Ken Kramer
Owner, General Manager
Ken has always been passionate about music and an avid, aspiring guitarist. He's had his eyes set on starting his own music school for years which inspired him to open the School of Rock Williamsburg! It's a culmination of all the characteristics that he loves from building a business, being immersed in music, providing the highest quality music education and creating a fun, lively environment that is part of an exciting, growing and passionate community.
Prior to leaping into the rocking, shredding world of School of Rock, Ken worked in Information Technology for over 30 years, building state of the art computer systems. Starting as a software engineer, Ken worked his way up to designing, architecting and managing large projects and IT departments ranging from start-ups to large companies, including financial, media and government. All of this work ultimately led to Ken becoming a Chief Technology Officer.
Ken loves the diversity, energy and excitement of Brooklyn and has lived in Park Slope for over 20 years with his wife and two daughters. He has been an integral part of the community from coaching kids’ soccer teams, being a member of the New York City Community Education Council where he worked with the local public schools, city officials and parents to advocate for improved schools and education, and being a member of the local Civic Council promoting safer streets.
We strive to have School of Rock Williamsburg be seen as an integral part of the fabric of the community, with much to offer to all, so come join the band and rock out with us!
Jack Wagner
Music Director, Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Jack Wagner is a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter from New Jersey. He moved to New York City in April 2022 after releasing his first full-length album as a solo artist under the stage name Jack Rangeley. Since then he has been gigging throughout the New York area as a guitar player and multi-instrumentalist for numerous bands as well as his own project.
Jack started playing classical guitar when he was in the second grade, and as he grew older his interest in different musical styles grew to the likes of rock music and jazz. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree with a concentration in Jazz Studies from Montclair State University. As a student at Montclair State University, Jack had the fortunate opportunity to study with great improvisers such as Dave Stryker and Marcus Printup and was exposed to a wide variety of performance opportunities from pit orchestra work to cover bands around the NJ area.
From his time playing gigs in middle school to now, Jack has accumulated a wide breadth of experience in the realms of making music with others and performing for others. He is grateful to be able to come to School of Rock Williamsburg each day to share that knowledge with his students.
Anya Kauffman
Studio Coordinator
Anya is a writer and singer from Brooklyn, NY who is happy to be pursuing her passion for music education with School of Rock Williamsburg. A lover of alternative rock and R&B, Anya studied classical vocal music at LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts and recently graduated from the University of Vermont with an English/film major and music minor where she continued her vocal music studies in jazz. Continuously working on her guitar playing and songwriting, Anya is inspired to be working alongside the musicians who both teach and learn at School of Rock Williamsburg!
Cecilia Case-Hernandez
Assistant Studio Coordinator
Cecilia is a musician, songwriter, and photographer from Mexico City and Dallas, TX. She moved to New York City to pursue a BFA in Photography at Parsons School of Design while also keeping up with the music skills she learned during her time as a School of Rock student in Texas.
As a School of Rock alum, Cecilia is super happy to be able to continue her love for music as a Studio Coordinator. She is inspired by all of the smiling faces that come to the school and loves getting to see the kids fall in love with music just as she did.
Dillon Wilkins
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Dillon was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She was drawn to music at a very young age, even humming songs before she could form sentences. She began teaching herself guitar and piano at 10 years old. At 11, Dillon joined Girls Rock Dallas where she had her first experiences playing guitar and bass in a band. The following summer, she decided to take playing an instrument seriously and joined the School of Rock, where she remained a student for the next five years.
In the summer of 2016, Dillon began teaching guitar at Girls Rock Dallas and Girls Rock Fort Worth at the age of 14. At 15, she started her first band, Ting Tang Tina. They began playing shows in early 2017, gaining a following in the Dallas-Fort Worth music scene, winning best new artist from Fort Worth Weekly in 2018, and being invited to play local music festivals and SXSW. The band released their first EP, Love is Trippy, in 2018 and released their first full-length LP, HoneyBee, in 2020.
