Our Teachers

Being a teacher is an essential connection between what is and what can be. We know each student has different ways that they process information. Our instructors take that into account and craft lesson plans that meet each student’s individual needs.
Rawk U School of Music Staff

DANIEL CULLEN

Guitar Instructor / Founder

Daniel founded Rawk U in 2010. The germination of the idea for Rawk U started a few
years earlier in 2008. After working for several music schools in the area, he decided to
form his own school and stamp it with his own unique brand of teaching and
personality.

Daniel believes that students come into lessons for different reasons and with various
goals. Some students come in with no preconceived goals or expectations at all. Daniel
likes to get to know each student well and figure out what will take that particular
student as far as they would personally like to go. Each student is truly unique and the
same exact lesson plan cannot be used for each student.


Daniel plays with local blues band, Mourning in the Morning. He has also played with
The Hokkaido Concern and Chiaki in the past. Daniel studied at Berklee College of Music
In Boston as well as at the Univ of Delaware where he completed a minor in classical
guitar. He can take a beginning student fresh out of the gate and mold him or her into a
well rounded musician in a matter of a few short years.

Nathan Hurdle

Voice/Guitar Instructor

Nathan Hurdle is a guitar and vocal instructor from Philadelphia. Since earning a bachelor’s in music from Goucher College in Baltimore, Nathan has been consistently teaching a wide variety of students. Influenced and inspired by a truly eclectic set of artists and styles, Nathan’s instruction is well-rounded and balanced. Nathan strives to create an environment of positivity, comfort and creative exploration with every student. Nathan is very happy to be teaching alongside Rawk U’s other talented staff and looks forward to witnessing the growth of his students. You can find him performing regularly in and around Philadelphia with his two groups Actual Jackals and Two Good Eyes.

Rawk U School of Music Staff

HSIAO-HAN (ALICE) YANG

Piano Instructor

Falling in love with music from a young age, from watching the progression of her mother's piano students, Hsiao-Han (Alice) received her Bachelor's in Piano Performance from the National Taipei University of Education. A recent graduate of Temple University in Piano Performance, and Collaborative Piano & Chamber Music with Ching-Yun Hu and Lambert Orkis respectively. Besides performing and teaching, Hsiao- Han (Alice) has been assisting renowned pianist Ching-Yun Hu since 2018 mainly as a project manager for the Philadelphia Young Pianists’ Academy (PYPA) Piano Festival. She is currently active in the Greater Philadelphia Area as a collaborative pianist, educator, and administrator.
Rawk U School of Music Staff

Nick Markellos

Drum Instructor

"Nick is a percussionist from Chester County Pennsylvania. He graduated from West Chester University in January of 2019 where he studied classical percussion with Ralph Sorrentino and David Nelson. While there, he also performed with a few jazz combos and continued to work on his drumset chops. Nick is also actively involved with drum corps in marching percussion, currently teaching Pottstown High School's drumline and most recently performing with the Hawthorne Caballeros."
Rawk U Tutor

Natalie Kenis

Piano Instructor

Natalie is a lifelong lover of music and has played the piano since she was very young. Natalie has been teaching piano for 21 years and enjoys helping students of all ages connect with music. Although classically trained, Natalie can teach a variety of styles, helping students understand the theory and technique that differentiates music from pure sound. No two students are the same, so Natalie tailors her teaching to the learning style of the student, keeping certain things constant: note-reading, theory, and the use of music to express oneself.

Jessie Wexler

Guitar/Drums

Since starting guitar in the 3rd grade, Jessie has dedicated his passions to music, and became a multi-instrumentalist with 20 years of music experience. His musical journey has brought him everywhere from recording in the studio, performing on stage, writing and producing for dozens of artists, and teaching students of all levels. Born and raised in Philly, Jessie performed in hundreds of concerts before receiving his bachelor’s degree in music composition from The University Of The Arts. As a teacher, Jessie’s main goal is to create an environment that allows his students to firmly recognize and achieve their goals. Jessie teaches guitar, bass, and drums as well as classes for studying the world of music theory and songwriting.

RAWK U

MISSION STATEMENT

Here at Rawk U School of music, we aim to inspire a lifelong love of music. We truly believe that journey can start at any age. Modern life has given us a variety of ways we can educate ourselves musically. Studying music one on one or in a group lesson with a trained instructor who has a “roadmap” is still the best way in our opinion.

Being a teacher is an essential connection between what is and what can be. We know each student has different ways that they process information. Our instructors take that into account and craft lesson plans that meet each student’s individual needs.

Whether online or in person, our instructors and teaching methods get results. After years and years of experience, we know how to take a student from zero to hero in a relatively short time. All of our instructors have the two most important virtues that any teacher can possess, patience and passion.

We’d love to show you why we’re so excited to share our love of music with you!

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