Meet Our Teaching Faculty

Michael Chulada joined Blue Bear in 2015 working at many of our off-site community programs with after-school kids.  While studying for his certificate in early childhood development, the connection was made that Little Bears would be an awesome fit!  Michael has played in many San Francisco bands and has a real knack for picking out fun songs that will get everyone movin’ and shakin’!

Rachel Hoiem has been part of the Little Bears program for over 10 years. She loves getting everyone moving with her zany songs that she’s collected from the many years she has worked with children. She has a B.A. in jazz piano from SF State and is proud to be a native San Franciscan. She’s played shows on most of the stages of local SF clubs and continues to record and perform with her band, Novio Electrico. She enjoys sharing her love of rock n roll, country, surf, and blues with lots of guitar jams and boogie-woogie piano that’s sure to get you and your kiddo grooving to the beat!

Jasmin Moosavi studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and at Marymount Manhattan College for Voice & Performance in New York City. She began recording music, writing lyrics, and performing on stages all over the East and West coasts at a very young age. A musician at heart and an educator by choice, Jasmin is a seasoned vocal coach, acting teacher, musician, and performer. Her formal training as a classical singer is apparent in her musical influences which range from heavy metal to classical opera; Jasmin believes that a true musician has a variety of musical influences. Jasmin works professionally with singers and artists of all genres, including rock, metal, jazz, Broadway, and classical. She helps singers of varying vocal styles to access and maintain their peak abilities in singing and musicianship, regardless of their level of expertise. Jasmin teaches her students how to develop correct singing techniques, apply them successfully, grow creatively, and gain healthy vocal strategies to deliver a skillful performance on stage or in the studio. She has found that the perfect way to combine her love for learning and sharing her passion for music is through teaching. Jasmin can be found performing with her Bay Area-based band.

A native of San Francisco, Lucia Pontoniere began playing violin at the age of 6. After pursuing classical violin seriously for 10 years, she began to explore other styles of music on the violin, including jazz, Irish, Scottish, and old-time fiddle. Lucia graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2018 with a Bachelor’s in Violin Performance and American Roots Music. During and after college she toured the country and recorded albums with her band The Ladles, a space where she began to explore writing songs and playing the guitar. Lucia teaches all styles of violin and fiddle as well as guitar, voice, ukulele, songwriting, and beginner piano. She particularly likes to work with violinists who have mostly played in a classical setting and are looking to explore other styles of music. She loves teaching and her music philosophy is built upon the idea that we should always follow the spark of our creativity.