Dillon began teaching at the School of Rock in The Colony, TX in 2021 while pursuing a teaching degree. By 2023, she decided to move to Brooklyn to pursue her love for music. Today she plays shows regularly throughout New York.
Jared Pease
Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Growing up in Richmond, Virginia, Jared Pease got his start playing in punk bands throughout the city, playing his first show at age 13. He would study music across all genres from rock and metal to jazz fusion and Indian classical, incorporating these genres into his playing style. Shortly after his first performance, he embarked on a US tour. Jared also took on his first drum student during this time, beginning his journey as a music educator. Deciding to pursue music as a career, he was accepted to Berklee College of Music.
Jared studied under many instructors at Berklee, including Kenwood Dennard (Maceo Parker/Jaco Pastorius) and Dave Dicenso (John Petrucci/Josh Groban). Continuing his musical exploration far beyond rock, Jared studied Caribbean, Native American, Afro-Beat, Bikutsi, Jazz, Latin, Fusion, and Indian Classical music. While at Berklee, Jared was able to perform with Paban Das Baul and Prithwiraj Choudhury, touring across the continental United States while simultaneously performing on film scores and albums.
Jared eventually moved to New York, where he would continue to tour and record, working with producers such as David Bendeth (Paramore/Breaking Benjamin), John Plenge (Pink Floyd), Godfrey Diamond (Jimi Hendrix/Aretha Franklin), Damon Whittemore (Paul McCartney), and Jeff Tomei (Smashing Pumpkins). Jared also opened a pre-production studio in Brooklyn focused on recording and mixing records. He is currently endorsed by Outlaw Drums and Soultone Cymbals.
As an educator, Jared’s priority is to make sure his students are having fun. If their goal is to play at Madison Square Garden, work in recording studios, or play in their homes, music is meant to be fun. As someone who has had the privilege of attending a college like Berklee, he feels it’s very important to pass down the knowledge and experience gained both from there and in his career as a professional musician.
Allie Cuva
Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher
Allie Cuva is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and recording and performing artist. Raised in Detroit, Michigan, she began writing and playing various styles of music at the age of 12. Throughout high school, Allie was involved in multiple musical groups affiliated with her school, Arts Academy in The Woods. After graduating from high school in 2013, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee to study Music Business at Belmont University. It was there that she began to meet many collaborators, continue playing frequent shows, and began regional touring in various bands as well as recording and producing music for other Nashville-based artists such as Cuva, Trella, and The Pressure Kids, all while continuing to pursue her undergraduate degree studying the ins and outs of the music industry.
Upon graduating from Belmont, Allie continued to live in Nashville for several more years, during which she also began teaching private guitar, drums, bass, ukulele, piano, vocal, and group lessons at Franklin Brentwood Arts Academy. She discovered she had a knack for connecting with students of all ages and skill levels and particularly enjoyed coaching them through collaborative live performances.
In 2020, Allie started a new project, her first-ever solo project, called "allie." She self-released her debut EP, Junior Coder’s Experiment, before signing to the Los Angeles-based independent label Other People Records, with whom she released her debut full-length record entitled Maybe Next Time in 2021. The following year, she went on to release a 7" vinyl (cast iron // infinite jesters) featuring two new singles with the Omaha-based Saddle Creek Records in 2022.
In June 2022, after extensive touring with other artists and the blossoming of a new solo project, Allie moved from Nashville to Brooklyn, New York. Since moving to New York, Allie has continued writing and recording for her upcoming second and third albums, as well as playing local shows and forming an impressive live band with local musicians. She is looking forward to a bright future ahead.
Allie is excited about the opportunity to share her knowledge and experience and exist in collaborative learning and instructional efforts with the students of School of Rock Williamsburg. Her passion for music and connecting with people often combine to create fruitful and encouraging experiences for music students. She is particularly apt with accommodation and meeting students where they are at in their journey with music, and developing a custom curriculum to best suit their specific needs and wants.
