual captionhead, choreographer, and show designer for Carlsbad High School’s Marching Lancers and Winter Drumline. Daniel also works as a brass coach for grades 4-12 at various schools throughout North County. Along with his work as an educator and show designer, Daniel studies business at San Diego State University and is a Latin Jazz trombonist working out of San Diego county.
LaVeda Andrade, Percussion Coach
LaVeda Andrade is a Southern California based percussionist and educator who has been passionate about performing arts throughout her life. She began participating in drama, musical theatre, and piano/drumset recitals throughout her adolescence. Eventually, she went on to perform in her high schools wind and jazz ensembles, playing synth for marching band, and vibraphone for winter percussion. She is now entering into her fifth (and final) winter season with Independent World Class Drumline, Instinct. There, she has played synth, marimba, vibraphone, and auxiliary percussion. LaVeda has recently received her BA in Liberal Studies from UC Riverside in hopes of pursuing various careers in the public service sector. She taught Front Ensemble for her former high schools marching band in fall of 2025. She is now thrilled for the opportunity to work with the Wildcats at Ada Harris!