OHS Choir Staff

Leah Ritt: Director

Leah Ritt is in charge of directing the choir, and keeping the Pirate choir machine running. She received her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music Education with a focus in Choral Music from Florida State University in Tallahassee Florida and has been teaching choir since 2004. She has taught 5th grade-12th grade and is currently enjoying teaching older students and helping them discover the leader within themselves. In her spare time, she enjoys singing with the MiraCosta Chorale.
Mrs. Ritt has two boisterous daughters, Teaghan (born 2012) and Kestrel (born 2015.) Her husband, Travis Ritt, teaches History at Palomar college and the family loves living in Oceanside. Teaghan and Kestrel are super excited to become Pirates when they get to High School!

Nova Charle: Accompanist and Assistant Director

Nova Charle plays the piano for the choir at OHS and is also a wiz at getting solos and small group performances together as well as running sectional vocal rehearsals. She is a one-woman titan of vocal and piano genius and is even able to lead full choir rehearsals with her patented combo of dead-pan humor and Pirate spirit. She was born and raised in Michigan where she attended an arts academy until 6th grade. When she was 12, her family moved to Oceanside and she attended Jefferson Jr High (Jefferson Middle now) and went through 7th and 8th grade in one year, becoming a 13 year old freshman at OHS in 1990. She graduated at 16 in 1993. All through high school she played viola in the advanced youth symphony at Palomar College and was also accepted into All State Honor Orchestra at the nudging of her orchestra director, former teacher and alumni of OHS, Mark Phelps. At OHS, she was in concert band, jazz band, marching band, wind ensemble and orchestra. She played 13 instruments. She was also in choir, speech and drama. A few years later she started her music career. She began by teaching private lessons on piano and violin. 22 years later she is still teaching privately. She has been the choir accompanist at many local schools, Sullivan Middle School in Bonsall, Roosevelt Middle, Vista High School, Rancho Buena Vista and is now in her 7th year at OHS, her pirate home. AARRRRR!!! She has also playing in the orchestra pits for local musical theater companies, Moonlight, Carlsbad community, and more. She has also appeared in three musicals ON the stage, once playing the lead female role, “Golde”, in Fiddler on the Roof. She played viola for City Ballet of San Diego for 7 years and has played for too many churches to count. She is also a professional vocalist, singing for many churches, weddings and parties. Even sang with a big band with fellow alumni, Tad Calcara! Her latest projects are with Christian Youth Theater where she is music director for the Tri City chapter. She just won her first award for “best musical number” with CYT. Her passion is getting kids involved in music and theater. She lives in Oceanside with her husband, Don (her roadie), and 3 cats.

Dominic Matas: Soundwaves Show Choir Choreographer and Show Concept Design

Dominic Matas is in charge of the choreography, blocking, and transitions for our show choir's competitive set, as well as all the other dancing the show choir does throughout the year. He is a dancer, singer, and choreographer based out of Los Angeles; he is an award-winning choreographer for Show Choirs across the country. In 2018, Dominic was nominated by the FAME Aspire Awards as one of the year's "Best New Choreographers". Dominic has been seen as a singer/dancer on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dancing With the Stars, and America’s Got Talent. Dominic has trained at Millennium Dance Complex in North Hollywood, learning from some of the biggest choreographers in the Dance and Music Industry, and has trained and performed with the world-renowned dance team Academy of Villains. Dominic has an immense passion for teaching dance, as well as the discipline it takes to be a successful performer. Dominic believes the skills gained through learning dance and choir can be applied to everyday life: Respect, Punctuality, Graciousness, and Humility, to name a few. “Practice to Win, Perform to Inspire.”

Nathaniel Cargill: Theatre Technical Director

An Oceanside native and OHS Pirate alumni, Nate is a father of 4, and a retired Army Vet. He performed in show choir himself as a Class of '03 Soundwave, where he met his future wife, and ignited his involvement in the performing arts. After high school he went on to perform in choir at Mira Costa College, and he participated in a few youth theatre productions as well where he found his calling helping with tech and moved primarily into technical theatre. Now with over 20 years of industry experience he's worked in film, theatre, and entertainment across all of Southern California at companies spanning from San Diego to Santa Rosa, including the Star Theatre, The Sunshine Brooks, The Old Globe, UC Irvine, Ebony Repertory Theatre @ the Holden Performing Arts Center, Stage & Screen Entertainment, Universal Studios, Long Beach Performing Arts Center, and Long Beach Opera - to name just a few. Over the years Nate has had the pleasure of meeting and working with an eclectic range of artists and performers such as Felicia Rashad, Rosario Dawson, and Todrick Hall, and a few noteworthy shows he’s worked on include Glee, American Idol, and Key & Peele. Nate is excited to be back ‘home’ and applying his skills and knowledge here on his home turf. It has been an honor for him to collaborate with Leah Ritt and come back to his Soundwaves roots while working with the new generations of OHS Chorale Music students.

Jeremy Sewell: Honorary Staff

Though not technically an official staff member of the choir, Jeremy Sewell is a huge reason why our choir looks as good as they do. Jeremy helps us design our set pieces for our show choir, and also helps run our Sound-Off! Show choir competition that we host in the Spring. We couldn't function without him!Jeremy Sewell is a 17 year veteran of the Entertainment Industry. After Graduating From El Camino High School, Jeremy attended Mira Costa College where he studied Technical Theater. During this time he worked freelance around San Diego County and interned at The California Center For The Arts, Escondido (CCAE). After Graduating from the Internship Program, he joined IATSE local 122, serving as the Assistant Audio Engineer for CCAE, and working events around the county with the union. During his time at CCAE, Jeremy moved up the Ladder to Audio Engineer and finally to a management position as the Technical Coordinator. While administering the Internship program at CCAE Jeremy found his love for teaching and decided to switch gears and work with schools. Jeremy was hired as the Theater Technician at Canyon Crest Academy where he ran the Technical Theater Conservatory for 7 years. Jeremy is thrilled to be back in his home school district with the opportunity help students find there passions, through the arts.

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