Christian Cail
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Drum Teacher
Christian Cail is a guitarist, improviser, and composer. Although he primarily works through the jazz tradition, he also plays and enjoys a good deal of rock, singer-songwriter, extreme metal, and classical music—but only the stuff that could be described as “very good” by his own admittedly enigmatic yet resolute standards.
Christian descends from the ancient Blue Ridge mountain range and considers himself lucky to have attended UNCSA and UNC for education. He enjoys reading history in his idle time.
Alexander Taub
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Alexander Taub is a multi-instrumentalist from Long Island, NY. Starting with classical piano at the age of 4, the advent of Guitar Hero III for the Nintendo Wii began Alexander's lifelong love of rock and roll. Soon after, he became a student at School of Rock Farmingdale, where he would later become a teacher.
Alexander graduated from Brown University in 2020 with a dual degree in Applied Mathematics and Music. He joined the team at School of Rock Williamsburg in October 2022, where he teaches piano, guitar, bass, and drums. While experienced in classical and jazz, his favorite genres are progressive rock and metal.
Ben Teters
Drum Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Brooklyn-based drummer, percussionist, and songwriter Ben Teters was born into a family of musicians and began honing his skills as a drummer when he was 7 years old, forming his first band at age 15. Ben is a 2012 graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston where he studied with Kenwood Dennard, Mike Mangini, and Mark Walker.
Since moving to New York City, Ben has been active on the NYC scene and maintains a busy touring schedule. His versatility, rock-solid groove, and free-flowing incorporation of Afro-Latin rhythms into contemporary music have led Ben to a host of musical collaborations, regularly writing, performing, recording, and touring with some of the finest artists from New York and beyond. These include Satsang, Sidney Mills (Steel Pulse), electric blues artist Seth Walker, America’s Got Talent finalist Cas Haley, legendary bass player Bakithi Kumalo (Paul Simon), Grammy Award winner Chris Berry, award-winning dance troupe Dorrance Dance, Afrobeat jazz group The Brighton Beat, and many others.
Ben is a founding member of Brooklyn reggae outfit, SunDub. Their sophomore album, Spirits Eat Music, was released in November 2022 on Easy Star Records.
Dani Martinez
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Dani Martinez is a multi-instrumentalist, film composer, songwriter, and recording artist hailing from East Brunswick, New Jersey. As soon as she could walk and talk, she found herself drawn to the piano and its endless storytelling possibilities. Years later, Dani found something similarly miraculous through the medium of singing and began accompanying herself as a one-woman band. Her solo songwriting and recording project, called Ohio Martinez, is a culmination of this love for musical storytelling, multi-instrumentalism, and musical experimentation. She composed, produced, performed, and mixed all three of her feature LPs, and looks forward to releasing more music soon.
Dani is a dedicated music educator and is committed to providing every student with an enthusiastic and encouraging musical environment, where they can feel free to experiment musically and take risks on their instrument. She believes that every music student, no matter how young, has a creative voice and a story to tell through their music.
Dani is currently earning her Master of Music in Screen Scoring at NYU Steinhardt, where she gets to live her childhood dream every day of telling stories through music and nerding out about the importance of horror movie soundtracks.
Madeline Yara
Keyboard + Piano Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Madeline is a multi-instrumentalist and performer from Charlotte, North Carolina. Growing up in a very music-centered family, she has been a part of rock bands, choirs, and musical theatre productions all through her childhood. She is continuously working on solo projects and has released an EP, Top Shelf, with her previous band Ten Til Two, as well as a single titled Ivy (Demo).
Madeline graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 2022 and majored in Music (Composition) and Polymer Chemistry with a minor in Environmental Sciences and Studies. She studied voice under Dr. Eugene Galvin, was a part of the Charanga (Latin Jazz) Band, and regularly worked with student musical theatre productions on campus. When not writing or teaching music, she also works as an actor, puppeteer, and theatre technician with various companies and venues in the city. Madeline is currently in the development and rehearsal process for the multi-media and puppetry-centered Human Dream Project led by Admiral Grey.
Cody Brown
Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Cody Brown, a Maine native, is a Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, producer, and educator who works across a wide spectrum of musical idioms. Cody has performed in some of the most respected venues throughout the United States, including Carnegie Hall, and has performed and toured globally with renowned jazz and contemporary artists, including the groundbreaking Steve Lehman Octet and Trio, and McArthur Genius Grant winner, Miguel Zenón. He took part in the world premiere of Steve Lehman's (Doris Duke Artist Awardee and Guggenheim Fellow) Impossible Flow with the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), a performance praised by the New York Times as "...a small miracle" and an event after which Steve Smith of the New York Times wrote, "...props to Cody Brown, whose drumming rocked..."
Cody performed with ICE in the world premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Angel's Bone, composed by acclaimed experimental composer, Du Yun. Cody has had the honor of performing with many other celebrated musicians, such as Herbie Hancock, Drew Gress, David Virelles, Linda May Han Oh, Jonathan Finlayson, Anna Webber, Mark Shim, Shane Endsley, Michael Moore, Corey Smythe, and more. In between, Cody is a freelance session performer, songwriter, composer, and producer on countless records and for media and television, and is an instructor of the various crafts.
Cody received his Bachelor of Music (2008) in Jazz Performance from Purchase College where he was mentored by celebrated drum educators Kenny Washington and John Riley. He has studied percussion with Jeff Ballard and Dan Weiss, and composition with Steve Lehman.
Chris Heinz
Drum Teacher, Guitar Teacher, Bass Teacher, Keyboard Teacher
New York native and multi-instrumentalist Christopher Heinz has been a professional touring and session drummer for over 20 years. Proficient in multiple styles, Christopher’s main focuses are Jazz, Rock and R&B. Christopher studied drums and music theory with renown drummer and educator John Riley, author of “The Art Of Bop Drumming” and “Beyond Bop Drumming”. During this time, Christopher learned valuable ways to perform and create in a healthy manner, a skill he passes down to his own students at School of Rock and privately. Among others, Christopher has worked with Katharine McPhee, Miranda Lambert, Walking Shapes, The Wailers, Alabama, Broadway and Off-Broadway shows.
In addition to his performance work, he has scored music for television and film. His credits include MSNBC’s “Locked Up” series; Amnesty International’s documentary Women of Liberia; and MTV’s Sorority Life and Fraternity Life series.
Jackson Kenny
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Vocal Teacher, Drum Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Jackson Kenny, a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, embodies a deep-rooted passion for music and education. Hailing from a long line of musicians and performers, music has been an integral part of Jackson’s life from an early age. Jackson found his ideal intersection of interests at School of Rock Williamsburg where he teaches and instills confidence through music, combining his love for performance with his commitment to education.
Before joining School of Rock, Jackson spent years in the vibrant world of touring and recording. He performed across the United States and Canada at premier venues like Terminal 5, opened for acclaimed artists such as St. Vincent and The National, and recorded with engineering legend Steve Albini. Additionally, Jackson worked in the regulatory compliance space where he built strong relationships with clients and stakeholders and honed his management skills.
Jackson serves as the Music Director and Manager for a rock-focused musical ensemble that has wowed audiences at prestigious NYC locations like Brooklyn Bowl. His professional performances have included many weddings and corporate and private events.
Jackson holds degrees in Music and Economics from The City College of New York where he studied music theory, conducting (under Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Del Tredici), and classical voice in the Swedish-Italian School, excelling in protective-singing techniques.
Mark Crozer
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Mark has been the touring bassist with The Jesus and Mary Chain since 2013 and played rhythm guitar in the band between 2007 and 2008 and again in 2012.
Mark has released ten albums as an independent artist, booked tours for bands, produced and mixed records, organized and promoted concerts, and managed a rehearsal studio. He has also led rock school sessions for kids in the UK, recorded bass and guitar sessions for a wide range of artists, written music for TV, hosted a weekly radio show, and has even performed at WrestleMania.
Sebastián González
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher, Keyboard + Piano Teacher
Sebastián is a guitarist, composer, and music teacher born in Bogotá, Colombia. He studied music at the Javeriana University, El Bosque University, and the Cristancho Academy in Bogotá.
Sebastián became part of the Colombian project, Mauricio & Palo de Agua, a group signed exclusively to EMI Music, in 2001. The project has released three albums to date: Canto Caribeño, Contigo, and Viernes. The albums yielded a number of radio hits that reached the top of the charts for Latin American music and led to numerous nominations for the Shock and Nuestra Tierra awards in Colombia, winning the Golden Sigla Award at the Latin American Festival in Milan, Italy and two nominations for the Latin Grammy Awards (Best New Artist, Best Tropical Song). During Sebastián’s time in the band, he collaborated in the composition and production of these albums, and performed over 800 concerts throughout Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, the United States, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Poland and Germany.
Sebastián later moved to Australia where, over the course of two years, he performed over 1,500 shows on the P & O cruise line. Returning to Bogotá, he directed the project Moonetz and released the internationally acclaimed album, A New Direction, in 2014.
Sebastián has shared stage with artists such as Juan Luis Guerra, Fito Páez, Marc Anthony, Aterciopelados, Gilberto Santarosa, Juanes, Los Prisioneros, Fonseca, Cabas, and others. In addition to his performance, recording and touring experience, Sebastián has been involved in teaching both as a high school music teacher and privately. Currently living in New York City, Sebastián is performing with bands like Outernational, The Ritualists, and Axel Music Box, in addition to working on projects at Premier Studios in Times Square.
Brian Duke
Show Director, Drum Teacher
Inspired by the rich music and culture of the ‘60s and ‘70s, Brian Duke grew up learning to play drums like his paisley clad idols. Branching off into the world of Jazz and Blues, he enriched his grooves playing with Little Tower (formerly the Hoochie Coochie Men), and studying under drum legend Bill Goodwin (Phil Woods Quartet). Shortly after graduating from Lafayette College with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Brian started playing with the NYC-based alternative rock band, Cale and the Gravity Well. The band quickly broke into the touring scene with stops including SXSW and the Singapore Grand Prix. They released an EP in 2017 produced by Jim Fairchild (Modest Mouse, Grandaddy). In late 2016, Brian also began working with guitar virtuoso Roger Filgate, a former member of Wishbone Ash, tracking drums in a studio co-founded by Filgate. In February of 2017, Brian started drumming for country star Jessica Lynn, embarking on extensive tours in the US and overseas and sharing the stage with the likes of ZZ Top, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Keith Urban. In February 2019, Brian took part in the filming of Jessica’s third TV special which was released Summer 2019 in Europe and Fall 2019 in the US on PBS. Additionally, Brian drums in his brother’s band, Kyle Duke and the Brown Bag Boys, which continues to build a following in NYC while breaking into the DIY scenes in D.C. and Ohio. The band has been touring around the Eastern US for the past few years and made their TV debut in April 2019 in support of their latest single.
Brian’s teaching career began at an early age, taking on his first students while still in high school. While attending Lafayette College, Brian continued to give private lessons and worked as a teaching assistant for various world music classes and the college’s Percussion Ensemble. In February of 2017, Brian began teaching at School of Rock in New Canaan, CT. Shortly after, he also began working at the Ridgefield, CT and Bedford, NY School of Rock locations. In June of 2019, Brian joined the team at School of Rock Williamsburg. An integral member of the launch crew, Brian is also show director and drum instructor for the newly formed franchise. As an instructor, Brian brings many elements to his lessons, pulling from a diverse stylistic background and years of practical experience touring and recording with a multitude of artists.